HOW IT WORKS

HOW TO GET INTO THE KENTUCKY DERBY STARTING GATE

The Road to the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve is a series of races that awards points to the Top 5 finishers in each race. The top 18 point earners will earn a spot in the starting gate for the 151st  running of the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (Grade I), which is scheduled for Saturday, May 3, 2025. One invitation will be extended to the top point earners in the European -- Middle East Road to the Kentucky presented by Woodford Reserve and one invitation will be extended to the top point earners in the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve. The Kentucky Derby field has been limited to 20 starters since 1975. At least 20 horses have entered the 1 ¼-mile race for 3-year-olds in 23 of the last 26 years.

The Kentucky Derby Prep Season begins with 20 races.

• Beginning with the Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs in mid-September and running through the John Battaglia Memorial at Turfway Park in early March, most of the initial prep events award 10-5-3-2-1 points to the first five finishers respectively.
• Starting in 2022, Churchill Downs will start awarding 20-10-6-4-2 points to the top five finishers at select prep races, including the Lecomte Stakes, Southwest Stakes, Withers Stakes, Holy Bull Stakes, Robert B. Lewis Stakes, Sam F. Davis Stakes and the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes.
• The Breeders' Cup Juvenile awards 30-15-9-6-3 points to the top five horses.

 SCORING OUTLINE:

RACE FINISH	POINTS AWARDED INITIAL PREP RACES	POINTS AWARDED SELECT PREP RACES	POINTS AWARDED BREEDERS’ CUP JUVENILE
1st	10	10	30
2nd	5	8	15
3rd	3	6	9
4th	2	4	6
5th	1	2	3

The Kentucky Derby Championship Series consists of 16 races total. Seven of these races deliver a 50-25-15-10-5 point split. The final prep races double the reward with an offering of 100-50-25-15-10. The exception is the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland with a split of 20-10-6-4-2.

• The races of highest value include the UAE Derby at Meydan in Dubai, the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park; Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds; Wood Memorial at Aqueduct; Santa Anita Derby at Santa Anita Park; Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park; the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, and the Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park.
• This race series design places a significant value on the most important prep races of the Kentucky Derby overall, as The Most Exciting Two Minutes In Sports inches closer. The cornerstone prep races attract significant handles as bettors sort out Kentucky Derby contenders while the points system enables the casual fan to understand how horses come to be eligible to participate as opposed to the former graded earnings system.
• Kentucky Derby winners tend to excel in the “Championship Series” where races are worth the most points, but one notable exception is the 2009 Derby winner and 50-1 longshot Mine That Bird, who was able to qualify for the Kentucky Derby based largely upon graded earnings accrued earlier in his career.

SCORING OUTLINE:

RACE FINISH	POINTS AWARDED INITIAL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES RACES	POINTS AWARDED SELECT CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES RACES	POINTS AWARDED LEXINGTON STAKES
1st	50	100	20
2nd	25	50	10
3rd	15	25	6
4th	10	15	4
5th	5	10	2

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EUROPEAN-MIDDLE EAST ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY

First staged in 2018, the “European Road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve” is a stand-alone series that is separate from America’s “Road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve” series. For the 2025 Kentucky Derby, the series has been rebranded as the “European-Middle East Road to the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve” with the UAE Derby moved out of America’s Road to the Kentucky Derby and added to this newly rebranded series. Two invitations to compete in the Kentucky Derby will be extended with preference given to the horses with the most points in the “Euro/Mideast Road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve” series. No invitation will be extended beyond the Top 4 point earners but if a horse also qualifies through America’s “Road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve” series, the invite will be extended to the next eligible horse. If two or more horses have the same number of points, the tiebreakers are earnings in non-restricted stakes races through April 12, 2025 followed by lifetime earnings through April 12, 2025. In the case of remaining ties, the additional starter(s) and/or also-eligible horses shall be determined by lot (aka a “shake”). Since 1967, there have been 55 horses who previously raced outside North America and ran in the Kentucky Derby. Venezuela’s Canonero II won the 1971 Derby and Puerto Rico’s Bold Forbes won the Derby in 1976. Bold Arrangement (GB), who was campaigned in Great Britain and France, finished second to Ferdinand in the 1986 renewal.

