Road to the 2015 Triple Crown
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Texas Red wins the 2014 Breeders' Cup Juvenile. (Photo by Eclipse Sportswire)
While the 2014 Breeders' Cup is quickly disappearing in the rearview mirror, racing is anything but boring with the Road to the 2015 Triple Crown ramping up.
Last year saw California Chrome come within 1 3/4 lengths of winning the Triple Crown when he finished fourth in the Belmont Stakes after winning the first two legs of the series. But as California Chrome focuses on a 4-year-old campaign, next year's three-year-olds hope they can go one better and become the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years.
That group is highlighted by Eclipse award contenders American Pharoah and Texas Red, who are both in Eclipse award contention. American Pharoah won two Grade 1 races in 2014 before having to scratch from the Breeers' Cup Juvenile, a race that Texas Red won by an easy 6 1/2 lengths.
But before they can focus on winning the Triple Crown, they must qualify for the first leg of the Triple Crown, the Kentucky Derby.
Made up of 35 races that lead to the 2015 Kentucky Derby, the Road to the Kentucky Derby started at Churchill Downs on Sept. 6. Early season races give horses a chance to pick up a maximum of 10 points for each Road to the Kentucky Derby race they run in with the trail working its way up to races worth 100 points for a win in late March. The 20 horses with the most points after the final race of the Road to the Kentucky Derby will automatically be qualified to run in the Derby on May 2 with horses farther down the list getting into the race if one of the top 20 horses decides to skip the Kentucky Derby before race day.
2014-15 ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY POINTS RACES
35 Races (16 Championship Series Races) – Note: Race dates and distances are subject to change by host track.
Kentucky Derby Prep Season (19 races)
Date
Race
Racetrack
Distance
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Sept. 6
Iroquois
Churchill Downs
1 1/16 Miles
10
4
2
1
Sept. 27
FrontRunner
Santa Anita
1 1/16 Miles
10
4
2
1
Oct. 4
Champagne
Belmont Park
1 Mile
10
4
2
1
Oct. 4
Breeders’ Futurity
Keeneland
1 1/16 Miles
10
4
2
1
Oct. 5
Grey
Woodbine
1 1/16 Miles (S)
10
4
2
1
Nov. 1
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile
Santa Anita
1 1/16 Miles
10
4
2
1
Nov. 22
Delta Downs Jackpot
Delta Downs
1 1/16 Miles
10
4
2
1
Nov. 29
Remsen
Aqueduct
1 1/8 Miles
10
4
2
1
Nov. 29
Kentucky Jockey Club
Churchill Downs
1 1/16 Miles
10
4
2
1
Dec. 20
Los Alamitos Futurity
Los Alamitos
1 1/16 Miles
10
4
2
1
Jan. 3
Jerome
Aqueduct
1 Mile 70 Yards
10
4
2
1
Jan. 10
Sham
Santa Anita
1 Mile
10
4
2
1
Jan. 17
Lecomte
Fair Grounds
1 Mile 70 Yards
10
4
2
1
Jan. 19
Smarty Jones
Oaklawn Park
1 Mile
10
4
2
1
Jan. 24
Holy Bull
Gulfstream Park
1 1/16 Miles
10
4
2
1
Jan. 31
Withers
Aqueduct
1 1/16 Miles
10
4
2
1
Feb. 7
Robert B. Lewis
Santa Anita
1 1/16 Miles
10
4
2
1
Feb. 14
El Camino Real Derby
Golden Gate
1 1/8 Miles
10
4
2
1
Feb. 16
Southwest
Oaklawn Park
1 1/16 Miles
10
4
2
1
Kentucky Derby Championship Series (16 races)
Date
Race
Racetrack
Distance
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Feb. 21
Fountain of Youth
Gulfstream Park
1 1/16 Miles
50
20
10
5
Feb. 21
Risen Star
Fair Grounds
1 1/16 Miles
50
20
10
5
Feb. 28
Gotham
Aqueduct
1 1/16 Miles
50
20
10
5
March 7
San Felipe
Santa Anita
1 1/16 Miles
50
20
10
5
March 7
Tampa Bay Derby
Tampa Bay Downs
1 1/16 Miles
50
20
10
5
March 14
Rebel
Oaklawn Park
1 1/16 Miles
50
20
10
5
March 21
