Churchill Downs | Horse Racing Free Tips

Asmussen Honored with KY Thoroughbred Owners’ Warner Jones Horseman of the Year Award

Steve Asmussen–who this year became Churchill Downs’ all-time win leader and only the second trainer to achieve 9,000 career victories–is the 2020 recipient of the Louisville-based Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners’ Warner L. Jones Jr. Horseman of the Year Award.

The award recognizes individuals for outstanding contributions to Kentucky racing and sharing the passion exemplified by Jones, who spent 50 years on the Churchill Downs board, including eight as chairman during the iconic track’s resurgence. Warner Jones–the first and so far only breeder of a Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks and Breeders’ Cup winner–was the inaugural award winner in 1988, six years before his death.

“Everything my whole family has is because of horse racing,” Asmussen said. “I won the Warner L. Jones Horseman of the Year Award–that has a beautiful ring to it. For anybody to be involved in horse racing, I think the greatest compliment you can be given is to be considered a horseman. It is what we strive for. It is something I, as well as my whole family, would be proud to be acknowledged as. The list of past recipients is beyond impressive and a group that I’m very proud to be a part of. That is cool.”

Through Dec. 2, Asmussen has won 9,104 races, trailing only the late Dale Baird’s 9,445. Those victories include training Horses of the Year Curlin (2007-2008), Rachel Alexandra (2009) and Gun Runner (2017).

Asmussen’s more than $342.7 million in career purse earnings are second all-time to Todd Pletcher’s $397 million, according to Equibase statistics. He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2016.

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Churchill Downs Releases 2021 Official Art of The Kentucky Derby

Churchill Downs released on Monday the 2021 “Official Art of the Kentucky Derby” by Breathitt County, Ky. artist Ralph Fugate.

Fugate's style of “impressionistic realism” utilizes bold, vibrant colors to capture the sheer beauty and power of the horse, the colorful silks, the enthusiasm of the crowd and the excitement of the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve and the Longines Kentucky Oaks.

2021 represents the fifth year in a row that Churchill Downs has tapped a talented Kentucky artist to capture the excitement of the Kentucky Derby and Oaks. Ralph Fugate is a self-taught professional sports artist specializing in Thoroughbred horse racing. As a child growing up in Eastern Kentucky, Fugate always loved to draw, but it wasn't until age 25 that he picked up a paintbrush for the first time. Having nurtured an interest in horses and horse racing throughout his life, the artist soon turned his creative passion into painting them.

Fugate's “Official Art of the Kentucky Derby” will be featured on the 2021 Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks official racing programs and a variety of merchandise, including Derby and Oaks 147 limited edition artist-signed and numbered posters with embossed and metallic ink treatments. Other merchandise featuring the artwork includes apparel, posters and postcards available at select retail outlets including the Kentucky Derby Museum and www.KentuckyDerbyStore.com.

The post Churchill Downs Releases 2021 Official Art of The Kentucky Derby appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The Week in Review: For Plesa, a Bittersweet Ending to Calder Saga

From a racing standpoint, there could not have been a more appropriate way for Calder to go out. There when the track ran its first ever race in 1971, trainer Eddie Plesa, Jr. won the last race run at the track that had been rebranded as Gulfstream Park West. Plesa won for the 1,326th time at Calder/GPW Saturday when Diligent (Temple City) won the final race that will ever be run at the South Florida racetrack.

“I didn’t ask anybody to put me in the last race. It just happened. Like it was meant to be,” said Plesa, a member of the Calder Hall of Fame.

It was an emotional day for Plesa, made even more so by the twist of fate that saw him win the final race. Calder wasn’t beautiful like Hialeah and the racing could never compare to Gulfstream, but to those who called it home, it was a special place where careers and great memories were made. That it is gone is hard to accept.

“To see it go, that’s life,” Plesa said. “But it’s like losing someone that was close to you. And I’m not the only one who feels that way.”

Plesa was working for his father, who had a string at the time for Fred W. Hooper, when Calder opened in 1971 and drew so many people for the first ever card that thousands of fans had to be turned away because the stands were filled to capacity. He would later take on the role of assistant racing secretary at Calder before opening up his own stable there. Calder is also where he me his wife, Laurie.

Over the years, Plesa has learned to accept change, and he knows that Calder is far from the first track to close in an era where it is hard to make a profit operating a racetrack. The hard part, for him, has been watching racing become so impersonal, much less of a sport than it was 1971 and, now, much more a business.

Calder was purchased in 1999 by Churchill Downs, a company where little else matters but the bottom line. When Churchill opened a casino at Calder in 2010, it needed racing because, without offering some sort of pari-mutuel wagering, it could not have a casino license. So eager to get out of the racing business in South Florida, Churchill entered into a six-year agreement in 2014 with the Stronach Group (TSG), the owners of Gulfstream. The Stronach Group would take over the racing operation at Calder, which was renamed Gulfstream Park West. Well before the lease expired, Churchill had the Calder grandstand torn down in 2015.

Some four years later and with the deal with the Stronach Group about to expire, Churchill made an argument to the state’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering that any form of pari-mutuel wagering would suffice when it came to the casino license. Churchill announced plans to go forward with a jai alia fronton, which is much less expensive to operate than a racetrack. Both the regulators and the courts signed off on their plan, which sealed Calder’s fate.

“Churchill Downs, they’re business oriented,” Plesa said. “But to a lot of people, horse racing isn’t a business, per se. The owners, they’re not in it to make money. They are in it because they enjoy the sport. They don’t want to lose a ton of money but, to them, this is not a business. For Churchill Downs, all that matters is the business aspect. So you have a clashing of cultures, so to speak. Who’s right and who’s wrong? It depends on what side of the fence you are sitting on.”

