The Road: New Points System Rewards Active Horses

This year's Road to the Kentucky Derby potentially marks the end of an era where horses with no other qualifying points could be ensured of a spot in the race by finishing second or better in the biggest prep races and the beginning of rewarding horses that could replicate top efforts in at least two races.

Yes the winners of those final big preps still qualify for the Derby but several of the runners-up missed out this year, as Bob Ehalt noted in this recent story. Horses with 40 points—all earned from single runner-up finishes in races in the series—currently are on the outside looking in include Major Dude  (Jeff Ruby Steaks, G3), Mandarin Hero  (Santa Anita Derby, G1), and King Russell  (Arkansas Derby, G1).

Knowing that, I thought it would be interesting to examine the number of points races where each horse currently in the Derby field earned any points. For instance, 2-year-old champion Forte  earned points in four races: last year's Breeders' Futurity (G1) and Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) as well as this year's Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) and Florida Derby (G1). In the case of Forte, these were all wins, but we'll count any race where a horse earned some points through any finish in the top five in a Road to the Kentucky Derby race.

With Continuar  earning a spot in the Derby field through the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby, at this point there are 19 horses ensured a spot in the field through points earned in the main Road to the Kentucky Derby. The 19 horses in this group averaged 2.5 races in which they secured qualifying points.

The only other horse besides Forte to earn points in four races is the workmanlike Sun Thunder , who finished fourth in the Southwest Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn Park, second in the Risen Star Stakes (G2) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, fifth in the Louisiana Derby (G2), and fourth in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1).

The most popular path to the Derby saw horses earn points in three races as nine horses fall in that category: Practical Move , Angel of Empire , Two Phil's , Raise Cain , Rocket Can , Confidence Game , Verifying , Blazing Sevens , and Reincarnate .

The five qualifying horses to earn points in two races are Tapit Trice , Lord Miles , Hit Show , Mage , and Disarm . 

The three horses to earn spots in one points race—all victories in races that awarded at least 50 points to the winner—are Derma Sotogake , Kingsbarns , and Wild On Ice .