Road to the Kentucky Derby

Starting in 2017, one of those spots is reserved for the winner of the separate Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby.

If none of the top four finishers accepts the offer, this position in the starting gate reverts to qualifiers on the regular Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Starting in 2018, Churchill Downs developed a similar European Road to the Kentucky Derby.

[2] If two or more horses have the same number of points, the tiebreaker to get into the Kentucky Derby will be earnings in non-restricted stakes races, whether or not they are graded.

In the event of a tie, those horses will divide equally the points they would have received jointly had one beaten the other.

[3][4] The Road to the Kentucky Derby point system was created in 2012 to establish a "clear, practical and understandable path" to the first leg of horse racing's Triple Crown, according to the official website of Churchill Downs.

A poll conducted by Churchill Downs prior to the changes showed 83% of respondents did not understand how horses became starters for the Kentucky Derby.

[3][5][4][6] The points system has changed the way horses are prepared for the Derby, the composition of the field and how the race itself is run given the absence of pure sprinters to ensure a fast early pace.

[2] The series originally consisted of 36 races in 2013[9][10] and has since changed over the years to include 46 races with the addition of the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby (beginning in 2017) and European Road to the Kentucky Derby (beginning in 2018) series.

[20] However, the season was heavily disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused the cancellation or rescheduling of most of the major prep races.

This series will consist of races from England, Ireland, France, and Unites Arab Emirates.