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JAPAN ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY

First staged in 2017, the “Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve” is a stand-alone series that is separate from America’s “Road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve” series. Only one invitation to compete in the Kentucky Derby will be extended with preference given to the horses with the most points in the “Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve” series. If a horse also qualifies through America’s “Road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve” series, an additional invite could be extended. If two or more horses have the same number of points, the tiebreaker is lifetime earnings through April 12, 2025. In the case of remaining ties, the additional starter(s) and/or also-eligible horses shall be determined by lot (aka a “shake”). Eight horses based in Japan have run in the Kentucky Derby: Ski Captain (14th, 1995); Lani (9th, 2016); Master Fencer (JPN) (6th, 2019); Crown Pride (JPN) (13th in 2022); Derma Sotogake (JPN) (6th in 2023); Mandarin Hero (JPN) (12th in 2023); Forever Young (JPN) (3rd in 2024); and T O Password (JPN) (5th in 2024).

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HOW TO GET INTO THE KENTUCKY OAKS STARTING GATE

The Road to the Kentucky Oaks is a series that awards points to the Top 5 finishers in each race. The Top 14 point earners nominated to the Longines Kentucky Oaks will earn a spot in the starting gate for the 151st running of the Longines Kentucky Oaks (Grade I), which is scheduled for Friday, May 2, 2025. The 1 1/8-mile Oaks is the nation’s premier race for 3-year-old fillies. At least 14 horses have entered the race in nine of the last 10 years (a rescheduled September 2020 is the lone exception).

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ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY AND ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY OAKS RULES

TIEBREAKERS

• America’s Road to the Kentucky Derby and Road to the Kentucky Oaks: If two or more horses have the same number of points, the tiebreaker is earnings in non-restricted stakes races. In the case of remaining ties, the additional starter(s) and/or also-eligible horses shall be determined by lifetime earnings. In the case of remaining ties, the additional starter(s) and/or also-eligible horses shall be determined by lot (aka a “shake”).
• Euro/Mideast Road to the Kentucky Derby: If two or more horses have the same number of points, the tiebreaker is earnings in non-restricted stakes races through April 12, 2025. In the case of remaining ties, the additional starter(s) and/or also-eligible horses shall be determined by lifetime earnings through April 12, 2025. In the case of remaining ties, the additional starter(s) and/or also-eligible horses shall be determined by lot (aka a “shake”).
• Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby: If two or more horses have the same number of points, the tiebreaker is lifetime earnings through April 12, 2025. In the case of remaining ties, the additional starter(s) and/or also-eligible horses shall be determined by lot (aka a “shake”).

FILLIES

If a filly wants to run in the Kentucky Derby she can, but she’ll have to earn her way into the field by accumulating points against open company just like the rest of the colts and geldings. Additionally, any points earned by a filly in the “Road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve” series against open company will be credited to her point total in the “Road to the Kentucky Oaks” series. If a filly garners an invitation to the Kentucky Derby via the “Euro/Mideast Road to the Kentucky” or “Japan Road to the Kentucky,” ownership may opt to instead use that invitation to the Kentucky Oaks.

FIELD SIZE

In the event a (Championship Series) race is run with a five-horse field, only 75% of the points will be proportionally awarded. In the event a (Championship Series) race is run with a four-horse field or less, only 50% of the points will be proportionally awarded.

DEAD-HEATS

In the event of a dead-heat (tie) those horses will divide equally the points they would have received jointly had one beaten the other.

SPLIT DIVISIONS

In the event a race is split into divisions and each division awards its originally published purse money, points will be awarded as scheduled for each division. If the originally published purse is reduced for each division, points will be reduced proportionally as well.

LASIX

Points will only be awarded to horses who compete on race day without Furosemide (often referred to by the brand name, Lasix) in Road to the Kentucky Derby and Road to the Kentucky Oaks races. Any points earned by horses with Lasix on race day will be vacated. The 2021 Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks marked the first year those races were run without the permitted use of Lasix.

MEDICAL VIOLATIONS

If the connections of a horse have been notified by a regulatory body about a medication violation from participation in a Road to the Kentucky Derby or Road to the Kentucky Oaks race, and that violation would result in disqualification, any accrued points from the race will be revoked until the matter reaches a legal conclusion. Accrued points will be reinstated if the matter is legally overturned prior to the running of the Kentucky Derby or Kentucky Oaks.

DERBY/OAKS TRAINER SUSPENSION

Points from any race in the Road to the Kentucky Derby or Kentucky Oaks will not be awarded to any horse trained by any individual who is suspended from racing in the 2025 Kentucky Derby or 2025 Kentucky Oaks or any trainer directly or indirectly employed, supervised, or advised by a suspended trainer. Should a horse trained by a suspended trainer, or any trainer directly or indirectly employed, supervised, or advised by a suspended trainer, finish in a position that would have earned points in a Road to the Kentucky Derby or Kentucky Oaks race, the points associated with that finish position will be vacated.