Road to the 2022 Kentucky Derby
For the tenth consecutive year, Churchill Downs is using a points-based series of qualifying races to determine invitations to the Kentucky Derby. Over the course of a 20-race Prep Season and a 16-race Championship Series, top jockeys, trainers, and thoroughbreds compete to enter America's most famous horse race.Last year's format will also again apply to the independent racing series in Japan and Europe to qualify for the Derby. The points leaders from both the 4-race "Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby," and the 7-race "European Road to the Kentucky Derby" will earn invitations to the 147th Run for the Roses.
Find the full schedule and links to race pages for the Kentucky Derby Prep Season, the Kentucky Derby Championship Series, the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby, and the European Road to the Kentucky Derby below.
2021-22 Kentucky Derby Prep Season - 20 Races
On September 18th, 2021 at the Grade III Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs, the long Road to the Kentucky Derby began. Over the course of 20 races running through mid-February, the greatest thoroughbreds from the U.S. and around the globe compete in a points-based system to qualify for the 2022 Kentucky Derby. With the exception of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (20-8-4-2), all races award the 1st through 4th place finishers 10, 4, 2, and 1 point(s) respectively.| DATE | RACE | TRACK | DISTANCE | POINTS (1st-4th) | WINNER |
|---|
Sept. 5 | Churchill Downs | 1 1/16 Miles | 10-4-2-1 | Sittin On Go | |
Sept. 26 | Santa Anita | 1 1/16 Miles | 10-4-2-1 | Get Her Number | |
Oct. 3 | Keeneland | 1 1/16 Miles | 10-4-2-1 | Essential Quality | |
Oct. 10 | Belmont Park | 1 Mile | 10-4-2-1 | Jackie's Warrior | |
Nov. 6 | Del Mar | 1 1/16 Miles | 20-8-4-2 | Essential Quality | |
Nov. 28 | Churchill Downs | 1 1/16 Miles | 10-4-2-1 | Keepmeinmind | |
Dec. 5 | Aqueduct | 1 1/8 Miles | 10-4-2-1 | Brooklyn Strong | |
Dec. 18 | Remington Park | 1 Mile | 10-4-2-1 | Señor Buscador | |
Dec. 19 | Los Alamitos | 1 1/16 Miles | 10-4-2-1 | Spielberg | |
Jan. 1 | Aqueduct | 1 Mile 70 Yards | 10-4-2-1 | Capo Kane | |
Jan. 2 | Santa Anita | 1 Mile | 10-4-2-1 | Life Is Good | |
Jan. 16 | Fair Grounds | 1 Mile 70 Yards | 10-4-2-1 | Midnight Bourbon | |
Jan. 22 | Oaklawn Park | 1 Mile | 10-4-2-1 | TBD | |
Feb. 1 | Gulfstream Park | 1 1/16 Miles | 10-4-2-1 | TBD | |
Feb. 6 | Santa Anita | 1 1/16 Miles | 10-4-2-1 | TBD | |
Feb. 6 | Aqueduct | 1 1/16 Miles | 10-4-2-1 | TBD | |
Feb. 6 | Tampa Bay Downs | 1 1/16 Miles | 10-4-2-1 | TBD | |
Feb. 6 | John Battaglia Memorial | Turfway Park | 1 1/16 miles | 10-4-2-1 | TBD |
Feb. 13 | Golden Gate | 1 1/8 Miles (S) | 10-4-2-1 | TBD | |
Feb. 15 | Oaklawn Park | 1 1/16 Miles | 10-4-2-1 | TBD |
2022 Kentucky Derby Championship Series - 16 Races
Recent form is rewarded more generously as the Kentucky Derby Championship Series runs from mid-February to mid-April. Most of these qualifying events award points at a 50-20-10-5 or 100-40-20-10 point breakdown to the 1st through 4th place finishers. These 16 races define the bulk of the Kentucky Derby field, as the weeks countdown to the "Fastest 2 minutes in sports."
