The 2027 Road to the Kentucky Derby is a series of races through which horses qualified for the 2027 Kentucky Derby, which will be held on May 1. 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, the Japan Road consisting of four races in Japan, and the Euro/MidEast road consisting of seven races in England, Ireland, United Arab Emirates 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 2027, the main Road to the Kentucky Derby resembled the 2026 Road to the Kentucky Derby, consisting of 36 races, with 20 races for the Kentucky Derby Prep Season and 16 races for the Kentucky Derby Championship Season with the following changes: With the closing of Aqueduct Racetrack events that were held at that track are scheduled to be held at Belmont Park. These include all NYRA events.
Standings The following table shows the points earned in the eligible races for the main series. RankHorsePointsEarningsTrainerOwnerRef 1 Hughes 10 $450,000 Bob Baffert Front Row Club, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Bashor Racing, Albaugh Family Stables, Robert E. Masterson, Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital & Catherine Donovan 2 10 $397,963 Todd A. Pletcher WinStar Farm, First Go Racing & China Horse Club 3 U. S. S. Valor 10 $275,000 Team Valor International 4 Salahudin 10 $232,660 Bob Baffert Zedan Racing Stables 5 Coach Pope 5 $128,375 Kenneth G. McPeek Gainesway Stable, Shamrock Stables & Michael J. Mackin 6 He Is No Lie 5 $112,050 Doug F. O'Neill Purple Rein Racing & Mark D. Davis 7 Gaudreau 5 $100,000 Chad C. Brown Tanglewood Thoroughbreds, Thirty Year Racing, Bradley Thoroughbreds, Rodeo Creek Racing, Laura Leigh Stable & Swift Thoroughbreds 8 Net Par 5 $60,000 Antonio Garcia Reddam Racing 9 Q B Rocket 3 $64,188 Brad H. Cox Spendthrift Farm & Frank Fletcher Racing Operations 10 Club Reign 3 $60,000 D. Whitworth Beckman Ribble Farms, Three Brand Racing & Walmac Farm 11 Imperial Honor 3 $36,000 Bob Baffert Karl Watson, Michael E. Pegram & Paul Weitman 12 Caribbean Life 3 $29,550 William Walden China Horse Club 13 Domus 2 $36,000 Bob Baffert Baoma Corporation 14 Title Worthy 2 $32,093 Dallas Stewart Commonwealth Stable, Rivers Thoroughbreds, On Our Own Stable & Dallas Stewart 15 Earth Song 2 $30,000 Jorge Delgado Amo Racing USA 16 Real Goodbar 2 $14,775 Kenneth G. McPeek Bayview Stables, Mark Edwards & Mike Trout 17 Johnny Hockey 1 $28,000 Antonio Arriaga Conover Stable 18 Jaded 1 $19,256 Mark E. Casse D. J. Stable 19 Real Gone 1 $8,865 Patrick Biancone KMN Racing 20 Emancipate 1 $6,000 Doug F. O'Neill Cicero Farms
Legend:
Prep season Initial prep events Note: 1st=10 points; 2nd=5 points; 3rd=3 points; 4th=2 points; 5th=1 point (except the Breeders' Cup Juvenile: 1st=30 points; 2nd=15 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 2025/2026. Similarly, the purses shown below are based on the amounts from the previous year and will be updated when finalized.
