We’re just a few days away from the 142nd running of the Kentucky Derby. Many of you are excited to see the best of the best thoroughbred colts bolting their way for a chance at making history. Many of you have already placed your bets, whether it be on the favorites or some of the sleepers. But have you even paused for a second and asked yourself how these horses made the Kentucky Derby field?
It’s actually pretty interesting to take a look at how the horses running this Saturday made the Derby field. Some of you may think that the odds-on favorite Nyquist dominated having won all seven of his career starts. He’s not first on the list; that distinction belongs to none other than Gun Runner, who collected 151 points.
Getting a grip on how these horses made the Derby, or how many points they collected could be a viable betting strategy. So read on and enlighten yourself on how to qualify for the Kentucky Derby. Who knows; you might even get your own colt in the future and try your chances for the Run for the Roses? Keep your fingers crossed. For more Kentucky Derby betting tips, check out our complete race preview and our top 10 jockey and horse analyses.
A tiered point system in select races will determine who qualifies for the Kentucky Derby. These select races are called the Road to the Kentucky Derby. There were a few changes for the 142nd running of the Derby at Churchill Downs.
Four races were removed from the points system, including the Derby Trial at Churchill Downs and the Sam F. Davis Stakes. Two races were added: the Iroquois Stakes for two-year olds and the Jerome Stakes for three-year olds. There are also new restrictions that will ensure that all horses which qualify for the Kentucky Derby have proven that they can compete in conditions similar to that of the 1 ¼ mile Run for the Roses.
Now on to the points system. The four finishes in the biggest seven races will earn Road to the Kentucky Derby Points on a 100-40-20-10 scale. The races include six of the most-high profile prep races Stateside—the Florida Derby, the Louisiana Derby, the Wood Memorial, the Santa Anita Derby, the Arkansas Derby and the Blue Grass Stakes. The UAE Derby in Dubai is also included.
Eight races held in the months prior to the seven big events will earn points on a 50-20-10-5 (first-second-third-fourth) scale. These may be seen as preps for the prep races if you so wish. These are the Risen Star, Fountain of Youth, the Gotham, the Tampa Bay Derby, the San Felipe, the Rebel, the Spiral and the Sunland.
Two races—the Derby Trial at Churchill Downs and the Lexington at Keeneland—run in the weeks prior to the Derby will award the four finishers points on a 20-8-4-2 scale. There’s little to no reward from these races as the risk of fatiguing a horse is a major concern right before the Derby.
Road to the 2016 Kentucky Derby Points Leaderboard
The Kentucky Derby is the key to qualify for the Triple Crown. The field of horses that qualify for the Kentucky Derby are Triple Crown-eligible and can enter any of the two other races—the Preakness and Belmont Stakes.
Why is the Triple Crown very difficult to win? Well, not all horses in the Preakness and Belmont Stakes have raced in the Run for the Roses. That means that some of the horses in the final two races would have fresher legs. Take for example California Chrome in 2014. He won the Derby and Preakness, but was blown away by Tonalist, a colt trained to run the 1 ½ mile distance, at the Belmont Stakes. As it stands, the odds of a horse winning the Triple Crown this year is at +600.
Most recently, only eight horses from the Derby entered the Preakness and only eight were in Belmont in 2015. Not all horses are bred for the marathon 1 ½ mile distance of the Belmont Stakes. Luckily, American Pharoah was truly a magnificent horse being the first winner of the Triple Crown since 1978.
Will there be another horse who can win the Triple Crown this year? Create a betting account now and set yourself up for a grand pay day either with the Kentucky Derby or the Triple Crown.