| DATE | RACE | TRACK | DISTANCE | POINTS (1st-4th) | WINNER |
|---|
Sept. 5 | Churchill Downs | 1 1/16 Miles | 10-4-2-1 | Sittin On Go | |
Sept. 26 | Santa Anita | 1 1/16 Miles | 10-4-2-1 | Get Her Number | |
Oct. 3 | Keeneland | 1 1/16 Miles | 10-4-2-1 | Essential Quality | |
Oct. 10 | Belmont Park | 1 Mile | 10-4-2-1 | Jackie's Warrior | |
Nov. 6 | Del Mar | 1 1/16 Miles | 20-8-4-2 | Essential Quality | |
Nov. 28 | Churchill Downs | 1 1/16 Miles | 10-4-2-1 | Keepmeinmind | |
Dec. 5 | Aqueduct | 1 1/8 Miles | 10-4-2-1 | Brooklyn Strong | |
Dec. 18 | Remington Park | 1 Mile | 10-4-2-1 | Señor Buscador | |
Dec. 19 | Los Alamitos | 1 1/16 Miles | 10-4-2-1 | Spielberg | |
Jan. 1 | Aqueduct | 1 Mile 70 Yards | 10-4-2-1 | Capo Kane | |
Jan. 2 | Santa Anita | 1 Mile | 10-4-2-1 | Life Is Good | |
Jan. 16 | Fair Grounds | 1 Mile 70 Yards | 10-4-2-1 | Midnight Bourbon | |
Jan. 22 | Oaklawn Park | 1 Mile | 10-4-2-1 | TBD | |
Feb. 1 | Gulfstream Park | 1 1/16 Miles | 10-4-2-1 | TBD | |
Feb. 6 | Santa Anita | 1 1/16 Miles | 10-4-2-1 | TBD | |
Feb. 6 | Aqueduct | 1 1/16 Miles | 10-4-2-1 | TBD | |
Feb. 6 | Tampa Bay Downs | 1 1/16 Miles | 10-4-2-1 | TBD | |
Feb. 6 | John Battaglia Memorial | Turfway Park | 1 1/16 miles | 10-4-2-1 | TBD |
Feb. 13 | Golden Gate | 1 1/8 Miles (S) | 10-4-2-1 | TBD | |
Feb. 15 | Oaklawn Park | 1 1/16 Miles | 10-4-2-1 | TBD |
2021-22 Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby
One position at the starting gate of the 148th Kentucky Derby will be granted to the winner of this year's “Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby.” This 4-race series is a separate sequence of races, independent from America’s 35-race “Road to the Kentucky Derby” series. The series concludes with the 1 1/8-mile Fukuyru on March 28th at Nakayama Racecourse. That final race awards 40-16-8-4 points to the top four placings, and is likely to be a major factor in determining the winning horse for the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby.