Sitting on the racing side of the fence, Plesa said Churchill did everything it could to run Calder into the ground.

“Absolutely, there is a lot of anger among the horsemen and it’s all directed at one company, Churchill Downs,” he said. “From my standpoint, they took a viable racetrack that was important, not just to South Florida, but to horse racing as a whole and they had no regard for it. To see what they did, there are many examples I can talk about. There was the time the escalator up to the second floor broke and they never bothered to fix it for the longest period of time. That was part of the plan. They didn’t want to spend any money. When they closed down the floor that housed the Hall of Fame, people asked what did you do with all the pictures and there was no answer. They must have thrown them all away. They stopped maintaining the barn area. They literally tore down the clubhouse and the grandstand. Then Churchill Downs snuck behind everyone’s back and they got a jai alia license so they could extricate themselves from the agreement that brought them a casino in the first place and so that they don’t have to pay the horsemen any money.”

It wasn’t that long ago that South Florida had three racetracks and Calder, Hialeah and Gulfstream were in a never-ending fight for the choicest dates. Now, Gulfstream is all that is left and will go forward in 2021 with the unenviable task of having to operate year-round. It remains to be seen how its turf course will hold up without getting any sort of meaningful break.

“There are some issues that will have to be looked at,” Plesa said. “Can you race 12 months of the year on one racetrack and on a turf course that is used so frequently? I don’t know. Will there be a little break in between meets? I don’t know. How long of a break would it be? It’s going to be an interesting transition without the two months of racing away from Gulfstream Park.”

After Diligent’s victory, Plesa, who did not attend Saturday’s card, said he heard from about 100 people who reached out to congratulate him on winning the race. Many of them wanted to share their own memories of Calder with him.

“It was something special,” he said of the many messages he received. “I didn’t think I would get so emotional over something like that. It brought back a lot of memories. That was heartwarming, but it was under sad circumstances. It was almost like someone had passed away.”

Whales Cash In Again

At some point racing has to take a look at its love affair with jackpot bets. At the expense of the everyday player, they are too often won by the bettors who have the resources to plow a huge amount of money into the pools and rely on sophisticated computer programs to place their wagers.

The latest example occurred Saturday at Aqueduct. According to the Daily Racing Form‘s David Grening, the winning ticket on the Empire Six was purchased through the Elite Turf Club, which is the go-to wagering platform for some of the sport’s biggest bettors and is based in Curacao. The winning payout was $482,817.70.

Later that same day, an Elite Turf Club customer cashed in for $55,157.16 at the Meadowlands. The player had the only winning ticket on the Pick-5 and included a 75-1 winner on his or her tickets.

While those wins may be good news for some high rollers, the sport shouldn’t lose sight of where that money came from. It is the $10 and $20 bettor who is responsible for those pools building up. With so much money often ending up in the hands of a high-volume player, the run-of-the-mill bettor is going broke.

Tracks cater to the big players because they wager such huge amounts. But what’s happening is not sustainable. The bettors from places like Elite Turf Club are so dominating the wagering that they are making it that much harder for everyone else to keep their heads above water. The risk is that the big players will cause their competition to go broke, driving them out of the game. Some day, it will just be whales-versus-whale. That’s something the sport can ill afford.

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Road To The 2021 Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks Is Lasix Free

Following the Kentucky Jockey Club (Grade 2G) at Churchill Downs, Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) and Breeders' Futurity (G1) winner Essential Quality remained atop the “Road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve” leaderboard for 2020-2021 with 30 points but Saturday's winner Keepmeinmind added 10 to his total and moved into second position with 18 overall.

Champagne (G1) winner Jackie's Warrior is next on the list after the first six races with 12 points and is followed by American Pharoah winner Get Her Number (10) and Iroquois winner Sittin On Go (10).

The ninth annual series of select races will determine the preference list for the 20-horse Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) on Saturday, May 1, 2021, by awarding a sliding scale of points to the Top 4 finishers in each race. The 2021 Kentucky Derby will mark the first year the classic race will be run without the permitted use of furosemide (often referred to by the brand name, Lasix). In a change this year, points will only be awarded to horses who compete on race day without Lasix in Road to the Kentucky Derby races.

The total number of races in the primary “Road to the Kentucky Derby” series features 36 marquee races scheduled. The 20-race “Prep Season,” which features foundation-building races over a minimum of one mile between mid-September and mid-February, are worth 10-4-2-1 to the top four placings, respectively, except for the Nov. 6 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), which was worth twice as much (20-8-4-2).

Other “Prep Season” races include the Dec. 5 Remsen, Dec. 18 Springboard Mile, Dec. 19 Los Alamitos Futurity, Jan. 1 Jerome, Jan. 2 Sham, Jan. 16 Lecomte, Jan. 22 Smarty Jones, Jan. 30 Holy Bull, Jan. 30 Robert B. Lewis, Feb. 6 Withers, Feb. 6 Sam F. Davis, February's John Battaglia Memorial, February's El Camino Real Derby and Feb. 15 Southwest.

The 16-race “Championship Series” comprise springboard events that often bring the 3-year-old picture into sharper focus. Most first leg races offer 50-20-10-5 points to the Top 4 finishers: the Feb. 13 Risen Star, Feb. 27 Fountain of Youth, March 6 Gotham, March 6 Tampa Bay Derby, March 6 San Felipe, March 13 Rebel and March's Sunland Derby. The most meaningful races are worth 100-40-20-10: March's Jeff Ruby Steaks, March 20 Louisiana Derby, March 27 UAE Derby, March 27 Florida Derby, April 3 Wood Memorial, April's Blue Grass, April 3 Santa Anita Derby and April 10 Arkansas Derby. Additionally, the April 10 Lexington offers points on a scale of 20-8-4-2 to the first four placings.

