The 2020 Road to the Kentucky Derby points series includes 35 U.S. based races, seven in Europe and four in Japan. (Photo credit: Churchill Downs).
The 2020 Road to the Kentucky Derby is in full swing, with 35 points races on the calendar in the U.S. along with a series of seven races in Europe along with a four-race series in Japan to decide the 20 horse field for the Run for the Roses.
The first jewel of racing’s Triple Crown is scheduled for Saturday May 2 at Churchill Downs. The contenders looking to get into the 146th running of the Kentucky Derby will be competing over the next five months with the top 18 in the points stands enring a spot into the field along with one European and japan entry.
The early points races are from mid-September and mid-February. Points awarded during the “Prep Season” are worth 10-4-2-1 to the top four placings, respectively, except for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI), which is worth twice as much (20-8-4-2).
In addition to the Iroquois and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, “Prep Season” races include the American Pharoah, Breeders’ Futurity, Champagne, Kentucky Jockey Club, Remsen, Los Alamitos Futurity, Springboard Mile, Jerome, Sham, Lecomte, Smarty Jones, Withers, Holy Bull, Robert B. Lewis, Sam F. Davis, El Camino Real Derby and Southwest.
Championship Series
The 16-race “Championship Series” comprise springboard events that often bring the three-year-old picture into sharper focus. Most first leg races offer 50-20-10-5 points to the Top 4 finishers: the Risen Star, Fountain of Youth, Gotham, Tampa Bay Derby, San Felipe, Rebel and Sunland Derby. The most meaningful races are worth 100-40-20-10: the Louisiana Derby, UAE Derby, Florida Derby, Wood Memorial, Blue Grass, Santa Anita Derby and Arkansas Derby. Additionally, the Jeff Ruby Steaks and Lexington offer points on a scale of 20-8-4-2 to the first four placings.
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In addition to the primary Road to the Kentucky Derby series, there are two separate series that each carve out one spot for a potential horse from Europe and Japan.
The fourth year Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby series again features four races: the Cattleya Sho (10-4-2-1), Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun (20-8-4-2), Hyacinth (30-12-6-3) and Fukuryu (40-16-8-4).
The third-year European Road to the Kentucky Derby again showcases seven races: the Juddmonte Royal Lodge (10-4-2-1), Beresford (10-4-2-1), Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère (10-4-2-1), Vertem Futurity Trophy (10-4-2-1), Road to the Kentucky Derby Condition Stakes (20-8-4-2), Patton Stakes (20-8-4-2) and Cardinal Condition Stakes (30-12-6-3).
This is the eighth consecutive year that Churchill Downs has used a point system to determine entrants for its famed Kentucky Derby. At least 20 horses have entered the “Run for the Roses” every year since 2014, and 19 of the last 21 years.
2020 Road to the Kentucky Derby
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9/14/19 | Iroquois | Churchill Downs | Dennis’ Moment | 10 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 9/27/19 | American Pharoah | Santa Anita | Eight Rings | 10 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 10/5/19 | Champagne | Belmont | Tiz the Law | 10 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 10/5/19 | Breeders’ Futurity | Keeneland | Maxfield | 10 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 11/1/19 | Breeders’ Cup Juvenile | Santa Anita | Storm the Court | 20 | 8 | 4 | 2 |
| 11/30/19 | Kentucky Jockey Club | Churchill Downs | 10 | 4 | 2 | 1 | |
| 12/7/19 |
Remsen | Aqueduct | 10 | 4 | 2 | 1 | |
| 12/7/19 |
Los Alamitos Futurity | Los Alamitos | 10 | 4 | 2 | 1 | |
| 12/15/19 | Springboard Mile | Remington | 10 | 4 | 2 | 1 | |
| 1/1/20 |
Jerome | Aqueduct | 10 | 4 | 2 | 1 | |
| 1/4/20 |
Sham | Santa Anita | 10 | 4 | 2 | 1 | |
| 1/18/20 |
Lecomte | Fair Grounds | 10 | 4 | 2 | 1 | |
| 1/24/20 | Smarty Jones | Oaklawn | 10 | 4 | 2 | 1 | |
| 2/1/20 |
Robert B. Lewis | Santa Anita | 10 | 4 | 2 | 1 | |
| 2/1/20 |
Withers | Aqueduct | 10 | 4 | 2 | 1 | |
| 2/1/20 |
Holy Bull | Gulfstream | 10 | 4 | 2 | 1 | |
| 2/8/20 |
Sam F. Davis | Tampa Bay | 10 | 4 | 2 | 1 | |
| 2/15/20 |
El Camino Real Derby | Golden Gate | 10 | 4 | 2 | 1 | |
| 2/15/19 |
Risen Star | Fair Grounds | 50 | 20 | 10 | 5 | |
| 2/17/19 | Southwest | Oaklawn | 10 | 4 | 2 | 1 | |
| 2/29/20 |
Fountain of Youth | Gulfstream | 50 | 20 | 10 | 5 | |
| 3/7/20 |
Gotham | Aqueduct | 50 | 20 | 10 | 5 | |
| 3/7/20 |
San Felipe | Santa Anita | 50 | 20 | 10 | 5 | |
| 3/7/20 |
Tampa Bay Derby | Tampa Bay Downs | 50 | 20 | 10 | 5 | |
| 3/14/20 |
Jeff Ruby Steaks | Turfway Park | 20 | 8 | 4 | 2 | |
| 3/14/20 | Rebel | Oaklawn | 50 | 20 | 10 | 5 | |
| 3/21/20 |
Louisiana Derby | Fair Grounds | 100 | 40 | 20 | 10 | |
| 3/22/20 |
Sunland Derby | Sunland | 50 | 20 | 10 | 5 | |
| 3/28/20 | UAE Derby | Meydan | 100 | 40 | 20 | 10 | |
| 3/28/20 |
Florida Derby | Gulfstream | 100 | 40 | 20 | 10 | |
| 4/4/20 |
Wood Memorial | Aqueduct | 100 | 40 | 20 | 10 | |
| 4/4/20 |
Blue Grass | Keeneland | 100 | 40 | 20 | 10 | |
| 4/4/20 |
Santa Anita Derby | Santa Anita | 100 | 40 | 20 | 10 | |
| 4/11/20 |
Lexington | Keeneland | 20 | 8 | 4 | 2 | |
| 4/11/20 | Arkansas Derby | Oaklawn | 100 | 40 | 20 | 10 |
European Road to the Kentucky Derby
| 9/28/19 | Royal Lodge | Newmarket (GB) | Royal Dornoch |
10 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 9/29/19 | Beresford | Curragh (IRE) | Innisfree |
10 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 10/6/19 | Prix du Jean Luc Legardare | Longchamp (FRA) | Victor Ludorum |
10 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 10/26/19 | Vertem Futurity Trophy | Doncaster (GB) | Kameko |
10 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| March 2020 | Patton | Dundalk (IRE) | 20 | 8 | 4 | 2 | |
| March 2020 | Road to the Derby Condition | Kempton (GB) | 20 | 8 | 4 | 2 | |
| April 2020 | Cardinal Condition Stakes | Chelmsford (GB) | 30 | 12 | 6 | 3 |
Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby
| 11/23/19 | Cattleya Sho | Tokyo | Dieu Du Vin |
10 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 12/18/19 | Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun | Kawasaki | 20 | 8 | 4 | 2 | |
| 2/16/20 |
Hyacinth | Tokyo | 30 | 12 | 6 | 3 | |
| 3/29/20 |
Fukuryu Stakes | Nakayama | 40 | 16 | 8 | 4 |
