The Road to the Kentucky Derby is a 36 races series that awards points to the top 4 finishers in each race. Have you ever wondered what it takes for a horse to qualify for the Kentucky Derby? We will show you the Kentucky Derby standing points.
With the annual foal crop in the United States averaging around 20,000 Thoroughbred foals per year, only twenty horses or 0.001% of each foal crop will have their chance to compete in the 148th Run for the Roses.
The Road to the Kentucky Derby series features designated stakes races (September to April) as we mentioned before each of these races offers 4 points to the top 4 finishers. As the Road progresses closer to the big day, the point values offered to each race increase. Seven states across the United States (Arkansas, California, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, New York, and Oklahoma) host a total of thirty-five races occurring at thirteen different racetrack venues.
Starting in September (the previous year) before the KY Derby, the top two-year-olds get the opportunity to start earning points, for the first five months running up to the Kentucky Derby, the point values are maintained at a 10-4-2-1 scale.
- 10 points for the winner
- 4 points to the runner up
- 2 points to the third-place finisher
- 1 point to the fourth-place finisher
Kentucky Derby Odds by JAZZSPORTS
The Road to the Derby Bonus Points
The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile race is the premier stakes race on the two-year-old calendar, due to the prestige this race doubles the points to a 20-8-4-2 basis.
Starting in mid-February with the Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds, points values rise drastically to a higher scale of 50-20-10-5. Seven races offer this increased point value, historically a 50 point win has been enough for a horse to make the Kentucky Derby starting gate but it is not guaranteed.
Towards the end of March starting with the Louisiana Derby, point values increase for the final time and double to a higher scale.
- 100 points to the winner
- 40 points to the runner up
- 20 points for the third-place finisher
- 10 points for fourth
While seven out of the eight one-hundred-point races are offered in the United States, the UAE Derby at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai offers the same point scale. These races are considered “Win and You’re In” because every horse that has earned 100 points has earned a place in the race.
The Lexington Stakes at Keeneland serves as pre-finale offering points on a 20-8-4-2 scale. It provides hopeful horses who are trying to reach the opportunity to earn some last-minute points. After this final race, horses are given three weeks to get ready for the Kentucky Derby.
Lastly a globally inclusive event, the Kentucky Derby opens a series of qualification races in Europe and Japan, the highest point earner on each Road an invitation is extended to compete in the Kentucky Derby.
Road to the Derby Current Standings
| # | Horse | Points | Trainer | Breeder/Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Forte | 90 | Todd Pletcher | South Gate Farm Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable |
| 2 | Confidence Game | 57 | Keith Desormeaux | Summer Wind Equine LLC Don’t Tell My Wife Stables |
| 3 | Angel of Empire | 54 | Brad Cox | Forgotten Land Investment Inc & BlackDiamond Equine Corp Albaugh Family Stables LLC |
| 4 | Raise Cain | 54 | Ben Colebrook | Rock Ridge Thoroughbreds, LLC Warren, Andrew N. and Warren, Rania |
| 5 | Practical Move | 50 | Tim Yakteen | Chad Brown & Head of Plains Partners Amestoy, Jr., Pierre Jean, Amestoy, Leslie A. and Beasley, Roger K. |
| 6 | Congruent | 50 | Antonio Sano | Tapit Syndicate & Glencrest Farm, LLC Bobo, Tami and Lugamo Racing Stable LLC |
| 7 | Rocket Can | 40 | William Mott | Woodford Thoroughbreds, LLC Frank Fletcher Racing Operations, Inc. |
| 8 | Red Route | 33 | Steven Asmussen | Winchell Thoroughbreds, LLC Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC |
| 9 | Instant Coffee | 32 | Brad Cox | Sagamore Farm, LLC Gold Square LLC |
| 10 | Sun Thunder | 24 | Kenneth McPeek | Southern Equine Stables, LLC R.T Racing Stable and Cypress Creek Equine |
| 11 | General Banker | 24 | James Ferraro | Seacoast Thoroughbreds of New England Seacoast Thoroughbreds of N. E. |
| 12 | Two Phil’s | 23 | Larry Rivelli | Phillip Sagan Patricia’s Hope LLC and Sagan, Phillip |
| 13 | Hit Show | 20 | Brad Cox | Gary & Mary West Stables Inc. Gary and Mary West |
| 14 | Litigate | 20 | Todd Pletcher | Nursery Place, Donaldson & Broadbent Centennial Farms |
| 15 | Scoobie Quando | 20 | Ben Colebrook | CHC Inc. Warren, Andrew N. and Warren, Rania |
| 16 | Geaux Rocket Ride | 20 | Richard Mandella | OXO Equine LLC Pin Oak Stud LLC |
