Churchill Downs Adjusts Derby-Qualifying Points System

Churchill Downs announced Sept. 16 that there will be slight modifications to the Road to the Kentucky Derby series. Points will now be awarded to the top-five finishing positions in qualifying races, and the significance of the TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1) and select races traditionally run in late January have been increased. 

The Road to the Kentucky Derby, a series of select races that award a sliding scale of points to the top finishing positions, has determined preference for its 20-horse Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) field since 2013. The 1 1/4-mile classic for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds will be run at the historic Louisville, Ky., racetrack for the 149th consecutive year on May 6, 2023.

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert's horses remain ineligible for points with Churchill Downs stating in its rules that "points from any race in the Road to the Kentucky Derby or Kentucky Oaks will not be awarded to any horse trained by any individual who is suspended from racing in the 2023 Kentucky Derby or 2023 Kentucky Oaks or any trainer directly or indirectly employed, supervised, or advised by a suspended trainer."

Acting as a private property owner, Churchill Downs Inc. barred Baffert from competing at its tracks through the middle of 2023, action taken by the track operator after Medina Spirit  tested positive for the prohibited race day presence of betamethasone after crossing the wire first in the 2021 Kentucky Derby. Medina Spirit was ultimately disqualified by track stewards, which promoted Mandaloun   to first.

The expansion of points awarded in qualifying races has been implemented to grow "Derby Fever" for more horses and ownership groups, which could potentially increase field size in series races in advance of the Derby.

Most Kentucky Derby prep season races will now award points on a sliding scale of 10-4-3-2-1. Previously, those races had been worth 10-4-2-1 since the inaugural qualifying points system was instituted for the 2013 Kentucky Derby.

Points awarded in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, which will be run this year at Keeneland on Nov. 4, will be increased from 20-8-4-2 to 30-12-9-6-3 in order to differentiate what has historically been a high-quality grade 1 race from others during the prep season.

Also, select prep season races that traditionally serve as steppingstones to the Kentucky Derby Championship Series have been elevated from 10-4-2-1 to 20-8-6-4-2 in an effort to increase the importance and awareness of these races and to incentivize horses to potentially begin their 3-year-old campaigns earlier in the season. 

The elevated prep season races are the Lecomte Stakes (G3, Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots), Southwest Stakes (G3, Oaklawn Park), Withers Stakes (G3, Aqueduct Racetrack), Holy Bull Stakes (G3, Gulfstream Park), Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3, Santa Anita Park), Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3, Tampa Bay Downs), and John Battaglia Memorial Stakes (Turfway Park). 

"We believe these modifications adhere to and amplify our goal of assembling the finest group of 3-year-olds in the starting gate for a race at the classic distance of 1 1/4 miles on the first Saturday in May," said Mike Ziegler, vice president and general manager at Churchill Downs.

This is the 11th straight 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" in 21 of the last 24 years.

The Road to the Kentucky Derby will begin Saturday at the home of America's greatest race as Churchill Downs stages the 41st running of the $300,000 Iroquois Stakes (G3) for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on opening weekend of its 14-day September Meet.

In addition to the primary 37-race 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 same changes made to the Road to the Kentucky Derby have been made to the 32-race Road to the Kentucky Oaks series, which awards points to fillies to qualify for the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) at 1 1/8 miles on May 5, 2023.