With increased interest by Kentucky horsemen and Churchill Downs Incorporated's investment and redevelopment of Turfway Park to enhance winter/spring racing on the Kentucky circuit, the John Battaglia Memorial has been added as a “Prep Season” race and the Jeff Ruby Steaks has been boosted from 20-8-4-2 to 100-40-20-10.

In addition to the primary “Road to the Kentucky Derby” series, there are two separate series that each carve out one spot for a potential horse from Europe and Japan.

The fifth-year Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby series again features four races: Saturday's Cattleya (10-4-2-1 and won by Lemon Drop), Dec. 16 Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun (20-8-4-2), February's Hyacinth (30-12-6-3) and March's Fukuryu (40-16-8-4).

The fourth-year European Road to the Kentucky Derby again showcases seven races: theJuddmonte Royal Lodge (10-4-2-1 and won by New Mandate-IRE), Smurfit Beresford (10-4-2-1 and won by High Definition-IRE), Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère (10-4-2-1 and won by Sealiway-FR),Vertem Futurity Trophy (10-4-2-1 and won by Mac Swiney-IRE), March's Road to the Kentucky Derby Condition Stakes (20-8-4-2), March's Patton Stakes (20-8-4-2) and April's Cardinal Condition Stakes (30-12-6-3).

Churchill Downs has used a point system to determine entrants for its famed Kentucky Derby since 2013. At least 20 horses have entered the “Run for the Roses” in 19 of the last 22 years and every year from 2004-19.

The 1 ¼-mile classic for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds is scheduled to be run at the historic Louisville racetrack for the 147^th consecutive year on Saturday, May 1, 2021.

A similar series remains in place to qualify for the Kentucky Derby's sister race, the $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles on Friday, April 30, 2021. There will be 31 races for the “Road to the Kentucky Oaks” series – 16 “Prep Season” races and 15 “Championship Series” races.

Like the Derby, points will only be awarded to horses who compete on race day without Lasix in Road to the Kentucky Oaks races.

2020-21 ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY SCHEDULE
36 Races

Kentucky Derby Prep Season (20 races)

Date	Race	Racetrack	Distance	1^st (Points)	2^nd (Points)	3^rd (Points)	4^th (Points)
Sept. 5	Iroquois	Churchill Downs	1 Mile	Sittin On Go (10)	Midnight Bourbon (4)	Super Stock (2)	Therideofalifetime (1)
Sept. 26	American Pharoah	Santa Anita	1 1/16 Miles	Get Her Number (10)	Rombauer (4)	Speilberg (2)	Waspirant (1)
Oct. 3	Breeders' Futurity	Keeneland	1 1/16 Miles	Essential Quality (10)	Keepmeinmind (4)	Super Stock (2)	Upstriker (1)
Oct. 10	Champagne	Belmont Park	1 Mile	Jackie's Warrior (10)	Reinvestment Risk (4)	Midnight Bourbon (2)	Civil War (1)
Nov. 6	Breeders' Cup Juvenile	Keeneland	1 1/16 Miles	Essential Quality (20)	Hot Rod Charlie (8)	Keepmeinmind (4)	Jackie's Warrior (2)
Nov. 28	Kentucky Jockey Club	Churchill Downs	1 1/16 Miles	Keepmeinmind (10)	Smiley Sobotka (4)	Arabian Prince (2)	Swill (1)
Dec. 5	Remsen	Aqueduct	1 1/8 Miles	(10)	(4)	(2)	(1)
Dec. 18	Springboard Mile	Remington Park	1 Mile	(10)	(4)	(2)	(1)
Dec. 19	Los Alamitos Futurity	Los Alamitos	1 1/16 Miles	(10)	(4)	(2)	(1)
Jan. 1	Jerome	Aqueduct	1 Mile	(10)	(4)	(2)	(1)
Jan. 2	Sham	Santa Anita	1 Mile	(10)	(4)	(2)	(1)
Jan. 16	Lecomte	Fair Grounds	1 1/16 Miles	(10)	(4)	(2)	(1)
Jan. 22	Smarty Jones	Oaklawn Park	1 Mile	(10)	(4)	(2)	(1)
Jan. 30	Holy Bull	Gulfstream Park	1 1/16 Miles	(10)	(4)	(2)	(1)
Jan. 30	Robert B. Lewis	Santa Anita	1 1/16 Miles	(10)	(4)	(2)	(1)
Feb. 6	Withers	Aqueduct	1 1/8 Miles	(10)	(4)	(2)	(1)
Feb. 6	Sam F. Davis	Tampa Bay Downs	1 1/16 Miles	(10)	(4)	(2)	(1)
Feb. 2020	John Battaglia Memorial	Turfway Park	1 1/16 M (AW)	(10)	(4)	(2)	(1)
Feb. 2020	El Camino Real Derby	Golden Gate	1 1/8 Miles (AW)	(10)	(4)	(2)	(1)
Feb. 15	Southwest	Oaklawn Park	1 1/16 Miles	(10)	(4)	(2)	(1)

Kentucky Derby Championship Series (16 races)

