Churchill Downs announced the 2024-25 Road to the Kentucky Derby on Friday, with a couple of key changes to the schedule of qualifying races for the May 3 classic.
As expected, the $500,000 Virginia Derby (G3) is a new addition to the list of scoring races where horses can earn points toward a Kentucky Derby bid. Historically a turf race at Colonial Downs, it will be staged for the final time according to those conditions on Saturday.
Beginning next year, the Virginia Derby will become a 1 1/8-mile test on dirt during a special four-day spring meet at Colonial. Its inaugural running as a Derby prep is scheduled for March 15, 2025, a time slot seven weeks ahead of the first Saturday in May. The only scoring race that weekend, the Virginia Derby will offer points on a 50-25-15-10-5 format to the top five finishers.
The UAE Derby (G2) on Dubai World Cup night, hitherto the only international race included on the domestic Road to the Kentucky Derby, is now transferred from the main schedule and onto a revamped Euro/Mideast Road to the Kentucky Derby.
Other alterations involve the allocation of points in the case of small fields for races belonging to the Championship Series, the decisive stage of preps from Feb. 15 on. If there are just five horses in a Championship Series race, only 75% of the points will be proportionally awarded. If four or fewer horses compete, they will be proportionally awarded 50% of the total points.
Kentucky Derby Prep Season (20 Races)
| Date | Race | Racetrack | Grade | Purse | Distance | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th |
| Sept. 14, 2024 | Iroquois | Churchill Downs | 3 | $300,000 | 1 Mile | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Oct. 5, 2024 | Champagne | Aqueduct | 1 | $500,000 | 1 Mile | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Oct. 5, 2024 | Breeders’ Futurity | Keeneland | 1 | $600,000 | 1 1/16 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Oct. 5, 2024 | American Pharoah | Snata Anita | 1 | $300,000 | 1 1/16 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Oct. 27, 2024 | Street Sense | Churchill Downs | 3 | $200,000 | 1 1/16 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Nov. 1, 2024 | Breeders’ Cup Juvenile | Del Mar | 1 | $2,000,000 | 1 1/16 | 30 | 15 | 9 | 6 | 3 |
| Nov. 30, 2024 | Kentucky Jockey Club | Churchill Downs | 2 | $400,000 | 1 1/16 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Dec. 7, 2024 | Remsen | Aqueduct | 2 | $250,000 | 1 1/8 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Dec. 13, 2024 | Remington Springboard Mile | Remington Park | $300,000 | 1 Mile | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| Dec. 14, 2024 | Los Alamitos Futurity | Los Alamitos | 2 | $200,000 | 1 1/16 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Dec. 21, 2024 | Gun Runner | Fair Grounds | $100,000 | 1 1/16 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| Jan. 4, 2025 | Smarty Jones | Oaklawn Park | $250,000 | 1 1/16 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| Jan. 4, 2025 | Jerome | Aqueduct | $150,000 | 1 Mile | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| Jan. 18, 2025 | Lecomte | Fair Grounds | 3 | $250,000 | 1 1/16 | 20 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 2 |
| Jan. 25, 2025 | Southwest | Oaklawn Park | 3 | $1,000,000 | 1 1/16 | 20 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 2 |
| Feb. 1, 2025 | Holy Bull | Gulfstream Park | 3 | $250,000 | 1 1/16 | 20 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 2 |
| Feb. 1, 2025 | Robert B. Lewis | Santa Anita | 3 | $200,000 | 1 Mile | 20 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 2 |
| Feb. 1, 2025 | Withers | Aqueduct | 3 | $250,000 | 1 1/8 | 20 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 2 |
| Feb. 8, 2025 | Sam F. Davis | Tampa Bay Downs | 3 | $250,000 | 1 1/16 | 20 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 2 |
| Feb. 22, 2025 | John Battaglia Memorial | Turfway Park | $150,000 | 1 1/16 | 20 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 2 |
The rule regarding four- or five-horse fields applies to the Championship Series on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks as well. Parallel to the switch of the Virginia Derby, the Virginia Oaks will likewise morph into a dirt race on March 15 with the same points structure. But the UAE Oaks at Meydan will still provide an opportunity for international fillies to qualify for the May 2 Kentucky Oaks (G1).