| DATE | RACE | TRACK | DISTANCE | POINTS (1st-4th) | WINNER |
|---|
Sept. 5 | Churchill Downs | 1 1/16 Miles | 10-4-2-1 | Sittin On Go | |
Sept. 26 | Santa Anita | 1 1/16 Miles | 10-4-2-1 | Get Her Number | |
Oct. 3 | Keeneland | 1 1/16 Miles | 10-4-2-1 | Essential Quality | |
Oct. 10 | Belmont Park | 1 Mile | 10-4-2-1 | Jackie's Warrior | |
Nov. 6 | Del Mar | 1 1/16 Miles | 20-8-4-2 | Essential Quality | |
Nov. 28 | Churchill Downs | 1 1/16 Miles | 10-4-2-1 | Keepmeinmind | |
Dec. 5 | Aqueduct | 1 1/8 Miles | 10-4-2-1 | Brooklyn Strong | |
Dec. 18 | Remington Park | 1 Mile | 10-4-2-1 | Señor Buscador | |
Dec. 19 | Los Alamitos | 1 1/16 Miles | 10-4-2-1 | Spielberg | |
Jan. 1 | Aqueduct | 1 Mile 70 Yards | 10-4-2-1 | Capo Kane | |
Jan. 2 | Santa Anita | 1 Mile | 10-4-2-1 | Life Is Good | |
Jan. 16 | Fair Grounds | 1 Mile 70 Yards | 10-4-2-1 | Midnight Bourbon | |
Jan. 22 | Oaklawn Park | 1 Mile | 10-4-2-1 | TBD | |
Feb. 1 | Gulfstream Park | 1 1/16 Miles | 10-4-2-1 | TBD | |
Feb. 6 | Santa Anita | 1 1/16 Miles | 10-4-2-1 | TBD | |
Feb. 6 | Aqueduct | 1 1/16 Miles | 10-4-2-1 | TBD | |
Feb. 6 | Tampa Bay Downs | 1 1/16 Miles | 10-4-2-1 | TBD | |
Feb. 6 | John Battaglia Memorial | Turfway Park | 1 1/16 miles | 10-4-2-1 | TBD |
Feb. 13 | Golden Gate | 1 1/8 Miles (S) | 10-4-2-1 | TBD | |
Feb. 15 | Oaklawn Park | 1 1/16 Miles | 10-4-2-1 | TBD |
2021-22 European Road to the Kentucky Derby
The "European Road to the Kentucky Derby", now in its fourth year, is a seven race, stand-alone series. The race will follow the same structure as last year, concluding in April of 2021 with the Cardinal Condition Stakes at the Chelmsford City racetrack.
| DATE | RACE | TRACK | DISTANCE | POINTS (1st-4th) | WINNER |
|---|
Sept. 5 | Churchill Downs | 1 1/16 Miles | 10-4-2-1 | Sittin On Go | |
Sept. 26 | Santa Anita | 1 1/16 Miles | 10-4-2-1 | Get Her Number | |
Oct. 3 | Keeneland | 1 1/16 Miles | 10-4-2-1 | Essential Quality | |
Oct. 10 | Belmont Park | 1 Mile | 10-4-2-1 | Jackie's Warrior | |
Nov. 6 | Del Mar | 1 1/16 Miles | 20-8-4-2 | Essential Quality | |
Nov. 28 | Churchill Downs | 1 1/16 Miles | 10-4-2-1 | Keepmeinmind | |
Dec. 5 | Aqueduct | 1 1/8 Miles | 10-4-2-1 | Brooklyn Strong | |
Dec. 18 | Remington Park | 1 Mile | 10-4-2-1 | Señor Buscador | |
Dec. 19 | Los Alamitos | 1 1/16 Miles | 10-4-2-1 | Spielberg | |
Jan. 1 | Aqueduct | 1 Mile 70 Yards | 10-4-2-1 | Capo Kane | |
Jan. 2 | Santa Anita | 1 Mile | 10-4-2-1 | Life Is Good | |
Jan. 16 | Fair Grounds | 1 Mile 70 Yards | 10-4-2-1 | Midnight Bourbon | |
Jan. 22 | Oaklawn Park | 1 Mile | 10-4-2-1 | TBD | |
Feb. 1 | Gulfstream Park | 1 1/16 Miles | 10-4-2-1 | TBD | |
Feb. 6 | Santa Anita | 1 1/16 Miles | 10-4-2-1 | TBD | |
Feb. 6 | Aqueduct | 1 1/16 Miles | 10-4-2-1 | TBD | |
Feb. 6 | Tampa Bay Downs | 1 1/16 Miles | 10-4-2-1 | TBD | |
Feb. 6 | John Battaglia Memorial | Turfway Park | 1 1/16 miles | 10-4-2-1 | TBD |
Feb. 13 | Golden Gate | 1 1/8 Miles (S) | 10-4-2-1 | TBD | |
Feb. 15 | Oaklawn Park | 1 1/16 Miles | 10-4-2-1 | TBD |