TOP 3 YEAR OLD STAKES RACES FOR 2023
Starting in 2013 a new points system called the "Road to the Kentucky Derby" where a specific series of 36 prep races each worth a specific amount of points will decide which horses get in the Derby. A similar system is also in place for the Kentucky Oaks but fillies who want in the Derby will have to compete in with the colts for Derby points. While those Derby points earned by fillies will also count toward the Oaks Oaks points will not count towards the Derby.
The 2023 Road to the Kentucky Derby is a series of races through which horses qualified for the 2023 Kentucky Derby, which will be held on May 6. The field for the Derby is limited to 20 horses, with up to four 'also eligibles' in case of a late withdrawal from the field. There are three separate paths for horses to take to qualify for the Derby: the main Road consisting of races in North America (plus one in Dubai), the Japan Road consisting of four races in Japan, and the European road consisting of seven races in England, Ireland and France. The top four finishers in the specified races receive points, with higher points awarded in the major prep races in March and April. Earnings in non-restricted stakes races act as a tie breaker.
For 2023, the main Road to the Kentucky Derby resembled the 2022 Road to the Kentucky Derby, consisting of 37 races, one more event than in 2021, with 21 races for the Kentucky Derby Prep Season and 16 races for the Kentucky Derby Championship Season with the following changes:[a]
- Points will now be awarded to the top-five finishing positions in qualifying races, and the significance of the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile and select races traditionally run in late January have been increased. Prep season races will now award points on a sliding scale of 10-4-3-2-1.
- Points awarded in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, 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.
- 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. These include G3 Lecomte Stakes, G3 Southwest Stakes, G3 Withers Stakes, G3 Holy Bull Stakes, G3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes, G3 Sam F. Davis Stakes and the Listed John Battaglia Memorial Stakes.[2]
The 2023 Road to the Kentucky Derby is a series of races through which horses qualified for the 2023 Kentucky Derby, which will be held on May 6. The field for the Derby is limited to 20 horses, with up to four 'also eligibles' in case of a late withdrawal from the field. There are three separate paths for horses to take to qualify for the Derby: the main Road consisting of races in North America (plus one in Dubai), the Japan Road consisting of four races in Japan, and the European road consisting of seven races in England, Ireland and France. The top four finishers in the specified races receive points, with higher points awarded in the major prep races in March and April. Earnings in non-restricted stakes races act as a tie breaker.
For 2023, the main Road to the Kentucky Derby resembled the 2022 Road to the Kentucky Derby, consisting of 37 races, one more event than in 2021, with 21 races for the Kentucky Derby Prep Season and 16 races for the Kentucky Derby Championship Season with the following changes:[a]
- Points will now be awarded to the top-five finishing positions in qualifying races, and the significance of the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile and select races traditionally run in late January have been increased. Prep season races will now award points on a sliding scale of 10-4-3-2-1.
- Points awarded in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, 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.
- 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. These include G3 Lecomte Stakes, G3 Southwest Stakes, G3 Withers Stakes, G3 Holy Bull Stakes, G3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes, G3 Sam F. Davis Stakes and the Listed John Battaglia Memorial Stakes.[2]
Initial prep events
Note: 1st=10 points; 2nd=4 points; 3rd=3 points; 4th=2 points; 5th=1 point (except the Breeders' Cup Juvenile: 1st=30 points; 2nd=12 points; 3rd=9 points; 4th=6 points; 5th=3 points)
The dates for most races shown below are based on the placement in the racing calendar from 2021/2022
| Race | Distance | Track | Date | 1st |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iroquois | 11⁄16 miles | Churchill Downs | Sep 17 2022 | Curly Jack |
| Champagne[c] | 1 mile | Aqueduct | Oct 1 2022 | Blazing Sevens |
| American Pharoah | 11⁄16 miles | Santa Anita | Oct 8 2022 | Cave Rock[d] |
