2024 Kentucky Derby Prep Races
By TVG Staff
Updated May 1, 2024
The 150th Kentucky Derby will take place on Saturday, May 4 at Churchill Downs! Contested every year since 1875, the $3 million race is one of the pillars of the horse racing year. The nation’s best three-year-old horses will line up for the most prestigious prizes in horse racing.
Though everyone hopes their horse can make it into the starting gate, only 20 can horses will actually earn a spot. Horses make it to the Kentucky Derby by earning points along the Road to the Kentucky Derby. As a horseplayer, it is to your advantage to watch the Road to the Kentucky Derby! Not only are the Derby preps often great betting races, but tracking the horses through the winter and spring means you will be even better prepared to handicap the Run for the Roses.
Kentucky Derby Point System
The Road to the Kentucky Derby races, in addition to offering purses and stakes-level glory in their own right, offer points to their top five finishers. The points are tiered, with the most points allotted to the winner, down to small amounts to fourth-place finishers. The top four finishers earned points between the 2012-13 and 2021-22 prep seasons, but points were expanded to the top five finishers for the 2023-24 prep season.
The 2024 Kentucky Derby also offers two Road to the Kentucky Derby series abroad, one in Japan and one in Europe. The leading points-getters in Japan and Europe are guaranteed a spot in the Kentucky Derby starting gate if they want to go. If they choose to skip the Derby, the spots open up to the next horses in line according to the American points system. Though the UAE Derby is abroad, at Meydan in Dubai, those points count toward the American tally.
Kentucky Derby Prep Race Groupings & Points Offered
The Road to Kentucky Derby prep races are divided into four main groupings, the Kentucky Derby Prep Season, Kentucky Derby Championship Series, Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby, and the Europe Road to the Kentucky Derby. All four groupings feature high-stakes races and offer unique points to the overall Kentucky Derby point system.
The first of the groupings is the Kentucky Derby Prep Season which consists of 21 races and kicked off with the Iroquois Stakes that took place on September 16th at Churchill Downs. The Kentucky Derby Prep Season continued until the John Battaglia Memorial took place on March 2nd at Turfway Park. Races through early January, as well as the El Camino Real Derby, offer 10-5-3-2-1 points to their top finishers; the only exception is the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, which offers 30-15-9-6-3 points. Later prep-season races, from mid-January through the Battaglia, offer 20-10-6-4-2 points. Even winners of races in the Prep Season either need to win multiple Prep Season races or do well in Championship Series races to earn a ticket to Kentucky.
The second grouping is the Kentucky Derby Championship Series, which features a total of 16 races. Seven of these races, including the Rebel Stakes and the Fountain of Youth, offer a 50-25-15-10-5 point split. The final prep races such as the Santa Anita Derby and the UAE Derby double the point offer with 100-50-25-15-10. The Lexington Stakes at Keeneland is the only exception and offers a split of 20-10-6-4-2, a final last-ditch chance for horses on the bubble to earn their way in.
The Japan Road to Kentucky Derby originally only consisted of two races. However, it now consists of four major races and provides an automatic bid into the Kentucky Derby for the horse with the most points. This series includes the Cattleya Sho, which offers 10-5-3-2-1 points, the Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun with 20-10-6-4-2 points, the Hyacinth, which offers 30-15-9-6-3 points, and the Fukuryu, which offers 40-20-12-8-4 points.
The Europe Road to Kentucky Derby is the newest addition to the Road to Kentucky Derby and features seven races located in Great Britain, Ireland, and France. This series includes races such as the Patton Stakes and the Cardinal Condition Stakes and offers 10-5-3-2-1, 20-10-6-4-2, and 30-15-9-6-3 point splits.
Top Kentucky Derby Prep Races
These are the prep races that offer 50 or 100 points to their winners, meaning they have the most impact on the final field of the Kentucky Derby.
