Even though the Lexington Stakes (G3) isn’t the most lucrative prize on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, the annual Keeneland event still holds a special place on the Derby trail.

Traditionally one of the final Derby prep races, the Lexington usually provides one last opportunity for horses in need of qualification points to earn their way into the Derby field.

Unfortunately, this year’s edition of the Lexington Stakes will not produce a Derby runner. While the race offers 20 qualifying points to the winning horse, none of the 11 entrants have accrued enough points to crack the 50 points or more needed to Run for the Roses, even if they were to win.

But, when the Lexington fails to produce a Derby starter, it typically serves as a prominent steppingstone toward the Preakness (G1), the second jewel of the Triple Crown.

Held over 1 1⁄16 miles, the current version of the Lexington was run for the first time in 1984, and the race wasted no time trumpeting its status as a viable steppingstone toward the spring classics.

The Lexington achieved graded status in 1986, and during the next two decades it produced a steady stream of high-profile horses

But the momentum of the Lexington slowed considerably when Keeneland transitioned from a dirt track to a synthetic surface in time for the 2007 spring meet.

After cranking out 34 Kentucky Derby starters between 1984 and 2006, the Lexington produced just two Derby contestants during the synthetic era, which lasted through 2014.

The return of dirt racing in 2015 coincided with a shift in the date of the Lexington, which moved from two weeks before the Kentucky Derby to three weeks out.

So, while this year’s Lexington Stakes won’t fulfill anyone’s Derby dreams, it could very well uncover some able candidates for the Preakness and/or Belmont Stakes.

And, with a field of eleven, it could certainly offer some betting value.