| Breeders' Futurity | 11⁄16 miles | Keeneland | Oct 8 2022 | Forte |
| Breeders' Cup Juvenile | 11⁄16 miles | Keeneland | Nov 4 2022 | Forte |
| Kentucky Jockey Club | 11⁄16 miles | Churchill Downs | Nov 26 2022 | Instant Coffee |
| Remsen | 11⁄8 miles | Aqueduct | Dec 3 2022 | Dubyuhnell |
| Los Alamitos Futurity | 11⁄16 miles | Los Alamitos | Dec 17 2022 | Practical Move |
| Springboard Mile | 1 mile | Remington | Dec 17 2022 | Wildatlanticstorm[f] |
| Gun Runner Stakes | 11⁄16 miles | Fair Grounds | Dec 26 2022 | Jace's Road |
| Smarty Jones | 1 mile | Oaklawn | Jan 1 2023 | Victory Formation |
| Jerome | 1 mile | Aqueduct | Jan 7 2023 | Lugan Knight |
| Sham | 1 mile | Santa Anita | Jan 8 2023 | Reincarnate[g] |
| El Camino Real Derby | 11⁄8 miles | Golden Gate | Feb 11 2023 | Chase the Chaos |
Select prep eventsNote: 1st=20 points; 2nd=8 points; 3rd=6 points; 4th=4 points; 5th=2 points
| Race | Distance | Track | Date | 1st |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lecomte | 11⁄16 miles | Fair Grounds | Jan 21 2023 | Instant Coffee |
| Southwest | 11⁄16 miles | Oaklawn | Jan 28 2023 | Arabian Knight |
| Withers | 11⁄8 miles | Aqueduct | Feb 4 2023 | Arctic Arrogance |
| Holy Bull | 1 mile | Gulfstream | Feb 4 2023 | Rocket Can |
| Robert B. Lewis | 11⁄16 miles | Santa Anita | Feb 4 2023 | Newgate |
| Sam F. Davis Stakes | 11⁄16 miles | Tampa Bay | Feb 11 2023 | Litigate |
| John Battaglia Memorial Stakes | 11⁄16 miles | Turfway | Feb 25 2023 | Congruent |
Championship series events[edit]
First leg of series[edit]
Note: 1st=50 points; 2nd=20 points; 3rd=15 points; 4th=10 points; 5th=5 points
| Race | Distance | Track | Date | 1st |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Risen Star | 11⁄8 miles | Fair Grounds | Feb 18 2023 | Angel of Empire |
| Rebel | 11⁄16 miles | Oaklawn | Feb 25 2023 | Confidence Game |
| Fountain of Youth | 11⁄16 miles | Gulfstream | Mar 4 2023 | Forte |
| Gotham | 1 mile | Aqueduct | Mar 4 2023 | Raise Cain |
| San Felipe | 11⁄16 miles | Santa Anita | Mar 4 2023 | Practical Move |
| Tampa Bay Derby | 11⁄16 miles | Tampa Bay | Mar 11 2023 | Tapit Trice |
| Sunland Derby | 11⁄8 miles | Sunland Park | Mar 26 2023 | Wild On Ice |
Second leg of series[edit]
These races are the major preps for the Kentucky Derby, and are thus weighted more heavily. Note: 1st=100 points; 2nd=40 points; 3rd=30 points; 4th=20 points; 5th=10 points
| Race | Distance | Track | Date | 1st |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana Derby | 13⁄16 miles | Fair Grounds | Mar 25 2023 | Kingsbarns |
| UAE Derby |
1,900 metres (~13⁄16 miles) |
Meydan | Mar 25 2023 | Derma Sotogake |
| Jeff Ruby | 11⁄8 miles | Turfway | Mar 25 2023 | Two Phil's |
| Florida Derby | 11⁄8 miles | Gulfstream | Apr 1 2023 | Forte |
| Arkansas Derby | 11⁄8 miles | Oaklawn Park | Apr 1 2023 | Angel of Empire |
| Blue Grass Stakes | 11⁄8 miles | Keeneland | Apr 8 2023 | Tapit Trice |
| Santa Anita Derby | 11⁄8 miles | Santa Anita | Apr 8 2023 | Practical Move |
| Wood Memorial | 11⁄8 miles | Aqueduct | Apr 8 2023 | Lord Miles |
"Wild Card" events[edit]
Note: 1st=20 points; 2nd=8 points; 3rd=6 points; 4th=4 points; 5th=2 points
| Race | Distance | Track | Date | 1st |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lexington | 11⁄8 miles | Keeneland | Apr 15 2023 |
Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby[edit]
The Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby is intended to provide a place in the Derby starting gate to the top finisher in the series. If the connections of that horse decline the invitation, their place is offered to the second-place finisher and so on through the top four finishers.
| Race | Distance | Track | Date | 1st |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cattleya Sho |
(~1 mile) |
Tokyo Racecourse | Nov 26 | Continuar |
| Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun |
(~1 mile) |
Kawasaki Racecourse | Dec 14 | Derma Sotogake |
| Hyacinth |
(~1 mile) |
Tokyo Racecourse | Feb 19 | Perriere |
| Fukuryu |
(~11⁄8 miles) |
Nakayama Racecourse | Mar 25 | Mitono O |
Note: Cattleya Sho: 1st=10 points; 2nd=4 points; 3rd=2 points;
4th=1 point
Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun: 1st=20 points; 2nd=8 points; 3rd=4 points; 4th=2
points
Hyacinth: 1st=30 points; 2nd=12 points; 3rd=6 points; 4th=3 points
Fukuyru : 1st=40 points; 2nd=16 points; 3rd=8 points; 4th=4 points
ƒ Filly
- Qualification Table
The top four horses (colored brown within the standings) are eligible to participate in the Kentucky Derby provided the horse is nominated.