The 2020 Road to the Kentucky Derby was a series of races through which horses qualified for the 2020 Kentucky Derby, which was held on September 5 (rescheduled from the traditional first Saturday in May due to the coronavirus pandemic). The field for the Derby is limited to 20 horses, with up to four 'also eligibles' in case of a late withdrawal from the field. There are three separate paths for horses to take to qualify for the Derby: the main Road consisting of races in North America (plus one in Dubai), the Japan Road consisting of four races in Japan, and the European Road with seven European races in England, Ireland and France. The top four finishers in the specified races receive points, with higher points awarded in the major prep races. Earnings in non-restricted stakes races act as a tie breaker.

When originally announced in September 2019, the main Road to the Kentucky Derby would have remained substantially the same as the 2019 Road to the Kentucky Derby, consisting of 35 races, 19 races for the Kentucky Derby Prep Season and 16 races for the Kentucky Derby Championship Season. Fair Grounds Race Course subsequently made minor changes to the length of the three qualifying races that it hosts: the Lecomte Stakes goes from a mile and 70 yards to miles, the Risen Star from to miles, and the Louisiana Derby goes from to miles. However, in March 2020, the growing coronavirus pandemic prompted the cancellation of several prep races, and the rescheduling of the Derby itself. Churchill Downs added more qualifying races to the series in May which became known as the Extended Series.

Main Road to the Kentucky Derby Standings

The following table shows the points earned in the eligible races for the main series. The ranking is for horses that are still pointing towards the race, as shown on the Derby Leaderboard published by Churchill Downs on August 22, updated for subsequently announced withdrawals from the field.

Authentic, who was the eventual winner of the Kentucky Derby, qualified for the race in second place by winning the Haskell, Sham and San Felipe, plus finishing second in the Santa Anita Derby.