| Date | Race | Track | Points | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 17 | Risen Star Stakes (G2) | Fair Grounds | 50-25-15-10-5 | Sierra Leone |
| February 24 | Rebel Stakes (G2) | Oaklawn | 50-25-15-10-5 | Timberlake |
| March 2 | Fountain of Youth (G2) | Gulfstream Park | 50-25-15-10-5 | Dornoch |
| March 2 | Gotham (G3) | Aqueduct | 50-25-15-10-5 | Deterministic |
| March 2 | San Felipe (G3) | Santa Anita Park | 50-25-15-10-5 | Imagination |
| March 9 | Tampa Bay Derby (G2) | Tampa Bay Downs | 50-25-15-10-5 | Domestic Product |
| March 23 | Jeff Ruby Steaks | Turfway Park | 100-50-25-15-10 | Endlessly |
| March 23 | Louisiana Derby (G2) | Fair Grounds | 100-50-25-15-10 | Catching Freedom |
| March 30 | UAE Derby (G2) | Meydan Racecourse | 100-50-25-15-10 | Fierceness |
| March 30 | Florida Derby (G1) | Gulfstream Park | 100-50-25-15-10 | Forever Young |
| March 30 | Arkansas Derby (G1) | Oaklawn Park | 100-50-25-15-10 | Muth |
| April 6 | Wood Memorial (G2) | Aqueduct | 100-50-25-15-10 | Resilience |
| April 6 | Blue Grass (G1) | Keeneland | 100-50-25-15-10 | Sierra Leone |
| April 6 | Santa Anita Derby (G1) | Santa Anita Park | 100-50-25-15-10 | Stronghold |
Road to the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard
This is the Kentucky Derby points leaderboard, featuring the 22 contenders who entered the Kentucky Derby. Encino defected on Tuesday morning after coming back from training with a soft-tissue issue, meaning Epic Ride has made it into the main field. If another horse scratches before the scratch deadline at 9 a.m. EDT on Friday, then Mugatu gets into the Kentucky Derby starting gate. Unlike the 20 originally in the main field, who were allocated starting gates by pill pull at the Kentucky Derby draw on Saturday, April 27, the also-eligible horses join the field from the outside: so far, Epic Ride will now get the 20 gate, and that goes to Mugatu if he ends up drawing in.
| Rank | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sierra Leone | Chad Brown | Tyler Gaffalione | 155 |
| 2 | Fierceness | Todd Pletcher | John Velazque | 136 |
| 3 | Catching Freedom | Brad Cox | Flavien Prat | 125 |
| 4 | Stronghold | Phil D’Amato | Antonio Fresu | 125 |
| 5 | Resilience | Bill Mott | TBA | 110 |
| 6 | Forever Young | Yoshito Yahagi | Ryusei Sakai | 100 |
| 7 | Endlessly | Michael McCarthy | Umberto Rispoli | 100 |
| 8 | Dornoch | Danny Gargan | Luis Saez | 75 |
| 9 | Just a Touch | Brad Cox | Florent Geroux | 75 |
| 10 | Track Phantom | Steve Asmussen | Joel Rosario | 70 |
| 11 | West Saratoga | Larry Demeritte | Jesus Castanon | 67 |
| 12 | Just Steel | D. Wayne Lukas | Keith Asmussen | 65 |
| 13 | Honor Marie | Whit Beckman | Ben Curtis | 65 |
| 14 | Domestic Product | Chad Brown | Irad Ortiz, Jr. | 60 |
| 15 | Catalytic | Saffie Joseph, Jr. | Jose Ortiz | 50 |
| 16 | Society Man | Danny Gargan | Luis Rivera, Jr. | 50 |
| 17 | Mystik Dan | Kenny McPeek | Brian Hernandez, Jr. | 46 |
| 18 | Encino | Brad Cox | Abel Concepcion | SCR |
| 20 | T O Password | Daisuke Takayanagi | Kazushi Kimura | Japan |
| 21 | Epic Ride | John Ennis | Adam Beschizza | 35 |
| 22 | Uncle Heavy | Butch Reid | TBA | 30 |
| 23 | Seize the Grey | D. Wayne Lukas | TBA | 27 |
The number of points it actually takes to get into the Kentucky Derby varies sharply by year. In 2021, Brooklyn Strong got into the field with just 10 points. However, in 2019, Bodexpress was the last horse in—and he had 40 points! With more points available for the 2024 Kentucky Derby, however, the floor is expected to be on the high side: three and a half weeks before the race, some horses with 45 points are still on the outside looking in 2024 is 40.
Kentucky Derby Prep Race Betting With TVG
For in-depth analysis and expert picks all year long, including the Kentucky Derby and every prep race, make sure to keep it TVG, your convenient, trusted, up-to-date destination to watch and wager on horse racing! To take a look at our calendar for 2024 races, be sure to check out the schedule.
Live Derby Week Coverage on FanDuel TV+
Watch FanDuel Racing’s live, commercial-free, racing coverage of Derby Week on FanDuel TV+ beginning Saturday, 4/27 – Thursday 5/2. FanDuel TV will also be on-site at Churchill Downs providing comprehensive coverage, including the latest news, analysis, and handicapping insights in the days leading up to the Derby.
