The 2026 Road to the Kentucky Derby is a series of races through which horses qualified for the 2026 Kentucky Derby, which will be held on May 2. The field for the Derby was limited to 20 horses, with up to four 'also eligibles' in case of a late withdrawal from the field. There were three separate paths for horses to take to qualify for the Derby: the main Road consisting of races in North America, the Japan Road consisting of four races in Japan, and the Euro/MidEast road consisting of seven races in England, Ireland, United Arab Emirates and France. The top five finishers in the specified races received points, with higher points awarded in the major prep races in March and April. Earnings in non-restricted stakes races acted as a tie breaker.
For 2026, the main Road to the Kentucky Derby resembled the 2025 Road to the Kentucky Derby, consisting of 36 races, with 20 races for the Kentucky Derby Prep Season and 16 races for the Kentucky Derby Championship Season with the following changes: [a]
The following table shows the points earned in the eligible races for the main series.
| Rank | Horse | Points | Earnings [b] | Trainer | Owner | Ref |
|---|
Legend:
Note: 1st=10 points; 2nd=5 points; 3rd=3 points; 4th=2 points; 5th=1 point (except the Breeders' Cup Juvenile: 1st=30 points; 2nd=15 points; 3rd=9 points; 4th=6 points; 5th=3 points)
The dates for most races shown below are based on the placement in the racing calendar from 2024/2025. Similarly, the purses shown below are based on the amounts from the previous year and will be updated when finalized.
| Race | Distance | Purse | Track | Date | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iroquois | 1 mile | $300,000 | Churchill Downs | Sep 13 2025 | ||||||
| Champagne | 1 mile | $500,000 | Aqueduct | Oct 4 2025 | ||||||
| American Pharoah | 1+1⁄16 miles | $300,000 | Santa Anita | Oct 4 2025 | ||||||
| Breeders' Futurity | 1+1⁄16 miles | $600,000 | Keeneland | Oct 4 2025 | ||||||
| Street Sense | 1+1⁄16 miles | $200,000 | Churchill Downs | Oct 26 2025 | ||||||
| Breeders' Cup Juvenile | 1+1⁄16 miles | $2,000,000 | Del Mar | Oct 31 2025 | ||||||
| Kentucky Jockey Club | 1+1⁄16 miles | $400,000 | Churchill Downs | Nov 29 2025 | ||||||
| Remsen | 1+1⁄8 miles | $250,000 | Aqueduct | Dec 6 2025 | ||||||
| Springboard Mile | 1 mile | $300,000 | Remington | Dec 20 2025 | ||||||
| Los Alamitos Futurity | 1+1⁄16 miles | $200,000 | Los Alamitos | Dec 13 2025 | ||||||
| Gun Runner Stakes | 1+1⁄16 miles | $100,000 | Fair Grounds | |||||||
| Smarty Jones | 1 mile | $300,000 | Oaklawn | |||||||
| Jerome | 1 mile | $150,000 | Aqueduct |
Note: 1st=20 points; 2nd=10 points; 3rd=6 points; 4th=4 points; 5th=2 points
| Race | Distance | Purse | Track | Date | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lecomte | 1+1⁄16 miles | $200,000 | Fair Grounds | |||||||
| Southwest | 1+1⁄16 miles | $800,000 | Oaklawn | |||||||
| Holy Bull | 1 mile | $250,000 | Gulfstream | |||||||
| Robert B. Lewis | 1 mile | $150,000 | Santa Anita | |||||||
| Withers | 1+1⁄8 miles | $250,000 | Aqueduct | |||||||
| Sam F. Davis Stakes | 1+1⁄16 miles | $250,000 | Tampa Bay | |||||||
| John Battaglia Memorial Stakes | 1+1⁄16 miles | $150,000 | Turfway | |||||||
Note: 1st=50 points; 2nd=25 points; 3rd=15 points; 4th=10 points; 5th=5 points
with the exception of the Sunland Derby; 1st=20 points; 2nd=10 points; 3rd=6 points; 4th=4 points; 5th=2 points
| Race | Distance | Purse | Grade | Track | Date | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Risen Star | 1+1⁄8 miles | $400,000 | 2 | Fair Grounds | |||||||
| Sunland Derby | 1+1⁄16 miles | $500,000 | 3 | Sunland Park | |||||||
| Rebel | 1+1⁄16 miles | $1,250,000 | 2 | Oaklawn | |||||||
| Fountain of Youth | 1+1⁄16 miles | $400,000 | 2 | Gulfstream | |||||||
| Gotham | 1 mile | $300,000 | 3 | Aqueduct | |||||||
| San Felipe | 1+1⁄16 miles | $400,000 | 2 | Santa Anita | |||||||
| Tampa Bay Derby | 1+1⁄16 miles | $350,000 | 2 | Tampa Bay | |||||||
| Virginia Derby | 1+1⁄8 miles | $500,000 | 3 | Colonial Downs |
These races are the major preps for the Kentucky Derby, and are thus weighted more heavily.
Note: 1st=100 points; 2nd=50 points; 3rd=25 points; 4th=15 points; 5th=10 points
with the exception of the Lexington Stakes; 1st=20 points; 2nd=10 points; 3rd=6 points; 4th=4 points; 5th=2 points
| Race | Distance | Purse | Grade | Track | Date | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana Derby | 1+3⁄16 miles | $1,000,000 | 2 | Fair Grounds | |||||||
| Jeff Ruby | 1+1⁄8 miles | $700,000 | 3 | Turfway | |||||||
| Florida Derby | 1+1⁄8 miles | $1,000,000 | 1 | Gulfstream | |||||||
| Arkansas Derby | 1+1⁄8 miles | $1,500,000 | 1 | Oaklawn Park | |||||||
| Blue Grass Stakes | 1+1⁄8 miles | $1,000,000 | 1 | Keeneland | |||||||
| Santa Anita Derby | 1+1⁄8 miles | $750,000 | 1 | Santa Anita | |||||||
| Wood Memorial | 1+1⁄8 miles | $750,000 | 2 | Aqueduct | |||||||
| Lexington | 1+1⁄8 miles | $400,000 | 3 | Keeneland |