Date	Race	Racetrack	Distance	1^st (Points)	2^nd (Points)	3^rd (Points)	4^th (Points)
Feb. 13	Risen Star	Fair Grounds	1 1/8 Miles	(50)	(20)	(10)	(5)
Feb. 27	Fountain of Youth	Gulfstream Park	1 1/16 Miles	(50)	(20)	(10)	(5)
March 6	Gotham	Aqueduct	1 Mile	(50)	(20)	(10)	(5)
March 6	Tampa Bay Derby	Tampa Bay Downs	1 1/16 Miles	(50)	(20)	(10)	(5)
March 6	San Felipe	Santa Anita	1 1/16 Miles	(50)	(20)	(10)	(5)
March 13	Rebel	Oaklawn Park	1 1/16 Miles	(50)	(20)	(10)	(5)
March 2021	Jeff Ruby Steaks	Turfway Park	1 1/8 Miles (AW)	(100)	(40)	(20)	(10)
March 20	Louisiana Derby	Fair Grounds	1 3/16 Miles	(100)	(40)	(20)	(10)
March 2021	Sunland Derby	Sunland Park	1 1/8 Miles	(50)	(20)	(10)	(5)
March 27	UAE Derby	Meydan Racecourse	1 3/16 Miles	(100)	(40)	(20)	(10)
March 27	Florida Derby	Gulfstream Park	1 1/8 Miles	(100)	(40)	(20)	(10)
April 3	Wood Memorial	Aqueduct	1 1/8 Miles	(100)	(40)	(20)	(10)
April 2021	Blue Grass	Keeneland	1 1/8 Miles	(100)	(40)	(20)	(10)
April 3	Santa Anita Derby	Santa Anita	1 1/8 Miles	(100)	(40)	(20)	(10)
April 10	Arkansas Derby	Oaklawn Park	1 1/8 Miles	(100)	(40)	(20)	(10)
April 2021	Lexington	Keeneland	1 1/16 Miles	(20)	(8)	(4)	(2)

2020-21 EUROPEAN ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY SCHEDULE
7 Races

Date	Race	Racetrack	Distance	1^st (Points)	2^nd (Points)	3^rd (Points)	4^th (Points)
Sept. 26	Juddmonte Royal Lodge	Newmarket (GB)	1 Mile (T)	New Mandate (Ire) (10)	Ontario (Ire) (4)	Cobh (Ire) (2)	Gear Up (Ire) (1)
Sept. 26	Smurfit Beresford	Curragh (Ire)	1 Mile (T)	High Definition (Ire) (10)	Monaasib (GB) (4)	Snapraeterea (Ire) (2)	Sir Lucan (Ire) (1)
Oct. 4	Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère	Longchamp (Fr)	7 Furlongs (T)	Sealiway (Fr) (10)	Nando Parrado (GB) (4)	Laws Of Indices (Ire) (2)	Libertine (Ire) (1)
Oct. 24	Vertem Futurity Trophy	Doncaster (GB)	1 Mile (T)	Mac Swiney (Ire) (10)	One Ruler (Ire) (4)	Baradar (Ire) (2)	Cobh (Ire) (1)
March 2021	Road to the Kentucky Derby Condition Stakes	Kempton Park (GB)	1 Mile (AW)	(20)	(8)	(4)	(2)
March 2021	Patton (Listed)	Dundalk (Ire)	1 Mile (AW)	(20)	(8)	(4)	(2)
April 2021	Cardinal Condition Stakes	Chelmsford City (GB)	1 Mile (AW)	(30)	(12)	(6)	(3)

2020-21 JAPAN ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY SCHEDULE
4 Races

Date	Race	Racetrack	Distance	1^st (Points)	2^nd (Points)	3^rd (Points)	4^th (Points)
Nov. 28	Cattleya	Tokyo Racecourse	1 Mile	Lemon Pop (10)	Takeru Pegasus (Jpn) (4)	Plus Ultra (Jpn) (2)	Shin Yomoginesu (Jpn) (1)
Dec. 16	Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun	Kawasaki Racecourse	1 Mile	(20)	(8)	(4)	(2)
Feb. 2021	Hyacinth	Tokyo Racecourse	1 Mile	(30)	(12)	(6)	(3)
March 2021	Fukuryu	Nakayama Racecourse	1 1/8 Miles	(40)	(16)	(8)	(4)

2020-21 ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY OAKS SCHEDULE
31 Races

Kentucky Oaks Prep Season (16 races)

Date	Race	Racetrack	Distance	1^st	2^nd	3^rd	4^th
Sept. 3	Pocahontas	Churchill Downs	1 Mile	Girl Daddy (10)	Crazy Beautiful (4)	Alexandria (2)	Xtrema (1)
Sept. 26	Chandelier	Santa Anita	1 1/16 Miles	Princess Noor (10)	Varda (4)	Miss Costa Rica (2)	Illumination (1)
Oct. 2	Alcibiades	Keeneland	1 1/16 Miles	Simply Ravishing (10)	Crazy Beautiful (4)	Travel Column (2)	Thoughtfully (1)
Oct. 10	Frizette	Belmont Park	1 Mile	Dayoutoftheoffice (10)	Vequist (4)	Cilla (2)	Joy's Rocket (1)
Nov. 6	BC Juvenile Fillies	Keeneland	1 1/16 Miles	Vequist (20)	Dayoutoftheoffice (8)	Girl Daddy (4)	Simply Ravishing (2)
Nov. 28	Golden Rod	Churchill Downs	1 1/16 Miles	Travel Column (10)	Clairiere (4)	Coach (2)	Simply Ravishing (1)
Dec. 5	Demoiselle	Aqueduct	1 1/8 Miles	(10)	(4)	(2)	(1)
Dec. 5	Starlet	Los Alamitos	1 1/16 Miles	(10)	(4)	(2)	(1)
Jan. 3	Santa Ynez	Santa Anita	7 Furlongs	(10)	(4)	(2)	(1)
Jan. 16	Silverbulletday	Fair Grounds	1 Mile 70 Yards	(10)	(4)	(2)	(1)
Jan. 24	Busanda	Aqueduct	1 1/8 Miles	(10)	(4)	(2)	(1)
Jan. 30	Forward Gal	Gulfstream Park	7 Furlongs	(10)	(4)	(2)	(1)
Jan. 30	Martha Washington	Oaklawn Park	1 Mile	(10)	(4)	(2)	(1)
Feb. 6	Suncoast	Tampa Bay Downs	1 Mile 40 Yards	(10)	(4)	(2)	(1)
Feb. 6	Las Virgenes	Santa Anita	1 Mile	(10)	(4)	(2)	(1)
Feb. 2020	Cincinnati Trophy	Turfway Park	6 ½ F (AW)	(10)	(4)	(2)	(1)

