Road to the 2026 Kentucky Derby Prep Races 

Race Events > Kentucky Derby > Prep-Races

Last updated: September 11, 2025 at 5:41 p.m. EDT

The traditional qualifying factor for horses participating in the Kentucky Derby was total graded stakes purse earnings. The more money an eligible horse won, the increased chance of entering the starting gate. Churchill Downs refined the classic earnings method in favor of a points based system which revamped the traditional prep races.

2026 Kentucky Derby Prep Races

• How to qualify with points
• Kentucky Derby Prep Season (20 races)
• Kentucky Derby Championship Series (16 races)
• 2025-26 Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby Schedule (4 races)
• 2025-26 European/Middle East Road to the Kentucky Derby Schedule (7 races)

2025-26 USA Road to the Kentucky Derby Schedule (36 races)

Kentucky Derby Prep Season (21 races)

Kentucky Derby Championship Series (15 races)

*Note: Since only five horses started in the San Felipe Stakes only 75% of the planned qualifying points were awarded, resulting in a 37.5-18.75-11.25-7.5-3.75 points scale.

**Note: Since only five horses started in the Santa Anita Derby only 75% of the planned qualifying points were awarded, resulting in a 75-37.5-18.75-11.25-7.5 points scale.

2025-26 Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby Schedule (4 races)

2025-26 European/Middle East Road to the Kentucky Derby Schedule (7 races)

(T) = Turf
(AW) = Synthetic

Note: Schedule dates subject to change.

How to Qualify for Kentucky Derby Points

When and Why points?

Beginning in 2013, the Kentucky Derby prep races were officially bundled under the banner of The Road to the Kentucky Derby. Known fondly as the “Derby Trail,” the introduction of the prep series has led to a much easier guideline for both horsemen and horse racing fans. The Derby Trail also allows for more focused promotion of hopefuls targeting the Triple Crown.

There are four groupings that make up the Kentucky Derby prep races.

• The first is the Kentucky Derby Prep Season with 20 races. 
  
  • Beginning with the Iroquois Stakes in mid-September and running through the John Battaglia Memorial in early March, most of the initial prep events award 10-5-3-2-1 points to the first five finishers respectively. Churchill Downs awards 20-10-6-4-2 points to the top five finishers at select prep races, including the Lecomte Stakes, Southwest Stakes, Withers Stakes, Holy Bull Stakes, Robert B. Lewis Stakes, Sam F. Davis Stakes, Sunland Park Derby, and the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes. Lastly, the Breeders' Cup Juvenile awards 30-15-9-6-3 points to the top five horses.
• The next series is the Kentucky Derby Championship Series which offers 16 races total. Six of these races deliver a 50-25-15-10-5 point split. The final prep races double the reward with an offering of 100-50-25-15-10. The exception is the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland with a split of 20-10-6-4-2.
  
  • The races of highest value include the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park; Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds; Wood Memorial at Aqueduct; Santa Anita Derby at Santa Anita Park; Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park; the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, and the Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park.
  • This race series design places a significant value on the most important prep races of the Kentucky Derby overall, as the Fastest Two Minutes In Sports inches closer. The cornerstone prep races attract significant handle as bettors sort out Kentucky Derby contenders and the points system enables the casual fan to understand how horses come to be eligible to participate as opposed to the former graded earnings system.
  • Kentucky Derby winners tend to excel in the “Championship Series” where races are worth the most points, but one notable exception is the 2009 Derby winner and 50-1 longshot Mine That Bird, who was able to qualify for the Kentucky Derby based largely upon graded earnings accrued earlier in his career.
• Beginning in 2017, the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby was introduced. This two-race series has expanded to three races for 2018 and further to four races in 2019 and consists of the Cattleya Sho (10-5-3-2-1 points), Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun (20-10-6-4-2), the Hyacinth (30-15-9-6-3) and the Fukuryu (40-20-12-8-4). The horse with the most points is granted automatic entry into the Kentucky Derby.
• The introduction of the Europe Road to the Kentucky Derby in 2017 features seven races in Ireland, Great Britain and France. Europe Road to the Kentucky Derby prep races include points splits of 10-5-3-2-1, 20-10-6-4-2 and 30-15-9-6-3. For the 2024-25 season, this circuit was rebranded as the European/Middle East Road to the Kentucky Derby, and the UAE Derby at Meydan in Dubai was added as the final event with a 100-50-25-15-10 point value.