Road to the Kentucky Derby Contenders
To earn a spot in the Kentucky Derby starting gate, horses will need to earn points in the designated Road to the Derby races.
2025–2026 Horse Leaderboard
- American
-
RANKHORSEOWNERTRAINERJOCKEYTOTAL POINTS
-
OWNER Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC
TRAINER Steven M. Asmussen
JOCKEY Ortiz, Jose L.
BREEDER Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC
SEX Colt
COLOR Bay
EARNINGS $293,170
-
OWNER Joseph W. Sutton
TRAINER Eddie Kenneally
JOCKEY Gaffalione, Tyler
BREEDER Edwin Anthony
SEX Colt
COLOR Chestnut
EARNINGS $293,050
-
OWNER OXO Equine LLC
TRAINER William Walden
JOCKEY Geroux, Florent
BREEDER OXO Equine LLC
SEX Colt
COLOR Bay
EARNINGS $87,581
-
OWNER Mag Racing LLC
TRAINER Greg Compton
JOCKEY Rodriguez, Jaime
BREEDER Woods Edge Farm, LLC
SEX Colt
COLOR Chestnut
EARNINGS $56,438
-
OWNER Bizzack, Gary and Bizzack, Tiffany
TRAINER Anthony Mitchell
JOCKEY Saez, Luis
BREEDER Brandywine Farm & Jim & PamRobinson
SEX Colt
COLOR Bay
EARNINGS $80,205
Sovereignty with jockey Junior Alvarado up in the Kentucky Derby winners circle.
What is the Road to the Kentucky Derby?
The Road to the Kentucky Derby, sponsored by Woodford Reserve, is a series of races where the top five horses in each race earn points. The 18 horses with the most points will get a spot in the starting gate for the 152nd Kentucky Derby, which will take place on Saturday, May 2, 2026.
There are three paths to the Kentucky Derby: the American Road, the Japan Road, and the European/Middle East Road. The Derby prep races start in September and go through mid-April. These races are split into two parts: the Prep Season and the Championship Series. Horses earn points for finishing in the top five, and the Championship Series races give the most points. The horses with the most points, or those who win their international series, will earn a spot in the Kentucky Derby starting gate.
Stay Up To Date With The Latest News & Horses
Read here for the latest updates around the Kentucky Derby.
Wager big on the Kentucky Derby
View Expert Picks, Live Odds, Future Wager Pools and more horse information!
Download the Derby App
The Kentucky Derby app has everything you need to enjoy your day at the races.
Fierceness illustrates his laid-back personality (Photo by Alys Emson/Lane's End Farms)
Horse Info to Know
Horse breeds for the Kentucky Derby are Thoroughbred horses and are exclusively bred naturally. The foundation sires for Thoroughbred horses, or founding fathers, are the Darley Arabian (1700), Godolphin Arabian (1724) and Byerly Turk (1679).
No matter when a Thoroughbred horse is born, every Thoroughbred shares the same birthday of January 1st!
Horses can have an affinity to certain track surfaces and conditions. There are horses who thrive on grassy turf and others who may dominate on dirt. In both scenarios, even soft ground versus firm, or sloppy dirt can provide an advantage to horses who may be more comfortable with the changes. Yes, horses will naturally play in water puddles!
Horses who run in the Kentucky Derby are often purchased at horse auctions by their current owners. These sales, such as Keeneland, OBS, or Fasig-Tipton, can conduct horse sales for a specific age or context of the horses; like breeding stock versus two-year-olds in training and mixed age or sex.
FOLLOW FOR UPDATES AND EXCLUSIVES
Missed something? Catch up on past Kentucky Derby news
Book Your Premium Experience
For Premium tickets, give us a call at 5026364447
Calling All Derby Enthusiasts to Post
The Road to the 151st Kentucky Derby is underway! Submit your email and receive newsletters for all things Kentucky Derby directly to your inbox.