RaceDistancePurseGradeTrackDate1st2nd3rd4th5thRefIroquois1 mile$300,000 3Churchill DownsSep 12 2026 Salahudin He Is No Lie Caribbean Life Real Goodbar Real GoneChampagne1 mile$500,000 1Belmont ParkOct 3 2026 U.S.S. Valor Gaudreau Club Reign Earth SongJohnny Hockey Breeders' Futurity miles$648,125 1KeenelandOct 3 2026 American History Coach Pope Q B Rocket Title Worthy Jaded American Pharoah miles$300,500 1Santa Anita ParkOct 3 2026 Hughes Net Par Imperial Honor Domus EmancipateStreet Sense miles$200,000 3Churchill DownsOct 25 2026 Breeders' Cup Juvenile miles$2,000,000 1KeenelandOct 30 2026 Kentucky Jockey Club miles$400,0002Churchill DownsNov 28 2026 Remsen miles$250,0002Belmont ParkDec 5 2026 Los Alamitos Futurity miles$200,0002Los AlamitosDec 12 2026 Springboard Mile1 mile$300,000 Remington ParkDec 19 2026 Gun Runner Stakes miles$100,000 Fair GroundsDec 19 2026 Smarty Jones1 mile$300,0003Oaklawn ParkJan 2 2027 Jerome1 mile$150,000Belmont ParkJan 2 2027
Select prep events Note: 1st=20 points; 2nd=10 points; 3rd=6 points; 4th=4 points; 5th=2 points RaceDistancePurseGradeTrackDate1st2nd3rd4th5thRefLecomte miles$250,0003Fair GroundsJan 16 2027 Holy Bull1 mile$300,0003Gulfstream ParkJan 30 2027 Withers miles$200,000ListedBelmont ParkJan 30 2027 Robert B. Lewis1 mile $100,0003Santa Anita ParkJan 30 2027 Southwest miles$1,000,0003Oaklawn ParkFeb 6 2027 Sam F. Davis Stakes miles$200,000ListedTampa Bay DownsFeb 6 2027 Sunland Park Derby miles$500,000ListedSunland ParkFeb 14 2027 John Battaglia Memorial Stakes miles$175,000ListedTurfway ParkFeb 27 2027
Championship series events
First leg of series Note: 1st=50 points; 2nd=25 points; 3rd=15 points; 4th=10 points; 5th=5 points
Second leg of series These races are the major preps for the Kentucky Derby, and are thus weighted more heavily.
Note: 1st=100 points; 2nd=50 points; 3rd=25 points; 4th=15 points; 5th=10 points
with the exception of the Lexington Stakes; 1st=20 points; 2nd=10 points; 3rd=6 points; 4th=4 points; 5th=2 points
Euro/Mideast Road to the Kentucky Derby
The Euro/Mideast Road to the Kentucky Derby is designed on a similar basis to the Japan Road and is intended to provide a place in the Derby starting gate to the top two finishers in the series. If the connections of that horse decline the invitation, their place is offered to the second-place finisher and so on. If none of the top four accept, this place in the starting gate reverts to the horses on the main road to the Derby.
The series consists of ten races – In Europe four events run on the turf in late 2026 when the horses are age two, plus two races run on a synthetic surface in early 2027. The last four events are in the Middle East including the Group 2 UAE Derby.
RaceDistanceTrackDate1st2nd3rd4th5thRefRoyal Lodge Stakes 1 mile Newmarket Sep 25 2026 Haffner Burning Up Quicken Away First Law Quest For Stars Beresford Stakes 1 mile The Curragh Sep 26 2026 Noble Exhibit City Of Dubai Drumbeat Shakespeare Tommy Quick Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère 1,400 metres(about 7 furlongs) Longchamp Oct 4 2026 Amusingly Folsom Blues Man's Best Friend Florida Bay Aix La Chapelle Futurity Trophy 1 mile Doncaster Oct 24 2026 UAE 2000 Guineas 1,600 metres(about 1 mile) MeydanJan 22 2027 Saudi Derby 1,600 metres(about 1 mile) King AbdulazizRacetrackFeb 6 2027 Dubai Road to the Kentucky Derby Stakes 1,900 metres(about miles) MeydanFeb 19 2027 European Road to the Kentucky DerbyConditions Stakes 1 mile Kempton Park Feb 24 2027 Patton Stakes 1 mileDundalkFeb 26 2027 UAE Derby 1,900 metres(about miles) MeydanMar 27 2027 Note: the four races in 2025 for two-year-olds: 1st=10 points; 2nd=5 points; 3rd=3 points; 4th=2 points; 5th=1 point the European Road to the Kentucky Derby Conditions Stakes, Patton Stakes, UAE Two Thousand Guineas, Dubai Road to the Kentucky Derby Stakes: 1st=20 points; 2nd=10 points; 3rd=6 points; 4th=4 points; 5th=2 points the Saudi Derby: 1st=30 points; 2nd=15 points; 3rd=9 points; 4th=6 points; 5th=3 points the UAE Derby: 1st=100 points; 2nd=50 points; 3rd=25 points; 4th=15 points; 5th=10 points ƒ Filly
Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby
The Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby is intended to provide a place in the Derby starting gate to the top finisher in the series. If the connections of that horse decline the invitation, their place is offered to the second-place finisher and so on through the top five finishers.
Notes
References