2021 Road to the Kentucky Derby

The 2021 Road to the Kentucky Derby was a series of races through which horses qualified for the 2021 Kentucky Derby, which was held on May 1. 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 were 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 seven European races in England, Ireland and France. The top four finishers in the specified races received points, with higher points awarded in the major prep races in March and April. Earnings in non-restricted stakes races acted as a tie breaker.

The 2020 Road to the Kentucky Derby suffered major disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to the postponement of the 2020 Derby itself to September. For 2021, the main Road to the Kentucky Derby will instead resemble the 2019 Road to the Kentucky Derby, consisting of 36 races, 20 races for the Kentucky Derby Prep Season and 16 races for the Kentucky Derby Championship Season except for the following changes:

The John Battaglia Memorial Stakes, which was added to the Road in 2020, was retained as part of the Prep season for 2021 The Jeff Ruby Steaks, which in 2019 and 2020 was a "Wild Card" event, was moved to the Championship Second leg of series with an increase of qualification points – with 1st 100 points, 2nd 40 points, 3rd 20 points and 4th 10 points

For the 2021 Road to the Kentucky Derby, horses which ran in qualifying events with the medication furosemide (Lasix) did not receive any qualification points.

Standings

The following table shows the points earned in the eligible races for the main series and the leaderboard rank as of April 25. The Kentucky Derby was won by Mandaloun, who qualified in a Sixth place finished in the Louisiana Derby. He was new winner of the race after the original winner Medina Spirit was disqualified after testing positive for Betamethasone. The trainer of Medina Spirit Bob Baffert got suspended by Churchill Downs for two years.