Kentucky Oaks Championship Series (15 races)

Date	Race	Racetrack	Distance	1^st	2^nd	3^rd	4^th
Feb. 13	Rachel Alexandra	Fair Grounds	1 1/16 Miles	(50)	(20)	(10)	(5)
Feb. 18	UAE Oaks	Meydan Racecourse	1 3/16 Miles	(50)	(20)	(10)	(5)
Feb. 27	Davona Dale	Gulfstream Park	1 Mile	(50)	(20)	(10)	(5)
March 6	Busher Invitational	Aqueduct	1 Mile	(50)	(20)	(10)	(5)
March 6	Honeybee	Oaklawn Park	1 1/16 Miles	(50)	(20)	(10)	(5)
March 7	Santa Ysabel	Santa Anita	1 1/16 Miles	(50)	(20)	(10)	(5)
March 2020	Bourbonette Oaks	Turfway Park	1 Mile (AW)	(50)	(20)	(10)	(5)
March 20	Fair Grounds Oaks	Fair Grounds	1 1/16 Miles	(100)	(40)	(20)	(10)
March 2020	Sunland Park Oaks	Sunland Park	1 1/16 Miles	(50)	(20)	(10)	(5)
March 27	Gulfstream Park Oaks	Gulfstream Park	1 1/16 Miles	(100)	(40)	(20)	(10)
April 3	Santa Anita Oaks	Santa Anita	1 1/16 Miles	(100)	(40)	(20)	(10)
April 3	Gazelle	Aqueduct	1 1/8 Miles	(100)	(40)	(20)	(10)
April 2020	Ashland	Keeneland	1 1/16 Miles	(100)	(40)	(20)	(10)
April 3	Fantasy	Oaklawn Park	1 1/16 Miles	(100)	(40)	(20)	(10)
April 2020	Beaumont	Keeneland	7 Furlongs	(10)	(4)	(2)	(1)

Schedule subject to change. … (T) = Turf … (AW) = Synthetic … Race dates and distances to be announced by host track; date based on recent historical placement.

HOW TO GET INTO THE KENTUCKY DERBY STARTING GATE – The Road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve is a series of races that awards points to the Top 4 finishers in each race. The top 18 point earners will earn a spot in the starting gate for the 147^th running of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (Grade I), which is rescheduled for Saturday, May 1, 2021. One invitation will be extended to the top point earners in the Europe Road to the Kentucky Presented by Woodford Reserve and one invitation will be extended to the top point earners in the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve. The Kentucky Derby field has been limited to 20 starters since 1975. At least 20 horses have entered the 1 ¼-mile race for 3-year-olds in 19 of the last 22 years and every year from 2004-19.

Rank	Horse	Points	Owner(s)	Trainer	Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings
1.	Essential Quality	30	Godolphin LLC	Brad Cox	$1,280,000
2.	Keepmeinmind	18	Cypress Creek LLC & Arnold Bennewith	Robertino Diodoro	$379,040
3.	Jackie's Warrior	12	J. Kirk & Judy Robison	Steve Asmussen	$457,500
4.	Get Her Number	10	Gary Barber	Peter Miller	$186,000
5.	Sittin On Go	10	Albaugh Family Stables LLC (Dennis Albaugh & Jason Loustch)	Dale Romans	$139,800
6.	Hot Rod Charlie	8	Roadrunner Racing, Boat Racing LLC & Strauss Bros Racing	Doug O'Neill	$340,000
7.	Midnight Bourbon	6	Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC (Ron Winchell)	Steve Asmussen	$68,000
8.	Rombauer	4	John & Diane Fradkin	Michael McCarthy	$120,500
9.	Reinvestment Risk	4	Klaravich Stables Inc.	Chad Brown	$120,000
10.	Super Stock	4	Erv Woolsey & Keith Asmussen	Steve Asmussen	$59,000
11.	Smiley Sobotka	4	Albaugh Family Stables LLC (Dennis Albaugh)	Dale Romans	$38,400
12.	Spielberg	2	SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Golconda Stables, Siena Farm LLC & Robert E. Masterson	Bob Baffert	$86,000
13.	Arabian Prince	2	West Point Thoroughbreds (Terry Finley et al) & William Sandbrook	Dallas Stewart	$24,063
14.	Therideofalifetime	1	Stephen L. Fidel	Ignacio Correas IV	$39,500
15.	Upstriker	1	William S. Sparks, Brereton C. Jones, & Robert V. LaPenta	Ron Moquett	$20,000
16.	Waspirant	1	Martin J. Wygod, Pam Wygod & Lessee	John Shirreffs	$18,000
17.	Civil War	1	Mark. T. Anderson	Tom Albertrani	$15,000
18.	Swill	1	Kueber Racing LLC (Rick Kueber) & Ten Strike Racing (Marshall Gramm)	Brad Cox	$9,600

