2025 Kentucky Derby Prep Races
2025 Prep Race Schedule
By TVG Staff
Updated March 20, 2025
The 151th Kentucky Derby will take place on Saturday, May 3 at Churchill Downs! Contested every year since 1875, the $5 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 2025 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 Kentucky Derby point standings.
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 14th at Churchill Downs. The Kentucky Derby Prep Season continued until the John Battaglia Memorial took place on February 22nd 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, the Fountain of Youth, and the newly-annointed Virginia Derby, 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 2025 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 15 | Risen Star Stakes (G2) | Fair Grounds | 50-25-15-10-5 | Magnitude |
| February 23 | Rebel Stakes (G2) | Oaklawn | 50-25-15-10-5 | Coal Battle |
| March 1 | Fountain of Youth (G2) | Gulfstream Park | 50-25-15-10-5 | Sovereignty |
| March 1 | Gotham (G3) | Aqueduct | 50-25-15-10-5 | Flood Zone |
| March 1 | San Felipe (G3) | Santa Anita Park | 50-25-15-10-5 | Journalism |
| March 8 | Tampa Bay Derby (G2) | Tampa Bay Downs | 50-25-15-10-5 | Owen Almighty |
| March 22 | Jeff Ruby Steaks | Turfway Park | 100-50-25-15-10 | TBA |
| March 22 | Louisiana Derby (G2) | Fair Grounds | 100-50-25-15-10 | TBA |
| March 29 | Florida Derby (G1) | Gulfstream Park | 100-50-25-15-10 | TBA |
| March 29 | Arkansas Derby (G1) | Oaklawn Park | 100-50-25-15-10 | TBA |
| April 5 | UAE Derby (G2) | Meydan Racecourse | 100-50-25-15-10 | TBA |
| April 5 | Wood Memorial (G2) | Aqueduct | 100-50-25-15-10 | TBA |
| April 5 | Blue Grass (G1) | Keeneland | 100-50-25-15-10 | TBA |
| April 5 | Santa Anita Derby (G1) | Santa Anita Park | 100-50-25-15-10 | TBA |
Road to the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard
Here are the current prep races leaderboard standings, although we still have the biggest races to come, so this list is likely to shift in the coming weeks as races like the Santa Anita and Louisana Derby occur.
| Rank | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coal Battle | Lonnie Briley | Juan Vargas | 70 |
| 2 | Owen Almighty | Brian Lynch | Irad Ortiz Jr. | 65 |
| 3 | Citizen Bull | Bob Baffert | Martin Garcia | 60 |
| 4 | Sovereignty | William I. Mott | Junior Alvarado | 60 |
| 5 | American Promise | D. Wayne Lukas | Nik Juarez | 55 |
| 6 | Flood Zone | Brad H. Cox | Reylu Gutierrez | 50 |
| 7 | Journalism | Michael W. McCarthy | Umberto Rispoli | 47.50 |
| 8 | Getaway Car | Bob Baffert | Irad Ortiz Jr. | 46 |
| 9 | Chancer McPatrick | Chad C. Brown | Flavien Prat | 35 |
| 10 | Built | Wayne M. Catalano | Luis Saez | 35 |
| 11 | Madaket Road | Bob Baffert | Irad Ortiz Jr. | 31 |
| 12 | Burnham Square | Ian R. Wilkes | Edgard J. Zayas | 30 |
| 13 | Sandman | Make E. Casse | Cristian A, Torres | 29 |
| 14 | Render Judgment | Kenneth G. McPeek | Brian Hernandez Jr. | 29 |
| 15 | Omaha Omaha | Michael E. Gorham | Raul E. Mena | 26 |
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 2025 is 40.
Kentucky Derby Prep Race Betting With TVG
For in-depth analysis and expert picks all year long, including all the 2025 Kentucky Derby prep races, 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 2025 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, 4/28 – Thursday 5/1. 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.
By TVG Staff
Updated March 20, 2025
The 151th Kentucky Derby will take place on Saturday, May 3 at Churchill Downs! Contested every year since 1875, the $5 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 2025 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 Kentucky Derby point standings.
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 14th at Churchill Downs. The Kentucky Derby Prep Season continued until the John Battaglia Memorial took place on February 22nd 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, the Fountain of Youth, and the newly-annointed Virginia Derby, 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 2025 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 15 | Risen Star Stakes (G2) | Fair Grounds | 50-25-15-10-5 | Magnitude |
| February 23 | Rebel Stakes (G2) | Oaklawn | 50-25-15-10-5 | Coal Battle |
| March 1 | Fountain of Youth (G2) | Gulfstream Park | 50-25-15-10-5 | Sovereignty |
| March 1 | Gotham (G3) | Aqueduct | 50-25-15-10-5 | Flood Zone |
| March 1 | San Felipe (G3) | Santa Anita Park | 50-25-15-10-5 | Journalism |
| March 8 | Tampa Bay Derby (G2) | Tampa Bay Downs | 50-25-15-10-5 | Owen Almighty |
| March 22 | Jeff Ruby Steaks | Turfway Park | 100-50-25-15-10 | TBA |
| March 22 | Louisiana Derby (G2) | Fair Grounds | 100-50-25-15-10 | TBA |
| March 29 | Florida Derby (G1) | Gulfstream Park | 100-50-25-15-10 | TBA |
| March 29 | Arkansas Derby (G1) | Oaklawn Park | 100-50-25-15-10 | TBA |
| April 5 | UAE Derby (G2) | Meydan Racecourse | 100-50-25-15-10 | TBA |
| April 5 | Wood Memorial (G2) | Aqueduct | 100-50-25-15-10 | TBA |
| April 5 | Blue Grass (G1) | Keeneland | 100-50-25-15-10 | TBA |
| April 5 | Santa Anita Derby (G1) | Santa Anita Park | 100-50-25-15-10 | TBA |
Road to the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard
Here are the current prep races leaderboard standings, although we still have the biggest races to come, so this list is likely to shift in the coming weeks as races like the Santa Anita and Louisana Derby occur.
| Rank | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coal Battle | Lonnie Briley | Juan Vargas | 70 |
| 2 | Owen Almighty | Brian Lynch | Irad Ortiz Jr. | 65 |
| 3 | Citizen Bull | Bob Baffert | Martin Garcia | 60 |
| 4 | Sovereignty | William I. Mott | Junior Alvarado | 60 |
| 5 | American Promise | D. Wayne Lukas | Nik Juarez | 55 |
| 6 | Flood Zone | Brad H. Cox | Reylu Gutierrez | 50 |
| 7 | Journalism | Michael W. McCarthy | Umberto Rispoli | 47.50 |
| 8 | Getaway Car | Bob Baffert | Irad Ortiz Jr. | 46 |
| 9 | Chancer McPatrick | Chad C. Brown | Flavien Prat | 35 |
| 10 | Built | Wayne M. Catalano | Luis Saez | 35 |
| 11 | Madaket Road | Bob Baffert | Irad Ortiz Jr. | 31 |
| 12 | Burnham Square | Ian R. Wilkes | Edgard J. Zayas | 30 |
| 13 | Sandman | Make E. Casse | Cristian A, Torres | 29 |
| 14 | Render Judgment | Kenneth G. McPeek | Brian Hernandez Jr. | 29 |
| 15 | Omaha Omaha | Michael E. Gorham | Raul E. Mena | 26 |
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 2025 is 40.
Kentucky Derby Prep Race Betting With TVG
For in-depth analysis and expert picks all year long, including all the 2025 Kentucky Derby prep races, 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 2025 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, 4/28 – Thursday 5/1. 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.