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If you don't win your first single-horse win betBy TVG Staff
Updated May 1, 2024
The 150th Kentucky Derby will take place on Saturday, May 4 at Churchill Downs! Contested every year since 1875, the $3 million race is one of the pillars of the horse racing year. The nation’s best three-year-old horses will line up for the most prestigious prizes in horse racing.
Though everyone hopes their horse can make it into the starting gate, only 20 can horses will actually earn a spot. Horses make it to the Kentucky Derby by earning points along the Road to the Kentucky Derby. As a horseplayer, it is to your advantage to watch the Road to the Kentucky Derby! Not only are the Derby preps often great betting races, but tracking the horses through the winter and spring means you will be even better prepared to handicap the Run for the Roses.
Kentucky Derby Point System
The Road to the Kentucky Derby races, in addition to offering purses and stakes-level glory in their own right, offer points to their top five finishers. The points are tiered, with the most points allotted to the winner, down to small amounts to fourth-place finishers. The top four finishers earned points between the 2012-13 and 2021-22 prep seasons, but points were expanded to the top five finishers for the 2023-24 prep season.
The 2024 Kentucky Derby also offers two Road to the Kentucky Derby series abroad, one in Japan and one in Europe. The leading points-getters in Japan and Europe are guaranteed a spot in the Kentucky Derby starting gate if they want to go. If they choose to skip the Derby, the spots open up to the next horses in line according to the American points system. Though the UAE Derby is abroad, at Meydan in Dubai, those points count toward the American tally.
Kentucky Derby Prep Race Groupings & Points Offered
The Road to Kentucky Derby prep races are divided into four main groupings, the Kentucky Derby Prep Season, Kentucky Derby Championship Series, Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby, and the Europe Road to the Kentucky Derby. All four groupings feature high-stakes races and offer unique points to the overall Kentucky Derby point system.
The first of the groupings is the Kentucky Derby Prep Season which consists of 21 races and kicked off with the Iroquois Stakes that took place on September 16th at Churchill Downs. The Kentucky Derby Prep Season continued until the John Battaglia Memorial took place on March 2nd at Turfway Park. Races through early January, as well as the El Camino Real Derby, offer 10-5-3-2-1 points to their top finishers; the only exception is the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, which offers 30-15-9-6-3 points. Later prep-season races, from mid-January through the Battaglia, offer 20-10-6-4-2 points. Even winners of races in the Prep Season either need to win multiple Prep Season races or do well in Championship Series races to earn a ticket to Kentucky.
The second grouping is the Kentucky Derby Championship Series, which features a total of 16 races. Seven of these races, including the Rebel Stakes and the Fountain of Youth, offer a 50-25-15-10-5 point split. The final prep races such as the Santa Anita Derby and the UAE Derby double the point offer with 100-50-25-15-10. The Lexington Stakes at Keeneland is the only exception and offers a split of 20-10-6-4-2, a final last-ditch chance for horses on the bubble to earn their way in.
The Japan Road to Kentucky Derby originally only consisted of two races. However, it now consists of four major races and provides an automatic bid into the Kentucky Derby for the horse with the most points. This series includes the Cattleya Sho, which offers 10-5-3-2-1 points, the Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun with 20-10-6-4-2 points, the Hyacinth, which offers 30-15-9-6-3 points, and the Fukuryu, which offers 40-20-12-8-4 points.
The Europe Road to Kentucky Derby is the newest addition to the Road to Kentucky Derby and features seven races located in Great Britain, Ireland, and France. This series includes races such as the Patton Stakes and the Cardinal Condition Stakes and offers 10-5-3-2-1, 20-10-6-4-2, and 30-15-9-6-3 point splits.
Top Kentucky Derby Prep Races
These are the prep races that offer 50 or 100 points to their winners, meaning they have the most impact on the final field of the Kentucky Derby.
