2022 Road to the Kentucky Derby

The 2022 Road to the Kentucky Derby is a series of races through which horses will qualify for the 2022 Kentucky Derby, which will be held on May 7. 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 seven European 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 2022, the main Road to the Kentucky Derby will resemble the 2021 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:[lower-alpha 1]

  • The inaugural Gun Runner Stakes at the Fair Grounds has been added as part of the Prep season for the 2021–2022
  • Qualification points will not be awarded to any horse trained by any individual who is suspended from racing in the 2022 Kentucky Derby or any trainer directly or indirectly employed, supervised, or advised by a suspended trainer.[2]

Standings

The following table shows the points earned in the eligible races for the main series.[3]

Rank[3] Horse Points Earnings[lower-alpha 2] Trainer Owner Ref
1 Pappacap 12 $538,000 Mark E. Casse Rustlewood Farm [4]
2 Rattle N Roll 10 $300,000 Kenneth G. McPeek Lucky Seven Stable [5]
3 Jack Christopher 10 $275,000 Chad C. Brown Jim Bakke, Gerald Isbister, Coolmore Stud & Peter M. Brant [6]
4 Smile Happy 10 $234,410 Kenneth G. McPeek Lucky Seven Stable [7]
5 Slow Down Andy 10 $180,000 Doug F. O'Neill Reddam Racing [8]
6 Major General 10 $177,525 Todd A. Pletcher WinStar Farm & Siena Farm [9]
7 Mo Donegal 10 $137,500 Todd A. Pletcher Donegal Racing [10]
8 Commandperformance 6 $200,000 Todd A. Pletcher Repole Stable & St. Elias Stable [6]
9 Classic Causeway 6 $126,100 Brian A. Lynch Kentucky West Racing & Clarke M. Cooper [5]
10 Double Thunder 4 $320,350 Todd A. Pletcher Phoenix Thoroughbred [5]
11 Giant Game 4 $180,000 Dale L. Romans West Point Thoroughbreds & Albaugh Family Stables [11]
12 Tough to Tame 4 $57,750 Christopher Davis Rittdiculous Gazmanian Stables [9]
13 Zandon 4 $50,000 Chad C. Brown Jeff Drown [10]
14 Wit 2 $202,500 Todd A. Pletcher Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable & Gainesway Stable [6]
15 Oviatt Class 2 $86,000 J. Keith Desormeaux James E. Downe [4]
16 White Abarrio 2 $38,050 Saffie Joseph Jr. Racing Stable & La Milagrosa Stable [7]
17 Midnight Chrome 2 $32,500 Tyler Servis Alexandria Stable [10]
18 Red Knobs 2 $32,375 Dale L. Romans Jim Bakke & Gerald Isbister [9]
19 American Sanctuary 1 $104,600 Christopher Davis Dare To Dream Stable [5]
20 My Prankster 1 $30,000 Todd A. Pletcher Lawana L. & Robert E. Low [6]
21 Ben Diesel 1 $19,025 Dallas Stewart Willis Horton Racing [7]
22 Durante 1 $18,000 Doug F. O'Neill Roadrunner Racing & William Strauss [8]
23 Mr Jefferson 1 $15,000 Michael Trombetta R. Larry Johnson [10]
24 Bourbon Heist 1 $14,438 Ian R. Wilkes Bourbon Lane Stable [9]

Prep season

Note: 1st=10 points; 2nd=4 points; 3rd=2 points; 4th=1 point (except the Breeders' Cup Juvenile: 1st=20 points; 2nd=8 points; 3rd=4 points; 4th=2 points)

The dates for most races shown below are based on the placement in the racing calendar from 2020/2021. Similarly, the purses shown below are based on the amounts from the previous year and will be updated when finalized.

