Brief history of the Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby has been around for more than 100 years. The race was created by Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr., grandson of explorer William Clark, after he visited the Epsom Derby in England and the Grand Prix de Paris in France and returned determined to found an American race of similar prestige. Clark organized the Louisville Jockey Club, raised money (with key support from his Churchill relatives), and built the track that became informally known as Churchill Downs in the 1880s and was officially named later in the 20th century. The first race was run on May 17, 1875. 15 three‑year‑olds went 1½ miles, and Aristides won before roughly 10,000 spectators.
In its early decades the Derby was run at 1½ miles, the same distance as the Epsom Derby, but the distance was shortened to the current 1¼ miles in 1896. The Derby and its sister race, the Kentucky Oaks, have been held every year since 1875, making the Derby the longest continuously run American sporting event. Over time, traditions such as the blanket of red roses (introduced as the official flower in 1904), mint juleps, and elaborate hats helped turn the race into a cultural event as much as a sporting contest.
By 1919, when Sir Barton swept the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes, people recognized the significance of winning all three, and the term “Triple Crown” entered common use in the 1930s after Gallant Fox repeated the feat. In 1931 the Derby's date was fixed as the first Saturday in May to better coordinate the Triple Crown schedule, and moments like Secretariat's 1973 record of 1:59.40 further cemented the race's legend.
How the modern points system works
Today, entry into the Kentucky Derby is primarily controlled by a structured points series known as the “Road to the Kentucky Derby.” Instead of using graded stakes earnings (the old method), Churchill Downs allocates points in a defined set of prep races; the 20 horses with the most points (plus a few also‑eligibles) get preference for starting berths.
The system has several components: a main North American (and Dubai) series, a Japan Road, and a Europe Road (including some Middle East races). Races are grouped into phases with escalating point values so that early preps matter but later, more demanding races matter most.
Main North American series
In the main series, races start in the fall of the 2‑year‑old season and continue into the spring of the 3‑year‑old season.
- Early “Prep Season” races (often in the fall and early winter, such as the Iroquois, Breeders' Futurity, Champagne, and some 1‑mile or 1 1/16‑mile stakes) typically award 10–5–3–2–1 points to the top five finishers.
- As the calendar turns, some mid‑tier preps step up to 20–10–6–4–2, reflecting greater importance as distances stretch and competition stiffens.
- The key “Championship Series” races in late winter and early spring escalate to 50–25–15–10–5, which can secure a Derby spot with a win and often with a strong placing.
- The final, marquee preps like the Florida Derby, Blue Grass, Santa Anita Derby, Wood Memorial, Arkansas Derby, Louisiana Derby, UAE Derby, and Jeff Ruby Steaks award 100–50–25–15–10 points, virtually guaranteeing a starting spot to the winner and often to the runner‑up.
At the end of the series, horses are ranked by total points, and the top 20 earn preference for the Kentucky Derby starting gate. Ties are broken first by non‑restricted stakes earnings, and then by other criteria if needed, ensuring a clear order of preference.
Japan Road and Europe Road
Churchill Downs created separate qualifying “roads” to encourage international participation from Japan and Europe.
- The Japan Road is a small series of races (such as the Cattleya Stakes, Hyacinth Stakes, and Fukuryu Stakes) that award points within a separate Japanese leaderboard; the top finisher gets a guaranteed invitation to the Derby if connections accept.
- The Europe Road includes races like the Royal Lodge Stakes, Beresford Stakes, and some all‑weather or turf events, along with certain Middle Eastern races like the Saudi Derby; again, it maintains its own leaderboard and offers one or more invitations.
If the connections of the top horse on one of these international lists decline the invitation, the offer can move down to the next highest‑point horse on that specific road; if no connections accept, that spot reverts back to the main North American leaderboard. In practice, not every international invitation is taken every year, which can open an extra place for a borderline points horse.
Why a point system?
Before 2013, Derby qualification was based on graded stakes earnings, which sometimes allowed horses to qualify off a single big payday in a race that was not a logical preparation for the Derby distance or surface. Churchill Downs introduced the points system to emphasize current form at appropriate distances on dirt and to make the path to the Derby more understandable for fans, horsemen, and bettors.
By weighting the later, two‑turn dirt races most heavily, the system aims to send horses to Louisville who are both in good recent form and demonstrably capable at route distances, which ideally improves the quality and fairness of the Derby field. It also produces a clean, public leaderboard that updates through the season and helps shape the narrative of the “Road to the Kentucky Derby.”