RankHorsePointsEarningsTrainerOwnerRef 1 Essential Quality 140 $2,210,000 Brad H. Cox Godolphin Stables 2 Hot Rod Charlie 110 $962,000 Doug F. O'Neill Roadrunner Racing, Boat Racing & Strauss Bros Racing 3 Super Stock 109 $709,000 Steve Asmussen Erv Woolsey & Keith Asmussen 4 Like the King 104 $161,300 Wesley A. Ward M Racing Group 5 Known Agenda 102 $461,000 Todd Pletcher St. Elias Stable bypassing Rebel's Romance (IRE) 100 $510,000 Charlie Appleby Godolphin Stables 6 Rock Your World 100 $510,000 John W. SadlerHronis Racing & Talla Racing 7 Bourbonic 100 $400,000 Todd PletcherCalumet Farm bypassing Greatest Honour 80 $366,240 Claude R. McGaughey III Courtlandt Farms 8 Medina Spirit 74 $290,000 Bob Baffert Zedan Racing Stables bypassing Concert Tour 70 $820,000 Bob Baffert Gary & Mary West 9 Midnight Bourbon 66 $430,000 Steven M. Asmussen Winchell Thoroughbreds injured Life Is Good 60 $240,000 Bob Baffert China Horse Club & WinStar Farm bypassing Weyburn 60 $215,000 James Jerkens Chiefswood Stables 10 Mandaloun* 52 $270,000 Brad H. Cox Juddmonte Farms bypassing Caddo River 50 $320,000 Brad H. Cox Shortleaf Stable 11 Highly Motivated 50 $271,000 Chad C. Brown Klaravich Stables 12 Helium 50 $255,492 Mark E. Casse D. J. Stable bypassing Panadol 40 $240,000 Salem bin Ghadayer Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum 13 Soup and Sandwich 40 $161,000 Mark E. Casse Live Oak Plantation 14 Dynamic One 40 $140,000 Todd Pletcher Repole Stable, Phipps Stable & St. Elias Stable bypassing Crowded Trade 40 $135,000 Chad C. Brown Klaravich Stables 15 Sainthood 40 $47,000 Todd Pletcher China Horse Club & WinStar Farm bypassing Proxy 36 $170,000 Michael Stidham Godolphin Stables bypassing Rombauer 34 $260,500 Michael W. McCarthy John & Diane Fradkin 16 Hidden Stash 32 $130,000 Victoria Oliver BBN Racing bypassing Dream Shake 30 $126,000 Peter Eurton Dunwoody Farm 17 O Besos 25 $116,000 Gregory Foley L. Barrett Bernard, Tagg Team Racing and West Point Thoroughbreds not nominated Drain the Clock 20 $273,950 Saffie Joseph Jr. Slam Dunk Racing, Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables & Michael Nentwig not nominated New Treasure (IRE) 20 $271,245 John Gosden Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz bypass Get Her Number 20 $242,667 Peter Miller Gary Barber bypass Hozier 20 $230,000 Bob Baffert WinStar Farm, SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Golconda Stables, Siena Farm & Robert Masterson 18Scratched King Fury 20 $207,595 Kenny McPeek Fern Circle Stables & Three Chimneys Farm bypassing Hockey Dad 20 $20,800 Doug F. O'Neill Reddam Racing 19 Keepmeinmind 18 $385,707 Robertino Diodoro Cypress Creek Equine, Arnold Bennewith & Spendthrift Farm spell Spielberg 17 $369,500 Bob Baffert SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Golconda Stables, Siena Farms bypassing Jackie's Warrior 14 $532,500 Steven M. Asmussen Kirk J. & Judy Robison Nova Rags 14 $111,250 William I. Mott Michael P. Shanley Unbridled Honor 13 $57,500 Todd Pletcher Whisper Hill Farm retired Capo Kane 12 $115,500 Harold Wyner Bing Cherry Racing & Leonard Liberto Papetu 11 $68,425 Antonio Sano Magic Stables Moonlite Strike 11 $42,500 Saffie Joseph Jr. Sonata Stable not nominated Hard Rye Guy 11 $14,100 Ian R. Wilkes Bourbon Lane Stable Risk Taking 10 $155,500 Chad C. Brown Klaravich Stables Sittin On Go 10 $145,800 Dale L. Romans Albaugh Family Stables not nominated Taheru Pegasus (JPN) 10 $127,121 Yukihiro Kato Yasuhiko Mori Candy Man Rocket 10 $120,000 William I. Mott Frank Fletcher Racing Operations 20 Brooklyn Strong 10 $112,500 Daniel Velazquez Mark Schwartz injured Big Lake 10 $100,000 Steven M. Asmussen Mike G. Rutherford Hush of a Storm 10 $47,710 William Morey Joseph P. Morey Jr. Revocable Trust Defunded 10 $45,000 Bob Baffert Karl Watson, Michael Pegram & Paul Weitman Tarantino 9 $74,650 Rodolphe Brisset SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Golconda Stables, Siena Farms & R. Masterson Roman Centurian 9 $38,000 Simon Callaghan Alberto Stable & Qatar Racing bypassing Cowan 8 $620,477 Steven M. Asmussen William & Corinne Heiligbrodt, Madaket Stables & Spendthrift Farm bypassing Freedom Fighter 5 $58,000 Bob Baffert SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Golconda Stables, Siena Farm & Robert Masterson not nominated Reinvestment Risk 4 $120,000 Chad C. Brown Klaravich Stables not nominated Javanica 4 $70,801 Eoin G. Harty Godolphin Racing not nominated Ten for Ten 4 $50,000 Claude R. McGaughey III Courtlandt Farms bypassing Overtook 4 $50,000 Todd Pletcher Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable, Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier & Michael Tabor The Great One 4 $47,000 Doug F. O'Neill ERJ Racing, Train Wreck Al Racing, Niall Brennan, Tom Fritz & William Strauss bypassing Starrininmydreams 4 $44,000 Dallas Stewart Stewart Racing Stable & WinStar Farm Smiley Sobotka 4 $40,400 Dale L. Romans Albaugh Family Stable not nominated Eagle Orb 4 $40,000 Rudy Rodriguez E.V. Racing Stable Gretzky the Great 2 $223,621 Mark E. Casse Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners & Gary Barber bypassing Arabian Prince 2 $28,063 Dallas Stewart West Point Thoroughbreds & William Sandbrook Waspirant 2 $26,000 John Shirreffs Martin J. & Pam Wygod and Lessee Petruchio 2 $24,450 Richard E. Mandella Perry R. Bass II & Ramona S. Bass bypassing Prime Factor 2 $22,200 Todd Pletcher China Horse Club & WinStar Farm inactive Hold the Salsa 2 $19,125 Richard J. Lugovich Richard J. Lugovich not nominated Swill 2 $18,600 Brad H. Cox Kueber Racing & Ten Strike Racing inactive Big Thorn 2 $16,000 Steven M. Asmussen Alex & Ann Lieblong Parnelli 2 $14,500 John Shirreffs C R K Stables not nominated Govenor's Party 2 $12,500 Daniel Franko Daniel Franko inactive Pickin' Time 1 $157,925 Kelly J. Breen John Bowers Jr. Red Flag 1 $84,000 John Shirreffs Jerome S. & Tina Moss not nominated Therideofalifetime 1 $39,500 Ignacio Correas, IV Stephen L. Fidel not nominated Woodhouse 1 $37,500 C. R. Trout Samuel F. Henderson not nominated It's My House 1 $36,760 Jamey Thomas Doug Gans, Gary Jacobs, Larry M. Katz & Kevin Riggs not nominated Boca Boy 1 $24,400 Cheryl Winebaugh Kenneth E. Fishbein not nominated Civil War 1 $20,875 Thomas Albertrani Mark T. Anderson not nominated Upstriker 1 $20,833 Ron Moquett William S. Sparks, Brereton C. Jones & Robert V. LaPenta bypassing Santa Cruiser 1 $19,500 J. Keith Desormeaux Calumet Farm not nominated Royal Number 1 $15,000 Michael J. Trombetta Larry R. Johnson, R. D. M. Racing Stable & Michael J. Trombetta

