2023 Road to the Kentucky Derby

The 2023 Road to the Kentucky Derby is a series of races through which horses qualified for the 2023 Kentucky Derby, which was held on May 6. The field for the Derby was 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 the European road consisting of seven races in England, Ireland and France. The top five 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.

For 2023, the main Road to the Kentucky Derby resembled the 2022 Road to the Kentucky Derby, consisting of 37 races, one more event than in 2021, with 21 races for the Kentucky Derby Prep Season and 16 races for the Kentucky Derby Championship Season with the following changes:

Points were now awarded to the top-five finishing positions in qualifying races, and the significance of the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile and select races traditionally run in late January have been increased. Prep season races now awarded points on a sliding scale of 10-4-3-2-1.

Points awarded in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile were increased from 20-8-4-2 to 30-12-9-6-3 in order to differentiate what has historically been a high-quality grade 1 race from others during the prep season.

Select prep season races that traditionally serve as steppingstones to the Kentucky Derby Championship Series have been elevated from 10-4-2-1 to 20-8-6-4-2. These include G3 Lecomte Stakes, G3 Southwest Stakes, G3 Withers Stakes, G3 Holy Bull Stakes, G3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes, G3 Sam F. Davis Stakes and the Listed John Battaglia Memorial Stakes.

Standings The following table shows the points earned in the eligible races for the main series.