Rank HorsePointsEarningsTrainerOwnerRef 1 Tiz the Law 372 $1,972,400 Barclay Tagg Sackatoga Stable 2Authentic200$980,000Bob Baffert Spendthrift Farm, MyRaceHorse Stable, Madaket Stables & Starlight Racing retired Nadal 150 $1,020,000 Bob Baffert George Bolton, Arthur Hoyeau, Barry Lipman & Mark Mathiesen injuredArt Collector150$476,461Thomas Drury Jr.Bruce Lunsford 3 Honor A. P. 140 $340,000 John Shirreffs C R K Stable bypassing Basin 110 $592,500 Steve Asmussen Jackpot Farm 4 Ny Traffic 110 $472,820 Saffie Joseph Jr. John Fanelli, Cash is King, LC Racing & Paul Braverman injured Wells Bayou 104 $765,000 Brad Cox Lance and Clint Gasaway 5 King Guillermo 90 $317,050 Juan Carlos Avila Victoria's Ranch 6 Thousand Words 83 $297,000 Bob Baffert Albaugh Family Stables & Spendthrift Farm bypassing Dr Post 80 $331,035 Todd Pletcher St. Elias Stable bypassing Ete Indien 74 $357,156 Patrick L. Biancone Linda Shanahan, Sanford Bacon, Dream With Me Stable, Horse France America, D P Racing & Patrick L. Biancone Racing bypassing Modernist 70 $369,000 William I. MottPam & Martin Wygod injured Maxfield 60 $388,350 Brendan Walsh Godolphin Stables 7 Max Player 60 $337,500 Steve Asmussen George E. Hall & SportBLX Thoroughbreds injured Caracaro 60 $205,000 Gustavo Delgado Top Racing, Global Thoroughbreds ill Gouverneur Morris 54 $236,000 Todd Pletcher Team Valor & WinStar Farm injured Mr. Monomoy 52 $260,000 Brad Cox Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, Doheny Racing Stable bypassing Alex 50 $324,910 John Servis Cash is King & LC Racing bypassing Country Grammer 50 $106,400 Chad Brown Paul Pompa Jr. bypassing Pneumatic 45 $169,250 Steve Asmussen Winchell Thoroughbreds 8 Enforceable 43 $314,550 Mark Casse John C. Oxley bypass Swiss Skydiver 40 $901,820 Kenneth McPeek Peter J. Callahan bypassing Shivaree 40 $311,905 Ralph Nicks Jacks or Better Farm bypassing Rushie 40 $108,000 Michael McCarthy Jim Daniell & Donna Daniel 9 Major Fed 38 $179,100 Greg Foley Lloyd Madison Farms 10 Storm the Court 36 $1,273,851 Peter Eurton David A Bernsen, Exline-Border Racing, D. Hudock, S. Wilson 11 Attachment Rate 35 $93,675 Dale Romans Jim Bakke & Gerald Isbister bypassing Anneau d'Or 32 $435,821 Blaine Wright Peter Redekop 12 Sole Volante 30 $273,510 Patrick L. Biancone Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Andie Biancone & Limelight Stables 13 Finnick the Fierce 25 $120,200 Rey Hernandez Arnaldo Monge & Rey Hernandez bypassing Silver Prospector 21 $664,018 Steve Asmussen Ed & Susie Orr not nominated Field Pass 20 $229,960 Michael J. Maker Three Diamond Farms bypassing Excession 20 $206,000 Steve Asmussen Calumet Farm bypassing Candy Tycoon 20 $83,500 Todd Pletcher Mathis Stable bypassing Untitled 20 $81,999 Mark Casse Gary Barber & Michael B. Sebastian 14 Winning Impressions 20 $54,822 Dallas Stewart West Point Thoroughbreds & Pearl Racing bypassing Shotski 19 $212,466 Jeremiah O'Dwyer Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber, Pantofel Stable & M. Karty 15 South Bend 18 $291,902William I. Mott Gary Barber, Adam Watchtel, Peter Deutsch, Leonard Schleifer not nominated Jesus' Team18$80,000Jose D'AngeloGroup 7 Racing bypassing Farmington Road 15 $101,000 Todd Pletcher Eclipse Thoroughbreds, Chrysalia Stables & Robert LaPenta bypassing Independence Hall 14 $226,600 Michael J. Trombetta Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Twin Creeks Racing Stables, Kathleen and Robert Verratti bypassing Silver State 14 $90,000 Steve Asmussen Winchell Thoroughbreds & Willis Horton Racing bypassing Azul Coast 14 $80,500 Bob Baffert Karl Watson, Mike Pegram, Paul Weitman 16 Necker Island 14 $74,808 Chris Hartman Raymond Daniels & Wayne Scherr bypassing Shoplifted 13 $388,500 Steve Asmussen Grandview Equine, Cheyenne Stables & LNJ Foxwoods bypassing Eight Rings 10 $200,351 Bob Baffert SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Freferick Hertrich III, John D. Fielding, Golconda Stables bypassing Dennis' Moment 10 $141,800 Dale Romans Albaugh Family Stables bypassing Gold Street 10 $141,000 Steve Asmussen Mike McCarty bypassing As Seen On Tv 10 $80,100 Kelly Breen Screen Door Stables not nominated Texas Swing 10 $35,000 Todd Pletcher Harrell Ventures bypassing Three Technique 9 $80,000 Jeremiah Englehart August Dawn Farm bypassing Invader 8 $107,140 Wesley Ward Grandview Equine, Cheyenne Stables & LNJ Foxwoods bypassing Ajaaweed 7 $95,000 Kiaran McLaughlin Shadwell Stable bypassing Scabbard 6 $186,000 Eddie Kenneally Joseph Sutton bypassing Answer In 6 $155,000 Brad Cox Robert LaPenta & Madaket Stables bypassing Relentless Dancer 6 $29,750 Michael J. Maker Paradise Farms, Terry Raymond, Jana Wagner bypassing Wrecking Crew 5 $301,000 Peter L. Miller Rockingham Ranch & David Bernsen bypassing Montauk Traffic 5 $73,000 Linda L. Rice Chris Fountoukis bypassing Mailman Money 5 $16,000 Bret Calhoun Allied Racing Stable bypassing Green Light Go 4 $224,550 James Jerkens Stronach Stables bypassing High Velocity 4 $97,000 Bob Baffert Mary & Gary West bypassing American Theorem 4 $66,667 George Papaprodromou Kretz Racing bypassing Royal Act 4 $31,644 Peter Eurton C R K Stable bypassing Fancy Liquor 4 $23,500 Michael J. Maker Skychai Racing & Sand Dollar Stable not nominated American Farmer 4 $20,000 Steve Sherman BKB Stables & Steve Sherman bypassing Prince of Pharoahs 3 $27,750 Linda L. Rice Darlene Bilinski & Harry Patten bypassing Bourbon Bay 3 $24,000 Mark A. Hennig Bourbon Lane Stable, Seidman Stables, Lake Lonely Racing bypassing Lebda 2 $150,125 Claudio Gonzalez Joseph Besecker bypassing Big City Bob 2 $123,000 Jorge Duarte Jr. Colts Neck Stables not nominated Embolden 2 $82,000 Michael Stidham Dare To Dream Stable bypassing Chase Tracker 2 $51,700 Todd Pletcher St. Elias Stable bypassing Portos 2 $30,000 Todd Pletcher Wertheimer et Frère bypassing Toledo 2 $24,500 Chad C. Brown Juddmonte Farms bypassing Zimba Warrior 2 $24,500 J. Keith Desormeaux Charles & Cynthia Marquis not nominated Indian Peak 2 $16,500 Quinn Howey Jill & William Gray bypassing Halo Again 2 $11,400 Steve Asmussen Winchell Thoroughbreds & Willis Horton Racing bypassing Jungle Runner 1 $87,250 Steve Asmussen Calumet Farm bypassing Monday Morning Qb 1 $75,000 Butch Reid Jr. Cash is King and LC Racing not nominated Gozilla 1 $72,000 Steve Asmussen Zayat Stables bypassing Taishan 1 $51,000 Richard Baltas Calvin Nguyen & Joey Tran bypassing Informative 1 $38,000 Uriah St. Lewis Uriah St. Lewis bypassing Letmeno 1 $29,200 Ian Wilkes Randall Bloch & Six Column Stables bypassing Express Train 1 $18,000 John Shirreffs C R K Stable not nominated Celtic Striker 1 $12,000 Raymond Handal Imperial Racing bypassing Tiz Rye Time 1 $10,000 Ian Wilkes Bourbon Lane Stable, Cleber J. Massey, Jim Gladden bypassing Tizamagician 1 $6,000 Richard Mandella MyRacehorse.com & Spendthrift Farm not nominated Wine and Whiskey 1 $6,000 Felix Rondan Ruben Arechiga & Felix Rondan ill Shirl's Speight 0 $55,896 Roger Attfield Charles Fipke 17 Money Moves 0 0 Todd Pletcher Robert LaPenta & Bortolazzo Stable

