Road to Kentucky Derby 2023: Standings after 21 points preps

The shakeups at the top of the Kentucky Derby 2023 leaderboard picked up steam Sunday with Angel of Empire's win in the Grade 2 Risen Star at Fair Grounds.

The race was the first of seven that award 100 points to the top five finishers on a 50-20-15-10-5 basis, virtually guaranteeing the winner as eligible for the Kentucky Derby on May 6. The trail also has eight races that grant 100 points to the winner and 200 overall.

Angel of Empire was one of three Risen Star entries by Brad Cox, and he had the longest odds of the trio at 13-1. The win was his third in five starts. He also picked up 4 Derby points with a second-place finish in the Smarty Jones.

The second- and third-place finishers in the Risen Star, Sun Thunder and Two Phil's, also moved into the top 10 on the leaderboard. Forte, who had been on top in the standings since winning the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, was bumped to No. 2

The next stop on the Derby trail is the Rebel (G2) on Saturday at Oaklawn, followed by the Gotham (G2, Aqueduct), San Felipe (G2, Santa Anita) and Fountain of Youth (G2, Gulfstream) on March 4. All offer 50 points to eligible winners.

Horses trained by Bob Baffert are not eligible to earn Derby points because of his suspension by Churchill Downs Inc. His horses must be transferred to an eligible trainer by Feb. 28 to be able to earn points. Baffert lost his effort to have that suspension overturned in a Friday federal court ruling.

Here is the updated Kentucky Derby 2023 leaderboard.