The 2024 Road to the Kentucky Derby actually began in 2023- September 16th at Churchill Downs and ended last weekend at Keeneland with the Lexington Stakes. The Derby trail consisted of 36 prep races that carried qualifying points. With a mere 16 days until the Run for the Roses it was determined that 40 is the number of points required to get in the starting … Continue reading Derby Talk
The Road to the Kentucky Derby takes the checkered flag on Saturday with the running of the $400,000 dollar, Grade 3 Lexington Stakes at Keeneland. Held over 1 1/16 miles, the race awards Kentucky Derby qualification points on a 20-10-6-4-2 basis to the top five finishers. It’s certainly a diminished prize compared to the past few weeks of 100-50-25-15-10 preps, but it does offer horses on the … Continue reading The History Of The Lexington Stakes
Saturday, Aqueduct Park hosts its signature spring race and the terminus on the New York road to the Kentucky Derby. A field of thirteen 3-year-olds will do battle in the $750,000 dollar, Grade 2 Wood Memorial at 1 1/8 miles on the main track A total of 200 Kentucky Derby qualifying points are on the line, with the Winner receiving 100 points, and 50-25-15-10 going to the 2nd-place through … Continue reading The Winner Of The Wood Is..?
Spring is in the air, which means race fans are in the thick of one of the most active and important seasons in Thoroughbred racing. The winter meets are coming to an end and racing enjoys a rejuvenation with certain tracks opening for their spring meets. When the calendar enters April in Kentucky it marks the opening of Keeneland Race Course for its annual spring … Continue reading Keeneland Spring Meet
Saturday’s Florida Derby is a vital prep race that will earn 100 points for the Winner, thus guaranteeing a spot in the Kentucky Derby (normally, between 45 and 50 points is enough to get into the field). The Florida Derby features FIERCENESS, the Eclipse Award-Winning 2-year-old of 2023. Since last August, when he Won his first career start at Saratoga by over 11 lengths, it has … Continue reading A Fierce Florida Derby ?
A total of 200 Road To The Kentucky Derby qualification points are on the line Saturday in 73rd edition of the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park. The Winner will get 100 points, while the runner-up will receive 50, the 3rd-place finisher 25, with 15 going to the 4th-place finisher and 10 for the 5th-place horse. The 1 1/8-mile Florida Derby is one of the most influential prep … Continue reading The Florida Derby
The Road to the Kentucky Derby at Oaklawn Park reaches the end on Saturday, when the track hosts the $1.5 million dollar, Grade 1 Arkansas Derby. A deep and talented field of ten will travel 1 ⅛ miles on the main Oaklawn track in search of the prestigious Win that also includes maximum Derby qualifying points. The Winner will get 100 points, while the runner-up will receive 50, … Continue reading The Arkansas Derby
Only five horses that have participated in the Louisiana Derby have gone on to Win the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. They are: BLACK GOLD (1924), GRINDSTONE (1996), FUNNY CIDE (2003), COUNTRY HOUSE (2019) and MANDALOUN (2021), albeit the last two by disqualification. BLACK GOLD and GRINDSTONE both Won the Louisiana Derby prior to their Victories in the Run For The Roses. This year’s competitive … Continue reading Louisiana Derby Field
Fairgrounds‘ Road to the Kentucky Derby reaches its terminus on Saturday with the running of the 1 million dollar, Grade 2 Louisiana Derby. It is the signature race of the winter-spring meet at Fairgrounds on their final weekend. The 1 3/16-mile contest is an important prep for the May 4th Kentucky Derby, offering a total of 200 qualifying points, distributed to the top five finishers on … Continue reading The Louisiana Derby
As most of you reading this are aware; Thoroughbred horse racing is an outdoor sport and races typically take place rain or shine. That means track conditions can vary widely with the weather. Racing literature in every iteration often refers to track conditions and the amount of moisture held by dirt and turf (grass) racing surfaces. But even for those of us in-the-know, track condition … Continue reading Track Conditions