RankHorsePointsEarningsTrainerOwnerRef 1—scratched Forte 190 $2,359,730 Todd A. Pletcher Repole Stable & St. Elias Stable 2—scratched Practical Move 160 $822,000 Tim Yakteen Pierre Jean Amestoy Jr., Leslie A. Amestoy & Roger K. Bersley 3 Angel of Empire 154 $1,026,375 Brad H. Cox Albaugh Family Stables 4 Tapit Trice 150 $783,500 Todd A. Pletcher Whisper Hill Farm & Gainesway Stable 5 Two Phil's 123 $643,850 Larry Rivelli Patricia's Hope & Phillip Sagan 6—scratched Lord Miles 105 $427,100 Saffie Joseph Jr. Vegso Racing Stable 7 100 $1,112,319 Hidetaka Otonashi Hiroyuki Asanuma 8 Kingsbarns 100 $600,000 Todd A. Pletcher Spendthrift Farm 9 Raise Cain 64 $232,500 Ben Colbrook Andrew N. Warren & Rania Warren 10 Rocket Can 60 $284,025 William I. Mott Frank Fletcher Racing 11 Hit Show 60 $277,500 Brad H. Cox Gary & Mary West 12 Confidence Game 57 $610,480 J. Keith Desormeaux Don't Tell My Wife Stables 13 Verifying 54 $369,750 Brad H. Cox Jonathan Poulin, Westerberg, Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier & Michael Tabor 14 Sun Thunder 54 $181,500 Kenneth G. McPeek R.T Racing Stable & Cypress Creek Equine euthanized Wild On Ice 50 $366,400 Joel Marr Frank Sumpter 15 Mage 50 $205,200 Gustavo Delgado OGMA Investments, Ramiro Restrepo, Sterling Racing & CMNWLTH bypassing Blazing Sevens 46 $507,600 Chad C. Brown Rodeo Creek Racing 16 Disarm 46 $237,500 Winchell Thoroughbreds 17 Reincarnate 45 $263,250 Tim Yakteen SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert E. Masterson, Stonestreet Stables, Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital & Catherine Donovan 18 Jace's Road 45 $200,350 Brad H. Cox West Point Thoroughbreds & Albaugh Family Stables 19—scratched Skinner 45 $174,500 John Shirreffs C R K Stable 20—scratched Continuar (JPN) 30 $289,954 Yoshito Yahagi Lion Race Horse 21 Cyclone Mischief 45 $137,525 Dale L. Romans Albaugh Family Stables & Castleton Lyons 22 Mandarin Hero (JPN) 40 $339,041 Terunobu Fujita Hiroaki Arai bypassingMajor Dude 40 $401,595 Todd A. Pletcher Spendthrift Farm 23 King Russell 40 $227,500 Ron Moquett Brereton C. Jones & Naber Racing bypassingBypass Dura Erede (JPN) 40 $774,897 Manabu Ikezoe Three H Racing bypassing Arctic Arrogance 36 $180,000 Linda L. Rice Chester Broman Sr. & Mary Broman bypassing Red Route One 33 $417,125 Winchell Thoroughbreds bypassing Instant Coffee 32 $395,065 Brad H. Cox Gold Square bypassing Funtastic Again 30 $150,116 Wesley A. Ward Three Chimneys Farm bypassing Dreamlike 30 $75,000 Todd A. Pletcher Repole Stable & St. Elias Stable bypassing Classic Car Wash 26 $100,000 Mark E. Casse Gary Barber bypassing General Banker 24 $84,000 James W. Ferraro Seacoast Thoroughbreds of New England bypassingBypass Perriere (JPN) 20 $332,805 Yoichi Kuroiwa Yuji Hasegawa bypassing National Treasure 20 $297,000 Tim Yakteen SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert E. Masterson, Stonestreet Stables, Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital & Catherine Donovan bypassing First Mission 20 $232,500 Brad H. Cox Godolphin bypassing Congruent 20 $221,585 Antonio Sano Tami Bobo & Lugamo Racing Stable bypassing Low Expectations 20 $130,680 Antonio Garcia Reddam Racing injured Litigate 20 $120,000 Todd A. Pletcher Centennial Farms bypassing Slip Mahoney 20 $82,500 Brad H. Cox Gold Square bypassing Geaux Rocket Ride 20 $80,000 Richard E. Mandella Pin Oak Stud bypassing Mr. Ripple 20 $46,500 Saffie Joseph Jr. Legacy Racing bypassing Shopper's Revenge 20 $40,000 Steven M. Asmussen Whisper Hill Farm & Three Chimneys Farm bypassing Wadsworth 20 $34,000 Brad H. Cox Godolphin bypassing Classic Legacy 19 $45,000 William I. Mott Bruce Lunsford bypassing Curly Jack 17 $348,120 Thomas M. Amoss Michael McLoughlin bypassing One in Vermillion 15 $178,143 Esteban Martinez Jonathan Kalman bypassing Henry Q 15 $119,400 Todd Fincher The Del Mar Group bypassing Fort Bragg 15 $59,900 Tim Yakteen SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert E. Masterson, Stonestreet Stables, Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital & Catherine Donovan bypassing Shadow Dragon 13 $77,520 William I. Mott Peachtree Stable bypassing Denington 12 $61,860 Kenneth G. McPeek Fern Circle Stables & Magdalena Racing not nominated How Did He Do That 11 $100,100 Steven M. Asmussen J. Kirk & Judy Robison bypassing Victory Formation 10 $156,750 