Kentucky Derby is one of the US’s most illustrious horse racing competitions. Its first race took place at Churchill Downs TaceTrack, Kentucky. Horseracing fans around the US and abroad would flock to the venue annually every first Saturday of May.
The Kentucky Derby, dubbed “The Run for the Roses,” is the first leg of the legendary Triple Crown. It is followed by the Preakness Stakes, held in the middle of May, and the Belmont Stakes early in June.
Being the first segment of the Triple Crown Series, Kentucky Derby would feature 20 tough horses that conquered qualifying races and made headlines in the earlier months. To give you a preview of these prep races, check out our list below.
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile
For the record, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile is the richest two-year-old race in entire North America. It’s an 11/16-mile race that would award 30 qualifying points for the winner, 12 for the second placer, 6 for the third placer, and 3 for the fourth placer.
The Breeder’s Cup Juvenile happened last November 30, 2022, at Keeneland, Lexington, Kentucky, hailing Forte as the champion. The winning horse was ridden by the iconic multiple-graded stakes-winning jockey Irad Ortiz.
Forte earned 30 qualifying points for his win and is now considered one of the leading Derby picks for 2023. Meanwhile, the horses in second to fifth place earned 12, 9, 6, and 3 points, respectively.
Horse racing fans know the “Juvenile Jinx,” which denotes the curse that no horse would win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and the Kentucky Derby. However, in the 2006-2007 season, the colt Street Sense ultimately crushed the jinx.
He won the Juvenile with a record-breaking ten lengths and later conquered the Kentucky Derby with an adrenaline rush in the last quarter-mile, beating the leading horse, hard Spun.
Holy Bull Stakes
The first prep race a Kentucky Derby Aspirant would have to conquer is the Holy Bull Stakes. It’s a prep race for three-year-olds in Gulfstream Park, Hallandale Beach, Florida, every late-January or early-February every year. The title “Holy Bull” was inspired by the name of the Hall of Fame icon Holy Bull.
The legendary horses who have dominated the Holy Bull Stakes were Barbaro, Go for Gin, Booklet, Itsmyluckyday, and Hal’s Hope, among many others.
In the recent race, last February 4, was Rocket Can. The three-year-old colt earned 20 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby. The second placer would earn 8 points, 4 points for the third placer, and 2 points for the fourth placer.
Risen Star Stakes
Raced at 1 1/8 miles, the Risen Star Stakes would feature a Grade II event for three-year-olds at Fair Grounds, New Orleans, Los Angeles. The race was held last February 18, 2023, and was won by Angel of Empire, who won 50 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby. The other winning horses in second to fifth place will earn 20-15-10-5 points, respectively.
The Risen Stars Stakes has not yet produced the horse to dominate the Kentucky Derby. However, two horses participated in the race, eventually dominating the Run for the Roses.
These horses were War Emblem, who came in sixth at the Risen Star Stakes, and Country House, who came in second in the race.
Florida Derby
The first Florida Derby happened in 1952, hailing Sky Ship as the winning runner. Since its inauguration, 15 horses have won Kentucky Derby after dominating Florida Derby. This means that this race is a premier producer of champion Thoroughbreds.
Since 2015, the race has been held annually five weeks before the Kentucky Derby at Gulfstream Park. In its most recent season, last April 2, White Abarrio claimed the title as the champion. White Abarrio earned 100 qualifying points for the win, while the top-performing horses in second to fifth place secured 20-30-20-10 points, respectively.
Santa Anita Derby
Santa Anita Derby was inaugurated in 1935, shortly after Santa Anita Park, Arcadia, California, opened. It features a $400,000 purse run over 11/8 miles on dirt.
The most decorated decade for the race is the 1950s when three horses who conquered the race also prevailed in the Kentucky Derby. These legendary horses were Hill Gail, Determine, and Swaps, who claimed victory in Kentucky Derby in 1952, 1954, and 1955.
The Santa Anita Derby is set to happen this April 8, 2023, at Churchill Downs. The winning horse will earn 100 points, a privilege to enter the Kentucky Derby lineup. The rest of the top five winners will earn 40, 30, 20, and 10 qualifying points.
Louisiana Derby
Louisiana Derby’s inaugural race was held in 1894 in New Orleans. It’s been 129 years since its foundation, and today, it boasts a $1 million purse, attracting the top thoroughbreds worldwide. Grindstones, Risen Star, and Friesan Fire were the most notable names who participated in the race.
The 2023 Louisiana Derby will happen this March 25 at Fair Grounds. The top five performing horses will be awarded 100-20-30-20-20 qualifying points.
Final Thoughts
Fans also know the Kentucky Derby as the “fastest two minutes in sports.” While the moment is short-lived, the exhilarating experience is what makes it the most sought-after horse racing event to have ever existed. It will only take a short time to proclaim the winner, but the prep races are crucial to every contender’s journey.
Keeping track of these races, knowing the victors, and closely observing the performance of the winning equines in these prep races is a strategy for ultimately predicting the champion of the Run for the Roses.