Spiral
Turfway Park
1 1/8 Miles
50
20
10
5
March 22
Sunland Derby
Sunland Park
1 1/8 Miles
50
20
10
5
March 28
UAE Derby
Meydan Racecourse
1 3/16 Miles
100
40
20
10
March 28
Florida Derby
Gulfstream Park
1 1/8 Miles
100
40
20
10
March 28
Louisiana Derby
Fair Grounds
1 1/8 Miles
100
40
20
10
April 4
Wood Memorial
Aqueduct
1 1/8 Miles
100
40
20
10
April 4
Santa Anita Derby
Santa Anita
1 1/8 Miles
100
40
20
10
April 11
Blue Grass
Keeneland
1 1/8 Miles
100
40
20
10
April 11
Arkansas Derby
Oaklawn Park
1 1/8 Miles
100
40
20
10
April 18
Lexington
Keeneland
1 1/16 Miles
10
4
2
1
2014-15 Change
Date
Race
Racetrack
Distance
Top 4 Points
Change
Dec. 20
Los Alamitos Futurity
Los Alamitos
1 1/16 Miles
10-4-2-1
Added
RESULTS FROM THE 2014-15 ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY
Kentucky Derby Prep Season (19 races)
Date
Race
Racetrack
Distance
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Sept. 6
Iroquois
Churchill Downs
1 1/16 Miles
Lucky Player
Bold Conquest
Hashtag Bourbon
Danny Boy
Sept. 27
FrontRunner
Santa Anita
1 1/16 Miles
American Pharoah
Calculator
Texas Red
Lord Nelson
Oct. 4
Champagne
Belmont Park
1 Mile
Daredevil
Upstart
The Truth or Else
El Kabeir
Oct. 4
Breeders’ Futurity
Keeneland
1 1/16 Miles
Carpe Diem
Mr. Z
Bold Conquest
Tough Customer
Oct. 5
Grey
Woodbine
1 1/16 Miles (S)
International Star
Conquest Typhoon
Hollywood Critic
Flashaway
Nov. 1
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile
Santa Anita
1 1/16 Miles
Texas Red
Carpe Diem
Upstart
The Great War
Nov. 22
Delta Downs Jackpot
Delta Downs
1 1/16 Miles
Nov. 29
Remsen
Aqueduct
1 1/8 Miles
Nov. 29
Kentucky Jockey Club
Churchill Downs
1 1/16 Miles
Dec. 20
Los Alamitos Futurity
Los Alamitos
1 1/16 Miles
Jan. 3
Jerome
Aqueduct
1 Mile 70 Yards
Jan. 10
Sham
Santa Anita
1 Mile
Jan. 17
Lecomte
Fair Grounds
1 Mile 70 Yards
Jan. 19
Smarty Jones
Oaklawn Park
1 Mile
Jan. 24
Holy Bull
Gulfstream Park
1 1/16 Miles
Jan. 31
Withers
Aqueduct
1 1/16 Miles
Feb. 7
Robert B. Lewis
Santa Anita
1 1/16 Miles
Feb. 14
El Camino Real Derby
Golden Gate
1 1/8 Miles (S)
Feb. 16
Southwest
Oaklawn Park
1 1/16 Miles
Kentucky Derby Championship Series (16 races)
Date
Race
Racetrack
Distance
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Feb. 21
Fountain of Youth
Gulfstream Park
1 1/16 Miles
Feb. 21
Risen Star
Fair Grounds
1 1/16 Miles
Feb. 28
Gotham
Aqueduct
1 1/16 Miles
March 7
San Felipe
Santa Anita
1 1/16 Miles
March 7
Tampa Bay Derby
Tampa Bay Downs
1 1/16 Miles
March 14
Rebel
Oaklawn Park
1 1/16 Miles
March 21
Spiral
Turfway Park
1 1/8 Miles
March 22
Sunland Derby
Sunland Park
1 1/8 Miles
March 28
UAE Derby
Meydan Racecourse
1 3/16 Miles
March 28
Florida Derby
Gulfstream Park
1 1/8 Miles
March 28
Louisiana Derby
Fair Grounds
1 1/8 Miles
April 4
Wood Memorial
Aqueduct
1 1/8 Miles
April 4
Santa Anita Derby
Santa Anita
1 1/8 Miles
April 11
Blue Grass
Keeneland
1 1/8 Miles
April 11
Arkansas Derby
Oaklawn Park
1 1/8 Miles
April 18
Lexington
Keeneland
1 1/16 Miles
2015 ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY PREP RACE WINNERS
GET TO KNOW THE 2015 TRIPLE CROWN CONTENDERS
Texas Red
Carpe Diem
Daredevil
Competitive Edge
American Pharoah
TWO MINUTES OF DERBY FEVER
OTHER TRIPLE CROWN STORIES
It's Post Time: Lure of the Triple Crown
Kentucky Derby Betting Guide
Video: Triple Crown Word Association
Embracing the Challenge of the Triple Crown
Preakness Stats: Triple Crown Implications
Slideshow: Reliving the 2014 Triple Crown
Video: Dale Romans on Qualities Needed for Triple Crown Winner
SCENES FROM THE 2014 TRIPLE CROWN
Photos by Eclipse Sportswire