Road to Kentucky Derby 2023

It is probably not a big surprise to learn that there are horse races other than the Triple Crown, which consists of the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes. Those are the three key thoroughbred races that most people watch. Particularly to see if the Derby winner can pull off the coveted Triple Crown.

But the road to Kentucky Derby is just as popular. It includes a series of races and a points system that helps determine qualifiers for the big event in Louisville, Kentucky, which draws more than 100,000 fans annually.

While the Kentucky Derby is a popular formal event, that is something out of a movie scene. It creates a unique atmosphere with all of the people packed into the grandstand, the infield, and the paddock to get a glimpse at the horses and trainers.

How To Qualify

The event will be held on March 6 at the hallowed Churchill Downs, and the competition to get to that point is already underway. If they have not been already, horses can be nominated for the race. You just have to pay a $6,000 fee, but it must be done by March 27.

The early nomination period includes a $600 fee to be paid by January. Then for horses who qualify, there is an additional $25,000 fee to enter in the Kentucky Derby and another $25,000 to start.

The road to Kentucky Derby is a series of races with a points system that helps determine the Derby field. Most of the horses competing are early nominees for the Kentucky Derby.

An upcoming race is Saturday’s Risen Star (G2) at Fair Grounds, which offers 50 points to the winner. Also offer 20 points to second place, 15 points to third place, 10 points to fourth place, and five points to fifth place. It is a great opportunity for horses to earn their keep and entryway into the Derby field.

Prep Races

The road to Kentucky Derby consists of races on dirt or synthetic surfaces with distances over a mile. They typically run from September to February. Typically, the points system for the top four finishers is 10-4-2-1, though the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile is 20-8-4-2. There is a championship season which has two legs and a wild card round.

There is one prep race remaining, and that is the John Battaglia Memorial on March 4 at Turfway Park. It then gives way to a different series of horse racing.

Championship Series

There are 16 races in the championship series, though they are usually clustered with multiple on the same day. Seven of those races award points on a 50-20-15-10-5 scale to the top five placers. Then there are eight races that award points on a 100-40-30-20-10 scale and are far more lucrative.

Typically, the horses who compete in these races and perform well are thought to be among those contenders to win the fastest two minutes in sports, the Kentucky Derby. These races are held at some of the more famous tracks across the country. This includes Gulfstream Park, Santa Anita, Tampa Bay Downs, the Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds, and Oaklawn Park.

Who Might Win The Derby?

Of course, there are already Kentucky Derby odds that show who may win the annual event. The early favorites is All Other 3-year Olds at 2-1 odds. Forte, which has 40 points and is atop the road to Kentucky Derby standings, holds the second-best odds at 8-1.

He is followed by Hoosier Philly at 11-1 and Tapit Trice at 15-1. Instant Coffee, which is second to Forte with 32 points in the standings, is at 22-1 odds.

There are horse racing odds available for around 40 horses just under three months from the Kentucky Derby. That is somewhat remarkable, given there are only 20 horses who will compete, barring scratches, in the annual event. 

Determining The Derby Field

So how do they go about choosing the Kentucky Derby field? There are two guaranteed spots that may be passed up. One goes to the winner of the Japanese road to Kentucky Derby, and the other goes to the European road to Kentucky Derby winner, or it will go to second place if the winners decline.

There are four races with varying points scales to determine who will win the Japan series. The European series features seven opportunities to earn points, with the final three races offering more points to the top finishers.

Then the other 18 spots will be filled by the top teams in America’s iteration. The stakes for winning those races leading up to the annual event are so high, and the cash flow can help pay off the nomination fees.

For instance, Forte has already made $1.55 million in earnings under trainer Todd Pletcher. Although the top horses have made upwards of six figures, the next highest in posted earnings is Blazing Stevens, which is tied for seventh with 16 points and has won $411,000.

With this knowledge in hand, it is a great way to make early horse racing picks for the Kentucky Derby and is a way to compare times to see which thoroughbred may win the running for the roses in May.

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