Ultimate Road to the Kentucky Derby Racing Guide 2023-2024
Apr 01, 2024
Roses at the Kentucky Derby (Photo by Coady Photography/Churchill Downs)
Ultimate Racing Guide for the 150th Kentucky Derby
Finding a horse to follow on the Road to the Kentucky Derby could be overwhelming for some. Typically around 20,000 Thoroughbreds hope to earn their way as one of 20 contenders in the Kentucky Derby, here our experts have compiled all the information you need for learning who to cheer on! Discover expert picks, analysis, insider news and more! Bookmark this helpful page to find regular updates and added information over time.
Official Kentucky Derby 150 Programs
Grab your official Kentucky Derby 150 Program before heading to Churchill on May 4. Be sure to get yours before the last day to order on April 26. Programs will go to print after the post position draw and ship via FedEx with delivery by May 2. Purchase your official Kentucky Derby 150 programs here!
- Quick Reference Index; jump to a specific section
Before they were Derby contenders, they were foals ready to prove themselves. Tales from the Crib by Kellie Reilly highlights the beginning steps of our Derby field.
Kentucky Derby Features
- 2024 Kentucky Derby News and Notes
- Churchill Downs Racetrack Releases Official Food and Beverage Menu for Milestone 150th Kentucky Derby
- What do Rachel Alexandra, Man o' War and Big Exchange Have In Common?
- What type of horses run in the Kentucky Derby?
- Horsepower in the Bluegrass: The Economic Impact of Horse Racing
- How Kentucky Derby betting traditions have changed over time since 1875
- Best horses to enter the Kentucky Derby undefeated and lose
- Surprise in the Sun: Chateaugay and the 1963 Kentucky Derby
- The Upset Heard Around the Racing World: Dark Star and the 1953 Kentucky Derby
- Kentucky Derby fashion over the decades 1875-2024
Kentucky Derby Handicapping Education
- Handicapper John Mucciolo's Top 5 Kentucky Derbies
- Betting Smarter: Ashley Anderson’s 3 tips for betting your first Pick 3
- Betting Smarter: Ashley Anderson’s 3 tips for betting your first exacta exotic bet
- Betting Smarter: 4 lessons from 4 years of working in horse racing
- Betting Smarter: Ashley Anderson’s favorite tips for betting horse racing
- Betting Smarter: Ashley Anderson’s five tips for your first time betting horse racing
KENTUCKY DERBY PREP SEASON (2023-2024)
KENTUCKY DERBY CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON (2023-2024)
KENTUCKY DERBY STATS AND NUMBERS
Road to the Kentucky Derby Top 20 Point Earners
| Rank | Horse | Points | Owner(s) | Trainer | Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings |
| 1 | Sierra Leone | 155 | Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg, Brook T. Smith & Peter Brant | Chad Brown | $871,250 |
| 2 | Fierceness | 136 | Repole Stable (Mike Repole) | Todd Pletcher | $1,646,100 |
| 3 | Catching Freedom | 125 | Albaugh Family Stables LLC (Dennis Albaugh) | Brad Cox | $802,000 |
| 4 | Stronghold | 125 | Eric M. & Sharon Waller | Phil D'Amato | $472,375 |
| 5 | Resilience | 110 | Emily Bushnell and & Ric Waldman | Bill Mott | $416,000 |
| 6 | Forever Young (JPN) | 100 | Susumu Fujita | Yoshito Yahagi | 1,769,919 |
| 7 | Endlessly | 100 | American Racing LLC | Michael McCarthy | $658,000 |
| 8 | Dornoch | 75 | West Paces Racing LLC (Larry Connolly), R. A. Hill Stable (Raymond A. Hill III), Belmar Racing and Breeding LLC (Vito Cucci), Two Eight Racing LLC (Jayson Werth) & Pine Racing Stables (Mark Pine) | Danny Gargan | $472,375 |
| 9 | Just a Touch | 75 | Qatar Racing (Sheikh Fahad Al Thani), Resolute Racing & Marc Detampel | Brad Cox | $247,500 |
| 10 | Track Phantom | 70 | L and N Racing LLC, Brewster, Clark O., Caroom, Jerry and Breeze Easy, LLC | Steve Asmussen | $300,000 |
| 11 | West Saratoga | 67 | Harry L. Veruchi | Larry Demeritte | $363,640 |
| 12 | Just Steel | 65 | BC Stables LLC (John Bellinger amd Brian Coelo | Wayne Lukas | $628,295 |
| 13 | Honor Marie | 65 | Ribble Farms LLC (Alan Ribble), Michael H. Eiserman, EarlI. Silver, Kenneth E. Fishbein | Whit Beckman | $448,455 |