Race Distance Purse Track Date 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Ref
Iroquois 1+1⁄16 miles $300,000 Churchill Downs Sep 18 2021 Major General Tough to Tame Red Knobs Bourbon Heist [9]
American Pharoah 1+1⁄16 miles $301,000 Santa Anita Oct 1 2021 Corniche[lower-alpha 3] Pappacap Oviatt Class Rockefeller[lower-alpha 3] [4]
Champagne 1 mile $500,000 Belmont Oct 2 2021 Jack Christopher Commandperformance Wit My Prankster [6]
Breeders' Futurity 1+1⁄16 miles $500,000 Keeneland Oct 9 2021 Rattle N Roll Double Thunder Classic Causeway American Sanctuary [5]
Breeders' Cup Juvenile 1+1⁄16 miles $2,000,000 Del Mar Nov 5 2021 Corniche[lower-alpha 4] Pappacap Giant Game Commandperformance [11]
Kentucky Jockey Club 1+1⁄16 miles $400,000 Churchill Downs Nov 27 2021 Smile Happy Classic Causeway White Abarrio Ben Diesel [7]
Remsen 1+1⁄8 miles $250,000 Aqueduct Dec 4 2021 Mo Donegal Zandon Midnight Chrome Mr Jefferson [10]
Los Alamitos Futurity 1+1⁄16 miles $300,000 Los Alamitos Dec 11 2021 Slow Down Andy Messier[lower-alpha 5] Barossa[lower-alpha 5] Durante [8]
Springboard Mile 1 mile $400,000 Remington Dec 17 2021
Gun Runner Stakes 1+1⁄16 miles $100,000 Fair Grounds Dec 26 2021
Jerome 1 mile $150,000 Aqueduct Jan 1 2022
Smarty Jones 1 mile $250,000 Oaklawn Jan 1 2022
Sham 1 mile $100,000 Santa Anita Jan 6 2022
Lecomte 1+1⁄16 miles $200,000 Fair Grounds Jan 22 2022
Southwest 1+1⁄16 miles $750,000 Oaklawn Jan 29 2022
Holy Bull 1 mile $350,000 Gulfstream Feb 5 2022
Robert B. Lewis 1+1⁄16 miles $150,000 Santa Anita Feb 5 2022
Sam F. Davis Stakes 1+1⁄16 miles $250,000 Tampa Bay Feb 5 2022
Withers 1+1⁄8 miles $250,000 Aqueduct Feb 12 2022
El Camino Real Derby 1+1⁄8 miles $100,000 Golden Gate Feb 19 2022
John Battaglia Memorial Stakes 1+1⁄16 miles $125,000 Turfway Mar 4 2022

Championship series events

First leg of series

Note: 1st=50 points; 2nd=20 points; 3rd=10 points; 4th=5 points

Race Distance Purse Grade Track Date 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Ref
Risen Star 1+1⁄8 miles $400,000 2 Fair Grounds Feb 19 2022
Rebel 1+1⁄16 miles $1,000,000 2 Oaklawn Feb 26 2022
Fountain of Youth 1+1⁄16 miles $400,000 2 Gulfstream Mar 12 2022
Tampa Bay Derby 1+1⁄16 miles $350,000 2 Tampa Bay Mar 5 2022
Gotham 1 mile $300,000 3 Aqueduct Mar 12 2022
San Felipe 1+1⁄16 miles $400,000 2 Santa Anita Mar 12 2022
Sunland Derby 1+1⁄8 miles $800,000 3 Sunland Park Mar 27 2022

Second leg of series

These races are the major preps for the Kentucky Derby, and are thus weighted more heavily. Note: 1st=100 points; 2nd=40 points; 3rd=20 points; 4th=10 points

Race Distance Purse Grade Track Date 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Ref
Louisiana Derby 1+3⁄16 miles $1,000,000 2 Fair Grounds Mar 26 2022
UAE Derby 1,900 metres
(~1+3⁄16 miles)		 $2,000,000 2 Meydan Mar 26 2022
Florida Derby 1+1⁄8 miles $1,100,000 1 Gulfstream Apr 2 2022
Arkansas Derby 1+1⁄8 miles $1,250,000 1 Oaklawn Park Apr 2 2022
Jeff Ruby 1+1⁄8 miles $600,000 3 Turfway Apr 2 2022
Blue Grass Stakes 1+1⁄8 miles $1,000,000 2 Keeneland Apr 9 2022
Santa Anita Derby 1+1⁄8 miles $1,000,000 1 Santa Anita Apr 9 2022
Wood Memorial 1+1⁄8 miles $1,000,000 2 Aqueduct Apr 9 2022

"Wild Card" events

Note: 1st=20 points; 2nd=8 points; 3rd=4 points; 4th=2 points

Race Distance Purse Track Date 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Ref
Lexington 1+1⁄8 miles $200,000 Keeneland Apr 16 2022

Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby

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. If neither of the top four accept, this place in the starting gate reverts to the horses on the main road to the Derby.

Race Distance Track Date 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Ref
Cattleya Sho 1,600 metres
(~1 mile)		 Tokyo Racecourse Nov 27 2021 Consigliere Café Karma Geraldo Barows World Connector [14]
Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun 1,600 metres
(~1 mile)		 Kawasaki Racecourse Dec 15 2021
Hyacinth 1,600 metres
(~1 mile)		 Tokyo Racecourse Feb 7 2022
Fukuryu 1,800 metres
(~1+1⁄8 miles)		 Nakayama Racecourse Apr 2 2022

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

European Road to the Kentucky Derby

The European Road to the Kentucky Derby is designed on a similar basis to the Japan Road and 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. If none of the top four accept, this place in the starting gate reverts to the horses on the main road to the Derby.

