The Road to the Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is the most prestigious Thoroughbred race in the United States. Owners will run just about any horse that earns enough points to get into the starting gate for the Run for the Roses on the First Saturday in May.
The question is how does Churchill Downs come up with the 20 3-year-olds that start in the first leg of the Triple Crown?
This isn’t like the Breeders’ Cup, where there are stakes races where if you win you are guaranteed a spot in certain events.
You have to pick up points in prep races that lead to the Kentucky Derby betting. The 20 horses with the most points on the road to the Kentucky Derby are those that qualify for the race. If any of the top 20 decide not to run, then the horses continue to fill the gate in order of qualifying points.
The Kentucky Derby odds, of course, are set by how much money the wagering public bets on each horse before they enter the starting gate for the Run for the Roses. Kentucky Derby betting is one of the most widespread races of the year because there are more horses in the gate for the race than any other in the United States.
For a look at how the points races stack up, click the link below:
https://www.kentuckyderby.com/horses/prep-races
The Kentucky Derby 2022 leaderboard keeps shifting as there are major stakes preps every weekend. They take place across the country at Aqueduct in New York, Gulfstream Park in Florida, and Santa Anita in California, Tampa Bay Downs in Florida and Oaklawn Park in Arkansas.
https://www.kentuckyderby.com/horses/leaderboard