EUROPEAN ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY – First staged in 2018, the “European Road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve” is a stand-alone series that is separate from America's “Road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve” sequence. Only one invitation to compete in the Kentucky Derby will be extended with preference given to the horses with the most points in the “European Road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve” series. No invitation will be extended beyond the Top 4 point earners but if a horse also qualifies through America's “Road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve” series, the invite will be extended to the next eligible horse. If two or more horses have the same number of points, the tiebreakers are earnings in non-restricted stakes races through April 10, 2021 followed by lifetime earnings through April 10, 2021. Since 1967, there have been 49 horses who previously raced outside North America and ran in the Kentucky Derby. Venezuela's Canonero II won the 1971 Derby, while Bold Arrangement (GB), who was campaigned in Great Britain and France, finished second to Ferdinand in the 1986 renewal.

Rank	Horse	Points	Owner(s)	Trainer	Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings
1.	Sealiway (Fr)	10	Harasdelagousserie/G.Pariente	Frederic Rossi	$235,281
2.	Mac Swiney (Ire)	10	Mrs. J. S. Bolger	James Bolger	$232,127
3.	New Mandate (Ire)	10	Marc Chan	Ralph Beckett	$90,436
4.	High Definition (Ire)	10	Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor & Mrs. A.M. O'Brien	Aidan O'Brien	$55,830
5.	Nando Parrado (GB)	4	M McCartan	Clive Cox	$164,769
6.	One Ruler (Ire)	4	Godolphin	Charlie Appleby	$101,005
7.	Ontario (Ire)	4	Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith	Aidan O'Brien	$49,261
8.	Monaasib (GB)	4	Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum	Kevin Prendergast	$17,680
9.	Cobh (Ire)	3	China Horse Club International Ltd.	Clive Cox	$52,500
10.	Laws of Indices (Ire)	2	Cr Holmes	Ken Condon	$95,500
11.	Baradar (Ire)	2	Amo Racing Limited	Roger Varian	$31,380
12.	Snapraeterea (Ire)	2	J.P. Farrell	Joseph O'Brien	$24,574
13.	Gear Up (Ire)	1	Teme Valley	Mark Johnston	$138,515
14.	Libertine (Ire)	1	J Romel	Fabrice Vermeulen	$25,155
15.	Sir Lucan (Ire)	1	Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Mrs. John Magnier	Aidan O'Brien	$3,722

JAPAN ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY – First staged in 2017, the “Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve” is a separate sequence of four races from America's “Road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve” series. Only one invitation to compete in the Kentucky Derby will be extended with preference given to the horses with the most points in the “Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve” series. If a horse also qualifies through America's “Road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve” series, an additional invite could be extended. If two or more horses have the same number of points, the tiebreaker is lifetime earnings through April 10, 2021. Three horses based in Japan have run in the Kentucky Derby: Ski Captain (14^th, 1995), Lani (9^th, 2016) and Master Fencer (JPN) (6^th, 2019).

Rank	Horse	Points	Owner(s)	Trainer	Lifetime Earnings
1.	Lemon Pop	10	Godolphin LLC	Hiroyasu Tanaka	*$223,748
2.	Takeru Pegasus (Jpn)	4	Yasuhiko Mori	Yukhiro Kato	*$137,992
3.	Plus Ultra (Jpn)	2	Mill Farm Co. Ltd.	Takahisa Tezuka	*$128,826
4.	Shin Yomoginesu (Jpn)	1	Shinji Okamoto	Keizo Ito	*$95,221

* Estimated earnings; awaiting final updated conversions

HOW TO GET INTO THE KENTUCKY OAKS STARTING GATE – The Road to the Kentucky Oaks is a series that awards points to the Top 4 finishers in each race. The Top 14 point earners nominated to the Longines Kentucky Oaks will earn a spot in the starting gate for the 147^th running of the Longines Kentucky Oaks (Grade I), which is scheduled for Friday, April 30, 2021. The 1 1/8-mile Oaks is the nation's premier race for 3-year-old fillies.

Rank	Horse	Points	Owner(s)	Trainer	Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings
1.	Vequist	24	Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable & Swilcan Stable LLC	“Butch” Reid Jr.	$1,227,500
2.	Dayoutoftheoffice	18	Timothy E. Hamm & Siena Farm LLC	Timothy Hamm	$532,500
3.	Girl Daddy	14	Albaugh Family Stables LLC (Dennis Albaugh & Jason Loustch)	Dale Romans	$299,040
4.	Simply Ravishing	13	Harold Lerner LLC, Magdalena Racing (Sherri McPeek) & NehocStables	Kenny McPeek	$374,600
5.	Travel Column	12	OXO Equine LLC (Larry Best)	Brad Cox	$154,040
6.	Princess Noor	10	Zedan Racing Stables Inc.	Bob Baffert	$330,000
7.	Crazy Beautiful	8	Phoenix Thoroughbred LTD	Kenny McPeek	$206,645
8.	Varda	4	Baoma Corporation	Bob Baffert	$40,000
9.	Clairiere	4	Stonestreet Stables LLC (Barbara Banke)	Steve Asmussen	$38,400
10.	Coach	2	Kueber Racing LLC (Rick Kueber)	Brad Cox	$77,640
11.	Cilla	2	P. Dale Ladner	Bentley Combs	$32,000
12.	Miss Costa Rica	2	Carroll Boys Racing, Sayjay Racing LLC, Jerry McClanahan & Richard Baltas	Richard Baltas	$24,000
13.	Alexandria	2	WinStar Farm LLC, Blazing Meadows Farm LLC & Michael Lewis	Timothy Hamm	$21,200
14.	Thoughtfully	1	Heider Family Stables LLC	Steve Asmussen	$120,000
15.	Joy's Rocket	1	Team Hanley & Parkland Thoroughbreds	Steve Asmussen	$76,400
16.	Illumination	1	George Bolton, Peter Leidel, Karin Leidel, Barry Lipman & Kerri Radcliffe	Bob Baffert	$42,000
17.	Xtrema	1	Big Chief Racing LLC, Rocker O Ranch LLC & J. Keith Desormeaux	Keith Desormeaux	$17,838