Kentucky Derby Championship Series (16 Races)
| Date | Race | Racetrack | Grade | Purse | Distance | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th |
| Feb. 15, 2024 | Risen Star | Fair Grounds | 2 | $500,000 | 1 1/8 | 50 | 25 | 15 | 10 | 5 |
| Feb. 16, 2024 | Sunland Derby | Sunland Park | 3 | $400,000 | 1 1/16 | 20 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 2 |
| Feb. 22, 2024 | Rebel | Oaklawn Park | 2 | $1,250,000 | 1 1/16 | 50 | 25 | 15 | 10 | 5 |
| March 1, 2025 | Gotham | Aqueduct | 3 | $300,000 | 1 Mile | 50 | 25 | 15 | 10 | 5 |
| March 1, 2025 | Fountain of Youth | Gulfstream Park | 2 | $400,000 | 1 1/16 | 50 | 25 | 15 | 10 | 5 |
| March 2, 2025 | San Felipe | Santa Anita | 2 | $400,000 | 1 1/16 | 50 | 25 | 15 | 10 | 5 |
| March 8, 2025 | Tampa Bay Derby | Tampa Bay Downs | 3 | $400,000 | 1 1/16 | 50 | 25 | 15 | 10 | 5 |
| March 15, 2025 | Virginia Derby | Colonial Downs | $500,000 | 1 1/8 | 50 | 25 | 15 | 10 | 5 | |
| March 22, 2025 | Jeff Ruby Steaks | Turfway Park | 3 | $700,000 | 1 1/8 M (AW) | 100 | 50 | 25 | 15 | 10 |
| March 22, 2025 | Louisiana Derby | Fair Grounds | 2 | $1,000,000 | 1 3/16 | 100 | 50 | 25 | 15 | 10 |
| March 29, 2025 | Florida Derby | Gulfstream Park | 1 | $1,000,000 | 1 1/8 | 100 | 50 | 25 | 15 | 10 |
| March 29, 2025 | Arkansas Derby | Oaklawn Park | 1 | $1,500,000 | 1 1/8 | 100 | 50 | 25 | 15 | 10 |
| April 5, 2025 | Wood Memorial | Aqueduct | 2 | $750,000 | 1 1/8 | 100 | 50 | 25 | 15 | 10 |
| April 5, 2025 | Blue Grass | Keeneland | 1 | $1,000,000 | 1 1/8 | 100 | 50 | 25 | 15 | 10 |
| April 5, 2025 | Santa Anita Derby | Santa Anita | 1 | $750,000 | 1 1/8 | 100 | 50 | 25 | 15 | 10 |
| April 12, 2025 | Lexington | Keeneland | 3 | $400,000 | 1 1/16 | 20 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 2 |
The UAE Derby will serve as the climax of the retooled Euro/Mideast Road. Still worth the maximum number of points to the top five finishers, on a sliding scale of 100-50-25-15-10, the UAE Derby will be held on April 5.
The European segment is mostly the same, except for the dropping of what had been the series finale, the Cardinal Conditions race at Chelmsford. Although it no longer carries Derby points, the Cardinal retains a link to Derby Day by giving the winner an automatic entry to the American Turf (G2) on the undercard.
The new Euro/Mideast Road will offer two Kentucky Derby invitations to the points leaders. That makes a total of three allotments for international participants, including the horse who qualifies via the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby. The Japan Road terms remain the same.
2024-2025 Euro / Mideast Road to the Kentucky Derby Schedule (7 Races)
| Date | Race | Racetrack | Grade | Purse | Distance | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th |
| Sept 28, 2024 | Juddmonte Royal Lodge | Newmarket (GB) | 2 | $150,055 | 1 Mile (Turf) | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Sept 28, 2024 | Montane Developements Beresford | Curragh (IRE) | 2 | $120,103 | 1 Mile (Turf) | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Oct. 6, 2024 | Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere | Longchamp (FR) | 1 | $423,206 | 7 furlongs (Turf) | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Oct. 26, 2024 | Furturity Trophy | Doncaster (GB) | 1 | $256,985 | 1 Mile (Turf) | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Feb. 26, 2025 | Road to the Kentucky Derby Condition Stakes | Kempton (GB) | $73,360 | 1 Mile (All-Weather) | 20 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 2 | |
| Feb. 28, 2025 | Patton | Dundalk (IRE) | $37,602 | 1 Mile (All-Weather) | 20 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 2 | |
| April 5, 2025 | UAE Derby | Meydan Racecourse | 2 | $1,000,000 | 1 3/16 Mile | 100 | 50 | 25 | 15 | 10 |
A maximum of 20 horses can start in the Kentucky Derby, and preference is determined by their standing on the leaderboard.
The main Road to the Kentucky Derby kicks off with the Sept. 14 Iroquois (G3) during the opening weekend of Churchill’s September Meet.
2024-2025 Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby Schedule (4 Races)
| Date | Race | Racetrack | Grade | Purse | Distance | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th |
| Nov. 23, 2024 | Cattleya | Tokyo (JRA) | $206,827 | 1 Mile | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| Dec. 11, 2024 | Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun | Kawasaki (NAR) | $490,927 | 1 Mile | 20 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 2 | |
| Feb. 16, 2025 | Hyacinth | Tokyo (JRA) | $243,354 | 1 Mile | 30 | 15 | 9 | 6 | 3 | |
| March 22, 2025 | Fukuryu | Nakayama (JRA) | $228,138 | 1 1/8 | 40 | 20 | 12 | 8 | 4 |