| 17 | Slip Mahoney | 20 | Brad Cox | Hill ‘N’ Dale Equine Holdings, Inc. & Philip J. Steinberg Gold Square LLC |
| 18 | Curly Jack | 17 | Thomas Amoss | Betz/J.Betz/Burns/Camaquiki/C.Kidder/etal. Michal McLaughlin |
| 19 | Blazing Sevens | 16 | Chad Brown | Tracy Farmer Rodeo Creek Racing, LLC |
| 20 | Arctic Arrogance | 16 | Linda Rice | Chester Broman & Mary R. Broman Broman, Sr., Chester and Broman, Mary |
| 21 | Reincarnate | 15 | Tim Yakteen | Woods Edge Farm, LLC SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Masterson, Robert E., Stonestreet Stables LLC, Schoenfarber, Jay A., Waves Edge Capital LLC and Donovan, Catherine |
| 22 | Jace’s Road | 15 | Brad Cox | Colts Neck Stables LLC West Point Thoroughbreds and Albaugh Family Stables LLC |
| 23 | Skinner | 15 | John Shirreffs | Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC C R K Stable LLC |
| 24 | Cyclone Mischief | 15 | Dale Romans | Castleton Lyons & Kilboy Estate Albaugh Family Stables LLC and Castleton Lyons |
| 25 | Verifying | 14 | Brad Cox | Hunter Valley & Mountmellick Farm, LLC Westerberg, Magnier, Mrs. John, Poulin, Jonathan, Smith, Derrick and Tabor, Michael B. |
| 26 | Shadow Dragon | 13 | William Mott | AJ Suited Peachtree Stable |
| 27 | Victory Formation | 10 | Brad Cox | Gainesway Thoroughbreds Ltd. Spendthrift Farm LLC and Frank Fletcher Racing Operations, Inc. |
| 28 | Dubyuhnell | 10 | Danny Gargan | Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC West Paces Racing LLC and Stonestreet Stables LLC |
| 29 | Lugan Knight | 10 | Michael McCarthy | BG Stables BG Stables |
| 30 | Hejazi | 10 | Tim Yakteen | Chester Broman & Mary R. Broman Zedan Racing Stables, Inc. |
| 31 | Mage | 10 | Gustavo Delgado | Grandview Equine OGMA Investments, LLC, Restrepo, Ramiro, Sterling Racing LLC and CMNWLTH |
| 32 | Eyeing Clover | 10 | Brad Cox | Mike Abraham Ten Strike Racing |
| 33 | Tapit’s Conquest | 10 | Brad Cox | WinStar Farm, LLC & Tapit Syndicate LaPenta, Robert V., e Five Racing Thoroughbreds and Madaket Stables LLC |
| 34 | Moon Landing | 10 | Kevin Attard | Anderson Farms Ont. Inc. & Rod Ferguson Farms LTD.LaPenta, Robert V., e Five Racing Thoroughbreds and Madaket Stables LLC |
| 35 | Denington | 8 | Kenneth McPeek | Fern Circle Stables LLC &Magdalena Racing Fern Circle Stables and Magdalena Racing (Sherri McPeek) |
| 36 | Hayes Strike | 7 | Kenneth McPeek | Dixiana Farms, LLC Dixiana Farms LLC |
| 37 | Andiamo a Firenze | 7 | Kelly Breen | Mr Amore Stables Mr. Amore Stable |
| 38 | Frosted Departure | 6 | Kenneth McPeek | Alastar Thoroughbred Company, LLC C&H Diamond Racing LLC and Magdalena Racing (Sherri McPeek) |
| 39 | West Coast Cowboy | 6 | Saffie Joseph, Jr. | Gary & Mary West Stables Inc. Gentry Farms (A.P. Gentry) |
| 40 | Classic Car Wash | 6 | Mark Casse | Sherry R. Mansfield & Kenneth H. Davis Gary Barber |
| 41 | Bourbon Bash | 5 | D. Wayne Lukas | Machmer Hall BC Stables, LLC |
| 42 | Fort Bragg | 5 | Tim Yakteen | SF Bloodstock LLC & Henry FieldBloodstock SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Masterson, Robert E., Stonestreet Stables LLC, Schoenfarber, Jay A., Waves Edge Capital LLC and Donovan, Catherine |
| 43 | Clear the Air | 5 | William Walden | Calumet Farm Cypress Creek Equine |
| 44 | Single Ruler | 5 | Keith Desormeaux | Don Alberto Corporation Rocker O Ranch, LLC |
| 45 | Miranda Rights | 5 | Mark Casse | Three Diamonds Farm & Buckalot Inc. D. J. Stable LLC |
| 46 | Loggins | 4 | Brad Cox | Popatop, LLC Spendthrift Farm LLC, Steve Landers Racing LLC, Schwartz, Martin S., Dubb, Michael, Ten Strike Racing, Bakke, Jim, Titletown Racing Stables, Kueber Racing, LLC, Big Easy Racing LLC and Winners Win |
| 47 | Honed | 4 | Kenneth McPeek | Mr. & Mrs. Duncan Lloyd Three Chimneys Farm and Magdalena Racing (Sherri McPeek) |
| 48 | Legacy Isle | 4 | Rohan Crichton | Erv Woolsey & Ralph Kinder Walters, Daniel L., Smith, Dennis G., Smith, Anthony and Crichton, Rohan |
| 49 | Classic Legacy | 4 | William Mott | W. Bruce Lunsford Bruce Lunsford |
| 50 | Gulfport | 3 | Steven Asmussen | Diamond Creek Farm Heiligbrodt, L. William, Heiligbrodt, Corinne, Jackpot Farm, Whispering Oaks Farm LLC and Coolmore Stud |
| 51 | Tuskegee Airmen | 3 | John Servis | Nice Guys Stable Cash is King LLC and LC Racing LLC |
| 52 | Determinedly | 3 | Mark Casse | Bedouin Bloodstock LLC John C. Oxley |
| 53 | Western Ghent | 2 | D. Wayne Lukas | Dixiana Farms LLC Ghent, Bob, Ghent, Ann, Lukas, Laurie and Lukas, D. Wayne |
| 54 | Il Miracolo | 2 | Antonio Sano | Willow Oaks Stable LLC Alexandres, LLC |
| 55 | Neural Network | 2 | Chad Brown | Milfer Farm Inc. Klaravich Stables, Inc. |
| 56 | Champions Dream | 1 | Mark Casse | John C. Oxley Rosedown Racing Stables, LLC |
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