The series consists of seven races – four run on the turf in late 2021 when the horses are age two, plus three races run on a synthetic surface in early 2022.

Race Distance Track Date 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Ref
Royal Lodge Stakes 1 mile Newmarket Sep 25 2021 Royal Patronage Coroebus Unconquerable Masekela [15]
Beresford Stakes 1 mile The Curragh Sep 25 2021 Luxembourg Manu Et Corde Tuwaiq Swan Bay [16]
Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère 1400 metres
(6 furlongs & 211 yards)		 Longchamp Oct 3 2021 Angel Bleu Noble Truth Ancient Rome Accakaba [17]
Vertem Futurity Trophy 1 mile Doncaster Oct 23 2021 Luxembourg Sissoko Bayside Boy Hannibal Barca [18]
Road to the Kentucky Derby Conditions Stakes 1 mile Kempton Park Mar 9 2022
Patton Stakes 1 mile Dundalk Mar 11 2022
Cardinal Stakes 1 mile Chelmsford City Apr 7 2022

Note:

  • the four races in 2020 for two-year-olds: 1st=10 points; 2nd=4 points; 3rd=2 points; 4th=1 point
  • the first two races in 2021: 1st=20 points; 2nd=8 points; 3rd=4 points; 4th=2 points
  • The Cardinal Condition Stakes: 1st=30 points; 2nd=12 points; 3rd=6 points; 4th=3 points

See also
  • 2022 Road to the Kentucky Oaks

Notes
  1. See the following list[1] for details
  2. Earnings from non-restricted stakes prior to the running of the Kentucky Derby serve as a tie-breaker.
  3. Horse trained by an individual suspended from the 2022 Kentucky Derby does not receive any qualification points. Corniche and Rockefeller are trained by Bob Baffert who is suspended by Churchill Downs Inc. through 2023.[12]
  4. Horse trained by an individual suspended from the 2022 Kentucky Derby does not receive any qualification points. Corniche is trained by Bob Baffert who is suspended by Churchill Downs Inc. through 2023.[12]
  5. Horse trained by an individual suspended from the 2022 Kentucky Derby does not receive any qualification points. Messier and Barossa are trained by Bob Baffert who is suspended by Churchill Downs Inc. through 2023.[13]

References
  1. "2021/22 Kentucky Derby Prep Races". Churchill Downs Inc. September 2021. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  2. "2022 Road To The Kentucky Derby: Points Will Not Be Awarded To Horses Trained By Suspended Individuals". Churchill Downs Media Office. Paulick Report. 10 September 2021. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  3. "Kentucky Derby leaderboard - 11 December 2021 update" (PDF). kentuckyderby.com. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
  4. "American Pharoah Stakes Grade 1 - (race 8)". Equibase. 1 October 2021. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  5. "Claiborne Breeders' Futurity Grade 1 - (race 9)". Equibase. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  6. "Champagne Stakes Grade 1 - (race 8)". Equibase. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  7. "Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes Grade 2 - (race 11)". Equibase. 27 November 2021. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  8. "Los Alamitos Futurity Grade 2 - (race 9)". Equibase. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
  9. "Iroquois Stakes Grade 3 - (race 8)". Equibase. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  10. "Remsen Stakes Grade 2 - (race 8)". Equibase. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  11. "TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Grade 1 - Thorough - (race 9)". Equibase. 5 November 2021. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  12. King, Byron (1 October 2021). "Corniche Delivers as Heavy Favorite in American Pharoah". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  13. Gantz, Tracy (11 December 2021). "Slow Down Andy Upsets Messier in Los Alamitos Futurity California-bred son of Nyquist scored grade 2 win Dec. 11 at Los Alamitos". Bloodhorse. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
  14. "Cattleya Sho (Result)". Umanity - Japan Racing English results site. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  15. "Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes (Group 2)". www.sportinglife.com. Hestview Ltd. 25 September 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  16. "Alan Smurfit Memorial Beresford Stakes (Group 2)". www.sportinglife.com. Hestview Ltd. 25 September 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  17. "Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere - Group 1". www.sportinglife.com. Hestview Ltd. 3 October 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  18. "Vertem Futurity Trophy Stakes - Group 1". www.sportinglife.com. Hestview Ltd. 23 October 2021. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
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