Winner of Kentucky Derby in bold Sidelined/Inactive/No longer under Derby Consideration/Not nominated in gray

Prep season

Note: 1st=10 points; 2nd=4 points; 3rd=2 points; 4th=1 point (except the Breeders' Cup Juvenile: 1st=20 points; 2nd=8 points; 3rd=4 points; 4th=2 points)

RaceDistancePurseTrackDate1st2nd3rd4thRefIroquois miles$200,000Churchill DownsSep 14 2019Dennis' Moment ScabbardLebdaLetmeno American Pharoah miles$301,404Santa AnitaSep 27 2019 Eight Rings American Theorem Storm the Court Express Train Champagne1 mile$500,000BelmontOct 5 2019Tiz the LawGreen Light GoBig City BobGozillaBreeders' Futurity miles$500,000KeenelandOct 5 2019MaxfieldGouverneur MorrisEnforcableAjaaweedBreeders' Cup Juvenile miles$2,000,000Santa AnitaNov 1 2019 Storm the Court Anneau D'or Wrecking Crew ScabbardKentucky Jockey Club miles$300,000Churchill DownsNov 30 2019 Silver Prospector Finnick the Fierce Tiz the Law Enforceable Remsen miles$250,000AqueductDec 7 2019 Shotski Ajaaweed Chase Tracker InformativeLos Alamitos Futurity miles$200,000Los AlamitosDec 7 2019 Thousand Words Anneau D'or High Velocity Wrecking Crew Springboard Mile1 mile$400,000RemingtonDec 15 2019 Shoplifted Answer In Embolden Jungle Runner Jerome1 mile$150,000AqueductJan 1 2020 Independence Hall Prince of Pharoahs and Bourbon Bay Celtic Striker Sham1 mile$100,000Santa AnitaJan 4 2020 Authentic Azul Coast Zimba Warrior Taishan Lecomte miles$200,000Fair GroundsJan 18 2020 Enforceable Silver State Mr. Monomoy Finnick the Fierce Smarty Jones1 mile$150,000OaklawnJan 24 2020 Gold Street Three Technique Shoplifted Silver Prospector Holy Bull miles$350,000GulfstreamFeb 1 2020 Tiz the Law Ete Indien Toledo Relentless Dancer Withers miles$250,000AqueductFeb 1 2020 Max Player Shotski Portos Monday Morning Qb Robert B. Lewis miles$150,000Santa AnitaFeb 1 2020 Thousand Words Royal Act High Velocity Tizamagician Sam F. Davis Stakes miles$250,000Tampa BayFeb 8 2020 Sole Volante Independence Hall Ajaaweed Tiz Rye Time El Camino Real Derby miles$100,000Golden GateFeb 15 2020 Azul Coast American Farmer Indian Peak Wine and Whisky Southwest miles$750,000OaklawnFeb 17 2020 Silver Prospector Wells Bayou Answer In Shoplifted

Championship series events

First leg of series Note: 1st=50 points; 2nd=20 points; 3rd=10 points; 4th=5 points