Kentucky Derby Power Rankings

As with last year, the number of ranked horses matches the field-size limit for the big race. Therefore, while 20 horses are ranked for the Kentucky Derby, the Oaks rankings are limited to 14.

Forget the NFL; look away from the midterms. The all-important first Power Rankings for the 2027 Kentucky Derby are here, and there’s one burning question: are you Team Hughes, or Team U. S. S. Valor?

As we did last week for the males, this week’s Power Rankings looks at how the race for the Eclipse Award for three-year-old fillies might pan out in the wake of the Kentucky Oaks.

The Kentucky Derby (G1) may be over, but the race for overall three-year-old honors is only just getting started.

Putting together the inaugural Kentucky Derby (G1) Power Rankings has been an entertaining and fascinating exercise.

There was a time when it was believed a horse couldn’t win the Kentucky Derby (G1) without having raced as a two-year-old.

This is always an intriguing time leading up to the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Kentucky Oaks (G1). Final works are scheduled, and travel to Louisville is planned.

With the Kentucky Derby (G1) field all but set, the most influential figure in the Derby picture in the next week or two might be Steve Rushing. Rushing may not be known by all regular racing followers, but as the agent for champion jockey Irad Ortiz...

Change was expected in the Kentucky Derby picture with the running of four final prep races at the weekend. But the level of disruption was much greater than most would have predicted.

The first three 200-point prep races on the Road to the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Oaks (G1) have now been run, and all went to horses without previous victories in the series.