*Mandaloun named was new winner of the race on February 12, 2022, after the original winner Medina Spirit was disqualified after testing positive for Betamethasone. The trainer of Medina Spirit, Bob Baffert got suspended by Churchill Downs for two years.

Legend:

Winner of Kentucky Derby in bold

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)

RaceDistancePurseTrackDate1st2nd3rd4thRefIroquois1 mile$200,000Churchill DownsSep 5 2020Sittin On GoMidnight BourbonSuper StockTherideofalifetime American Pharoah miles$301,000Santa AnitaSep 26 2020 Get Her Number Rombauer Spielberg Waspirant Breeders' Futurity miles$400,000KeenelandOct 3 2020Essential QualityKeepmeinmind Super StockUpstriker Champagne1 mile$250,000BelmontOct 10 2020Jackie's Warrior Reinvestment Risk Midnight BourbonCivil War Breeders' Cup Juvenile miles$2,000,000KeenelandNov 6 2020 Essential Quality Hot Rod Charlie Keepmeinmind Jackie's Warrior Kentucky Jockey Club miles$200,000Churchill DownsNov 28 2020 Keepmeinmind Smiley Sobotka Arabian Prince Swill Remsen miles$145,500AqueductDec 5 2020 Brooklyn Strong Ten for Ten Known Agenda Pickin' Time Springboard Mile1 mile$200,000RemingtonDec 18 2020 Senor Buscador Cowan Red N Wild Saffa's Day Los Alamitos Futurity miles$200,500Los AlamitosDec 19 2020 Spielberg The Great One Petruchio Red Flag Jerome1 mile$145,500AqueductJan 1 2021 Capo Kane Eagle Orb Hold the Salsa Swill Sham1 mile$100,000Santa AnitaJan 2 2021 Life Is Good Medina Spirit Parnelli Waspirant Lecomte miles$200,000Fair GroundsJan 16 2021 Midnight Bourbon Proxy Mandaloun Santa Cruiser Smarty Jones1 mile$150,000OaklawnJan 22 2021 Caddo River Cowan Big Thorn Moonlight Strike Holy Bull1 mile$350,000GulfstreamJan 30 2021 Greatest Honour Tarantino Prime Factor Papetu Robert B. Lewis miles$100,500Santa AnitaJan 30 2021 Medina Spirit Roman Centurian Hot Rod Charlie Spielberg Withers miles$250,000AqueductFeb 6 2021 Risk Taking Overtook Capo Kane Royal Number Sam F. Davis Stakes miles$200,000Tampa BayFeb 6 2021 Candy Man Rocket Nova Rags Hidden Stash Boca Boy El Camino Real Derby miles$101,350Golden GateFeb 13 2021 Rombauer Javanica Govenor's Party It's My House John Battaglia Memorial Stakes miles$82,830TurfwayFeb 26 2021 Hush of a Storm Like the King Gretzky the Great Hard Rye Guy Southwest miles$750,000OaklawnFeb 27 2021 Essential Quality Spielberg Jackie's Warrior Woodhouse

Championship series events

The following events were included as part of the Championship series.

First leg of series Note: 1st=50 points; 2nd=20 points; 3rd=10 points; 4th=5 points RaceDistancePurseGradeTrackDate1st2nd3rd4thRefRisen Star miles$400,0002Fair GroundsFeb 13 2021 Mandaloun Proxy Midnight Bourbon O Besos Fountain of Youth miles$300,0002GulfstreamFeb 27 2021 Greatest Honour Drain the Clock Papetu Tarantino Tampa Bay Derby miles$350,0002Tampa Bay Mar 6 2021 Helium Hidden Stash Moonlight Strike Unbridled Honor Gotham1 mile$300,0003AqueductMar 6 2021 Weyburn Crowded Trade Highly Motivated Freedom Fighter San Felipe miles$301,0002Santa AnitaMar 6 2021 Life Is Good Medina Spirit Dream Shake Roman Centurian Rebel miles$1,000,0002OaklawnMar 13 2021 Concert Tour Hozier Big Lake Super Stock Sunland Derby miles$700,0003Sunland ParkMar 30 2021 Cancelled

Second leg of series