| 14 | Domestic Product | 60 | Klaravich Stables Inc. (Seth Klarman) | Chad Brown | $260,500 |
| 15 | Catalytic | 50 | Tami Bobo, Julie Davies, and George G. Issacs | Saffie Joseph Jr. | $186,000 |
| 16 | Society Man | 50 | West Paces Racing LLC, Danny Gargan & GMP Stables LLC | Danny Gargan | $141,875 |
| 17 | Mystik Dan | 46 | Lance Gasaway, 4 G Racing LLC & Daniel Hamby III | Brad Cox | $550,050 |
| 18 | Encino | 40 | Goldolphin LLC | Brad Cox | $323, 136 |
| 19 | Grand Mo the First | 40 | Granpollo Stables LLC | Bictor Barboza Jr. | $164, 250 |
| 20 | T O Password (JPN) | Japan RTKD Invite | Tomoya Ozasa | Daisuke Takayanagi | $120,474 |
Full listing of Kentucky Derby point standing updates PDF library
Kentucky Derby prep winners by speed rating for 2023 Ordered by highest earned speed rating of prep races won
| Rank | Winner | Speed Rating | Class Rating |
| 1 | Two Phil's | 107 | 120.5 |
| 2 | Practical Move | 105 | 119.2 |
| 3 | Forte | 103 | 122.6 |
| 4 | First Mission | 103 | 119.8 |
| 5 | Tapit Trice | 102 | 120.7 |
| 6 | Angel of Empire | 101 | 119.6 |
| 7 | Dubyuhnell | 100 | 121.5 |
| 8 | Lord Miles | 99 | 120.7 |
| 9 | Reincarnate | 98 | 119.9 |
| 10 | Kingsbarns | 98 | 120 |
| 11 | Arabian Knight | 97 | 120.5 |
| 12 | Jace's Road | 96 | 118.7 |
| 13 | Instant Coffee | 96 | 120.8 |
| 14 | Hit Show | 96 | 123.9 |
| 15 | Wild On Ice | 96 | 117.4 |
| 16 | Confidence Game | 95 | 119.8 |
| 17 | Lugan Knight | 94 | 120.2 |
| 18 | Congruent | 94 | 117.6 |
| 19 | Rocket Can | 93 | 119.9 |
| 20 | Wildatlanticstorm | 92 | 120.5 |
KENTUCKY DERBY & OAKS NEWS
Kentucky Derby Future Wager coverage by TwinSpires.com
- Fierceness hardens into Kentucky Derby favoritism at 5-2 in Pool 6
- Fierceness installed at 7-2 for final 2024 Kentucky Derby Future Wager
- Sierra Leone ranks as overall 7-1 favorite in KDFW Pool 5; Impel favored in Oaks Future
- Sierra Leone, Tarifa early favorites in Kentucky Derby and Oaks future pools
- Sierra Leone becomes 6-1 individual favorite in KDFW Pool 4
- Locked installed at 10-1 for Pool 4 of Kentucky Derby Future Wager
- Fierceness holds steady at 8-1; 'All Others' 2-1 in KDFW Pool 3
- Horses to watch in Pool 3 of 2024 Kentucky Derby Future Wager
- Fierceness installed at 8-1 for Pool 3 of Kentucky Derby Future Wager
- More Japanese-based Triple Crown nominees to watch
- Fierceness popular in Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 2
- Fierceness installed at 15-1 in Pool 2 of 2024 Kentucky Derby Future Wager
- Racing Roundtable: Pool 1 of KDFW, first-crop sires, and top turf female
- Betting begins on Pool 1 of 2024 Kentucky Derby Future Wager
European and Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby Coverage
- European Road makes its final stop in Cardinal at Chelmsford
- UAE Derby: Post 13 for Japan’s unbeaten Forever Young
- T O Password tops Japan Road leaderboard with front-running Fukuryu
- Fukuryu Stakes offers final opportunity on Japan Road
- Bergamasco upstages favorites in Patton Race on European Road
- European Road: Patton attracts O’Brien duo of Henry Adams, Navy Seal
- European Road to the 2024 Kentucky Derby resumes at Kempton
- Japan Road: Ramjet takes off to upset Hyacinth
- Japan Road: Unquenchable hopes to emulate brother in Hyacinth
- Forever Young leads formidable Japanese contingent of Triple Crown nominees
- More Japanese-based Triple Crown nominees to watch
- Kentucky Derby points up for grabs in Japan’s Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun
- Deepone opens European Road with front-running victory in Beresford
- European Road: Capulet favored in Royal Lodge
- European Road: Beauvatier puts perfect record on line in Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere
- European Road: Ghostwriter scripts Royal Lodge victory
- Rosallion sets stakes record in Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere on European Road
Want to back a favorite horse running in a Kentucky Derby prep race? Each of the races found on this page are available for wagering at TwinSpires.com!
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