RTKD AND RTKO RULES
TIEBREAKERS –

America's Road to the Kentucky Derby and Road to the Kentucky Oaks: If two or more horses have the same number of points, the tiebreaker is earnings in non-restricted stakes races. In the case of remaining ties, the additional starter(s) and/or also-eligible horses shall be determined by lifetime earnings. In the case of remaining ties, the additional starter(s) and/or also-eligible horses shall be determined by lot (aka a “shake”).
European Road to the Kentucky Derby: If two or more horses have the same number of points, the tiebreaker is earnings in non-restricted stakes races through April 10, 2021. In the case of remaining ties, the additional starter(s) and/or also-eligible horses shall be determined by lifetime earnings through April 10, 2021. In the case of remaining ties, the additional starter(s) and/or also-eligible horses shall be determined by lot (aka a “shake”). Any points earned in America's “Road to the Kentucky Derby” will be credited to the horse's point total in the “European Road to the Kentucky Derby.”
Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby: If two or more horses have the same number of points, the tiebreaker is lifetime earnings through April 10, 2021. In the case of remaining ties, the additional starter(s) and/or also-eligible horses shall be determined by lot (aka a “shake”). Any points earned in America's “Road to the Kentucky Derby” will be credited to the horse's point total in the “Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby.”

FILLIES – If a filly wants to run in the Kentucky Derby she can, but she'll have to earn her way into the field by accumulating points against open company just like the rest of the colts and geldings. Additionally, any points earned by a filly in the “Road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve” series against open company will be credited to her point total in the “Road to the Kentucky Oaks” series.

DEAD-HEATS – In the event of a dead-heat (tie) those horses will divide equally the points they would have received jointly had one beaten the other.

SPLIT DIVISIONS – In the event a race is split into divisions and each division awards its originally published purse money, points will be awarded as scheduled for each division. If the originally published purse is reduced for each division, points will be reduced proportionally as well.

LASIX – The 2021 Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks will mark the first year those races will be run without the permitted use of Furosemide (often referred to by the brand name, Lasix). Points will only be awarded to horses who compete on race day without Lasix in Road to the Kentucky Derby and Road to the Kentucky Oaks races.

MEDICATION VIOLATIONS – If the connections of a horse have been notified by a regulatory body about a medication violation from participation in a Road to the Kentucky Derby or Road to the Kentucky Oaks race, and that violation would result in disqualification, any accrued points from the race will be revoked until the matter reaches a legal conclusion. Accrued points will be reinstated if the matter is legally overturned prior to the running of the Kentucky Derby or Kentucky Oaks.

ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY LEADERBOARD HISTORY – FINAL

2020 FINAL LEADERBOARD – 1. Tiz the Law (372), 2. Authentic (200), 3. Honor A. P. (140), 4. Ny Traffic (110), 5. King Guillermo (90), 6. Thousand Words (83), 7. Max Player (60), 8. Enforceable (43), 9. Major Fed (38), 10. Storm the Court (36), 11. Attachment Rate (35), 12. Sole Volante (30), 13. Finnick the Fierce (25), 14. Winning Impression (20), 15. South Bend (18), 16. Necker Island (14), 17. Mr. Big News (0, $129,500) and 18. Money Moves (0, $0, $67,400).

2019 FINAL LEADERBOARD – 1. Tacitus (150), 2. Omaha Beach (137.5), 3. Vekoma (110), 4. Plus Que Parfait (104), 5. Roadster (100, $636,000), 6. By My Standards (100, $600,000), 7. Maximum Security (100, $582,800), 8. Game Winner (85), 9. Code of Honor (74), 10.Haikal (70), 11. Improbable (65), 12. War of Will (60), 13. Long Range Toddy (53.5), 14. Tax (52), 15. Cutting Humor (50, $462,467), 16. WinWin Win (50, $220,000), 17. Country House (50, $220,000), 18. Gray Magician (41), 19. Spinoff (40, $224,000), 20. Master Fencer (JPN) (Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby Invite) and AE 21. Bodexpress (40, $188,000).

2018 FINAL LEADERBOARD – 1. Magnum Moon (150), 2. Good Magic (134), 3. Audible (110, $803,520), 4. Noble Indy (110, $640,000), 5. Vino Rosso (107), 6. Bolt d'Oro (104), 7. Enticed (103), 8. Mendelssohn (100, $1,947,299), 9. Justify (100, $600,000), 10. Flameaway (70), 11. Solomini (54, $716,000), 12. Bravazo (54, $359,913), 13. My Boy Jack (52, $622,000), 14. Promises Fulfilled (52, $266,480), 15. Free Drop Billy (44), 16. Lone Sailor (42), 17. Hofburg (40), 18. Firenze Fire (39), 19. Combatant (32), 20. Instilled Regard (29) and AE 21. Blended Citizen (22).