Brad H. Cox Spendthrift Farm & Frank Fletcher Racing Operations Inc. bypassing Dubyuhnell 10 $137,500 Danny Gargan West Paces Racing & Stonestreet Stables bypassingBypass Go Soldier Go 10 $132,062 Fawzi Abdulla Victorious injuredBypass Hejazi 10 $118,500 Tim Yakteen Zedan Racing Stables bypassing Lugan Knight 10 $83,625 Michael J. McCarthy BG Stables bypassing Chase the Chaos 10 $81,500 Ed Moger Jr. Adam Ference & Bill Dory bypassing Classic Catch 10 $30,000 Todd A. Pletcher Whisper Hill Farm bypassing Tapit's Conquest 10 $26,000 Brad H. Cox Robert V. LaPenta, e Five Racing Thor. & Madaket Stables not nominated Airtime 10 $18,750 Robertino Diodoro Randy Howg injuredBypass Eyeing Clover 10 $18,000 Brad H. Cox Ten Strike Racing, Michael E. Kisber & Colin Reed bypassing Prairie Hawk 10 $17,500 Saffie Joseph Jr. Peachtree Stable & WinStar Farm not nominatedBypass Maker's Candy 10 $14,400 Michael J. Maker Paradise Farms, David Staudacher, Maxis Stable & Gata Racing Stable bypassing Scoobie Quando 8 $117,700 Ben Colebrook Andrew N. & Rania Warren not nominated Groveland 8 $40,000 Eoin Harty Godolphin not nominated Bromley 8 $18,300 Paulo Lobo OXO Equine bypassing Hayes Strike 7 $168,250 Kenneth G. McPeek Dixiana Farm bypassing Andiamo a Firenze 7 $72,000 Kelly J. Breen Mr. Amore Stable injuredBypass Frosted Departure 6 $222,112 Kenneth G. McPeek C&H Diamond Racing & Magdalena Racing bypassing West Coast Cowboy 6 $34,250 Saffie Joseph Jr. Gentry Farms bypassing Bourbon Bash 5 $33,750 D. Wayne Lukas BC Stables bypassing Clear the Air 5 $24,500 Will Walden Cypress Creek Equine bypassing Single Ruler 5 $8,000 Keith Desormeaux Rocker O Ranch injured Loggins 4 $106,500 Brad H. Cox Spendthrift Farm, Steve Landers Racing, Martin S. Schwartz, Michael Dubb, Ten Strike Racing, Jim Bakke, Titletown Racing Stables, Kueber Racing, Big Easy Racing & Winners Win injuredBypass Honed 4 $65,700 Kenneth G. McPeek Three Chimneys Farm & Magdalena Racing injuredBypass Legacy Isle 4 $44,325 Rohan Crichton Daniel L. Walters, Dennis G. Smith, Anthony Smith & Rohan Crichton injuredBypass Moon Landing 4 $6,150 Kevin Attard Robert V. LaPenta, e Five Racing Thoroughbreds & Madaket Stables injuredBypass Gulfport 3 $267,070 Steven M. Asmussen William L. & Corinne Heiligbrodt, Jackpot Farm, Whispering Oaks Farm & Coolmore Stud injuredBypass Tuskegee Airmen 3 $90,000 John C. Servis Cash Is King & LC Racing not nominated Echo Again 3 $48,625 Steven M. Asmussen Winchell Thoroughbreds bypassing Determinedly 3 $20,500 Mark E. Casse John C. Oxley not nominated Harcyn 3 $12,000 Steve Sherman Jerry Moss not nominated Packs a Wahlop 2 $196,000 Jeff Mullins Red Baron's Barn & Rancho Temescal not nominated Zydeceaux 2 $111,000 Ramon Minguet Stud Carmen Cristina not nominated Passarando 2 $64,450 Steven Specht Larry D. & Marianne Williams not nominated Prove Right 2 $37,375 James K. Chapman James K. Chapman & Stuart Tsujimoto bypassing Western Ghent 2 $37,325 D. Wayne Lukas Bob & Ann Ghent, Laurie & D. Wayne Lukas bypassing Il Miracolo 2 $26,535 Antonio Sano Alexandres not nominated Gunflash 2 $24,000 Karl Broberg Jerry Namy not nominated Quick To Accuse 2 $15,000 Horacio De Paz Rupp Racing injuredBypass Tall Boy 2 $12,000 Leandro Mora Calumet Farm bypassing Demolition Duke 2 $11,250 Brad H. Cox Thrash & Payne injuredBypass Neural Network 2 $9,000 Chad C. Brown Klaravich Stables bypassing Miranda Rights 2 $4,290 Mark E. Casse D. J. Stable not nominated Andthewinneris 1 $248,363 Wayne Catalano Susan Moulton not nominated Campfire Creed 1 $77,000 Danny Pish Dennis E. Foster not nominated Midnight Trouble 1 $35,000 Peter R. Walder Paradise Farm Corp., David Staudacher & Peter R. Walder not nominated Man Child 1 $30,000 Ryan Hanson California Racing Partners, Ciaglia Racing, Michelle Hanson, Richard C. Pearson, Timothy J. Husted & Robert Drenk bypassing Champions Dream 1 $20,000 Danny Gargan Rosedown Racing Stables Legend:

Prep season Initial prep events Note: 1st=10 points; 2nd=4 points; 3rd=3 points; 4th=2 points; 5th=1 point (except the Breeders' Cup Juvenile: 1st=30 points; 2nd=12 points; 3rd=9 points; 4th=6 points; 5th=3 points)

The dates for most races shown below are based on the placement in the racing calendar from 2021/2022. Similarly, the purses shown below are based on the amounts from the previous year and will be updated when finalized.