With the Run for the Roses now just a few months away, let’s take a look at how the field is shaping up, and which contenders are doing what. There are a number of big prep races ahead and the new points system is in play, so the excitement level grows – as does the … Read Full Story
Derby Prep Races – Lewis, Davis & Withers Stakes
The annual Run for the Roses is set for Saturday, May 4 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY – and while that might seem like an awfully long ways away, it doesn’t mean pundits aren’t already busy handicapping the ponies in advance of the most exciting two minutes in sports. This weekend, there are three … Read Full Story
The Kentucky Derby Championship Series – Part 6
After all the major Kentucky Derby prep races have been run, there will be two more chances for horses to collect points and qualify for the Run for the Roses. The new points system includes a “Wild Card” round; horses who win either of the following two races will earn 20 points, with eight points … Read Full Story
The Kentucky Derby Championship Series – Part 5
If you’re training a horse for the Kentucky Derby, do you go for maximum points on the second leg of the Kentucky Derby Championship Series? That might depend on how well your horse does in the earlier prep races. In theory, you could point your horse at one of the three March 30 events, then … Read Full Story
The Kentucky Derby Championship Series – Part 4
Once the Road to the Kentucky Derby has made its overseas visit to the United Arab Emirates, it’s back stateside for the remaining five races on the second leg of the Kentucky Derby Championship Series. The next three races will take horse lovers on a whirlwind tour of Louisiana, New York and California. Make sure … Read Full Story
The Kentucky Derby Championship Series – Part 3
Now that we’ve got those 50-point Kentucky Derby prep races out of the way, it’s time for the big horses to come out and play. The second leg of the Kentucky Derby Championship Series gets underway March 30; each of these races is worth 100 points for the victor, 40 points for second place, 20 … Read Full Story
The Kentucky Derby Championship Series – Part 2
Our look at the biggest prep races on the Road to the Kentucky Derby continues with the final three races on the first leg of the Championship Series. Each of these races will hand out 50 points to the winning horse. We begin in Arkansas, where trainer Bob Baffert has enjoyed plenty of success in … Read Full Story
The Kentucky Derby Championship Series – Part 1
Back in the olden days of horse racing – before 2013 – the Kentucky Derby chose its field of up to 20 horses based on their earnings at graded stakes races. There were well over 150 such races from which to choose; the most prestigious Kentucky Derby prep races also had the largest purses, thus … Read Full Story
Recent Winners of Derby Prep Races – Part Two
Our look at the recent winners on the Road to the Kentucky Derby continues with the fallout from the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, won by Shanghai Bobby as he extended his winning streak to 5-0. In this section, we cover the remainder of the 2-year-old races, and we finish with the first Kentucky Derby prep of … Read Full Story
Recent Winners of Derby Prep Races – Part 1
As we mentioned in our guide on how to bet on the Kentucky Derby, the best predictor we have available is how the horses performed in their races leading up to the big one – preferably races that are also on dirt, and as close to 1 1/4 miles as possible. With that in mind, … Read Full Story