| Date | Race | Track | Points | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 17 | Risen Star Stakes (G2) | Fair Grounds | 50-25-15-10-5 | Sierra Leone |
| February 24 | Rebel Stakes (G2) | Oaklawn | 50-25-15-10-5 | Timberlake |
| March 2 | Fountain of Youth (G2) | Gulfstream Park | 50-25-15-10-5 | Dornoch |
| March 2 | Gotham (G3) | Aqueduct | 50-25-15-10-5 | Deterministic |
| March 2 | San Felipe (G3) | Santa Anita Park | 50-25-15-10-5 | Imagination |
| March 9 | Tampa Bay Derby (G2) | Tampa Bay Downs | 50-25-15-10-5 | Domestic Product |
| March 23 | Jeff Ruby Steaks | Turfway Park | 100-50-25-15-10 | Endlessly |
| March 23 | Louisiana Derby (G2) | Fair Grounds | 100-50-25-15-10 | Catching Freedom |
| March 30 | UAE Derby (G2) | Meydan Racecourse | 100-50-25-15-10 | Fierceness |
| March 30 | Florida Derby (G1) | Gulfstream Park | 100-50-25-15-10 | Forever Young |
| March 30 | Arkansas Derby (G1) | Oaklawn Park | 100-50-25-15-10 | Muth |
| April 6 | Wood Memorial (G2) | Aqueduct | 100-50-25-15-10 | Resilience |
| April 6 | Blue Grass (G1) | Keeneland | 100-50-25-15-10 | Sierra Leone |
| April 6 | Santa Anita Derby (G1) | Santa Anita Park | 100-50-25-15-10 | Stronghold |
Road to the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard
This is the Kentucky Derby points leaderboard, featuring the 22 contenders who entered the Kentucky Derby. Encino defected on Tuesday morning after coming back from training with a soft-tissue issue, meaning Epic Ride has made it into the main field. If another horse scratches before the scratch deadline at 9 a.m. EDT on Friday, then Mugatu gets into the Kentucky Derby starting gate. Unlike the 20 originally in the main field, who were allocated starting gates by pill pull at the Kentucky Derby draw on Saturday, April 27, the also-eligible horses join the field from the outside: so far, Epic Ride will now get the 20 gate, and that goes to Mugatu if he ends up drawing in.
| Rank | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sierra Leone | Chad Brown | Tyler Gaffalione | 155 |
| 2 | Fierceness | Todd Pletcher | John Velazque | 136 |
| 3 | Catching Freedom | Brad Cox | Flavien Prat | 125 |
| 4 | Stronghold | Phil D’Amato | Antonio Fresu | 125 |
| 5 | Resilience | Bill Mott | TBA | 110 |
| 6 | Forever Young | Yoshito Yahagi | Ryusei Sakai | 100 |
| 7 | Endlessly | Michael McCarthy | Umberto Rispoli | 100 |
| 8 | Dornoch | Danny Gargan | Luis Saez | 75 |
| 9 | Just a Touch | Brad Cox | Florent Geroux | 75 |
| 10 | Track Phantom | Steve Asmussen | Joel Rosario | 70 |
| 11 | West Saratoga | Larry Demeritte | Jesus Castanon | 67 |
| 12 | Just Steel | D. Wayne Lukas | Keith Asmussen | 65 |
| 13 | Honor Marie | Whit Beckman | Ben Curtis | 65 |
| 14 | Domestic Product | Chad Brown | Irad Ortiz, Jr. | 60 |
| 15 | Catalytic | Saffie Joseph, Jr. | Jose Ortiz | 50 |
| 16 | Society Man | Danny Gargan | Luis Rivera, Jr. | 50 |
| 17 | Mystik Dan | Kenny McPeek | Brian Hernandez, Jr. | 46 |
| 18 | Encino | Brad Cox | Abel Concepcion | SCR |
| 20 | T O Password | Daisuke Takayanagi | Kazushi Kimura | Japan |
| 21 | Epic Ride | John Ennis | Adam Beschizza | 35 |
| 22 | Uncle Heavy | Butch Reid | TBA | 30 |
| 23 | Seize the Grey | D. Wayne Lukas | TBA | 27 |
The number of points it actually takes to get into the Kentucky Derby varies sharply by year. In 2021, Brooklyn Strong got into the field with just 10 points. However, in 2019, Bodexpress was the last horse in—and he had 40 points! With more points available for the 2024 Kentucky Derby, however, the floor is expected to be on the high side: three and a half weeks before the race, some horses with 45 points are still on the outside looking in 2024 is 40.
Kentucky Derby Prep Race Betting With TVG
For in-depth analysis and expert picks all year long, including the Kentucky Derby and every prep race, make sure to keep it TVG, your convenient, trusted, up-to-date destination to watch and wager on horse racing! To take a look at our calendar for 2024 races, be sure to check out the schedule.
Live Derby Week Coverage on FanDuel TV+
Watch FanDuel Racing’s live, commercial-free, racing coverage of Derby Week on FanDuel TV+ beginning Saturday, 4/27 – Thursday 5/2. FanDuel TV will also be on-site at Churchill Downs providing comprehensive coverage, including the latest news, analysis, and handicapping insights in the days leading up to the Derby.