2017 FINAL LEADERBOARD – 1. Girvin (150), 2. Classic Empire (132), 3. Gormley (125), 4. Irap (113), 5. Irish War Cry (110), 6. Thunder Snow-IRE (100, $1,621,063), 7. Always Dreaming (100, $589,000), 8. Gunnevera (84), 9. Practical Joke (74), 10. J Boys Echo (63), 11. State of Honor (62), 12. Tapwrit (54), 13. Hence (50, $401,429), 14. Fast and Accurate (50, $320,712), 15. McCraken (40, $385,048), 16. Battle of Midway (40, $224,000), 17. Patch (40, $200,000), 18. Untrapped (34), 19. Lookin At Lee (32), 20. Sonneteer (30, $236,000), AE 21. Royal Mo (30, $213,000) and AE 22. Master Plan (20).

2016 FINAL LEADERBOARD – 1. Gun Runner (151), 2. Nyquist (130), 3. Exaggerator (126), 4. Outwork (120), 5. Brody's Cause (114), 6. Creator (110), 7. Lani (100), 8. Mor Spirit (84), 9. Mohaymen (80), 10. Danzing Candy (60), 11. Destin (51), 12. Suddenbreakingnews (50, $637,000), 13. Oscar Nominated (50, 321,360), 14. Shagaf (50, $270,000), 15. Whitmore (44, $400,000), 16. Tom's Ready (44, $270,670), 17. My Man Sam (40, $200,000), 18. Majesto (40, $190,000, $239,500), 19. Trojan Nation (40, $190,000, $213,290), 20. Mo Tom (32, $268,326), AE 21. Laoban (32, $142,000) and AE 22. Cherry Wine (25, $145,000).

2015 FINAL LEADERBOARD – 1. International Star (171), 2. Dortmund (170), 3. Carpe Diem (164), 4. American Pharoah (160), 5. Frosted (113), 6. Mubtaahij-IRE (100, $1,400,000), 7. Materiality (100, $632,028), 8. El Kabeir (95), 9. Upstart (76), 10. Far Right (62), 11.Itsaknockout (60), 12. Firing Line (58), 13. Danzig Moon (45), 14. War Story (44), 15. Tencendur (41), 16. Stanford (40), 17. Mr. Z (34), 18.Ocho Ocho Ocho (30, $760,250), 19. Bolo (30, $214,980), 20. Keen Ice (22), AE 21. Frammento (20) and AE 22. Tale of Verve (0).

2014 FINAL LEADERBOARD – 1. California Chrome (150), 2. Vicar's in Trouble (120), 3. Dance With Fate (108), 4. Wicked Strong (102), 5. Samraat (100, $640,000), 6. Danza (100, $620,000), 7. Hoppertunity (95), 8. Intense Holiday (93), 9. Wildcat Red (90), 10. We Miss Artie (60), 11. Ride On Curlin (55), 12. Chitu (54), 13. Tapiture (52), 14. General a Rod (40, $240,000), 15. Medal Count (40, $226,500), 16. Candy Boy (30), 17. Uncle Sigh (24), 18. Vinceremos (20, $191,666), 19. Harry's Holiday (20, $152,622), 20. Commanding Curve (20, $104,000) and AE 21. Pablo Del Monte (20, $102,000).

2013 FINAL LEADERBOARD – 1. Orb (150, $840,000), 2. Verrazano (150, $810,000), 3. Goldencents (129), 4. Java's War (122), 5. Overanalyze (110, $908,381), 6. Revolutionary (110, $720,000), 7. Lines of Battle (100), 8. Vyjack (70), 9. Will Take Charge (60), 10. Itsmyluckyday (50, $593,600), 11. Black Onyx (50, $317,130), 12. Palace Malice (50, $200,000), 13. Normandy Invasion (44, $258,000), 14. FracDaddy (44, $240,596), 15. Mylute (42), 16. Oxbow (36), 17. Falling Sky (30), 18. Charming Kitten (20), 19. Golden Soul (14), 20. Giant Finish (10) and AE 21. Fear the Kitten (6).

ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY OAKS LEADERBOARD HISTORY – FINAL

2020 FINAL LEADERBOARD – 1. Swiss Skydiver (450), 2. Speech (160), 3. Shedaresthedevil (90), 4. Donna Veloce (62), 5. Gamine (50, $330,000), 6. Hopeful Growth (50, $135,000), 7. Tempers Rising (47), 8. Dream Marie (35) and 9. Bayerness (8).

2019 FINAL LEADERBOARD – 1. Bellafina (132), 2. Champagne Anyone (113), 3. Street Band (105), 4. Lady Apple (100, $336,000), 5. Out for a Spin (100, $300,000), 6. Liora (71), 7. Restless Rider (62), 8. Serengeti Empress (60, $313,270), 9. Motion Emotion (60, $140,000), 10. Jaywalk (55), 11. Chocolate Kisses (51, $157,000), 12. Jeltrin (51, $128,720), 13. Positive Spirit (50), 14. Flor de la Mar (40, $80,000), AE 15. Dunbar Road (40, $49,500) and AE 16. Point of Honor (20).

2018 FINAL LEADERBOARD – 1. Midnight Bisou (160), 2. Monomoy Girl (154), 3. Sassy Sienna (115), 4. My Miss Lilly (112), 5. Chocolate Martini (100, $240,000), 6. Coach Rocks (100, $145,700), 7. Rayya (90), 8. Wonder Gadot (84), 9. Eskimo Kisses (80), 10. Take Charge Paula (70), 11. Patrona Margarita (35), 12. Classy Act (30), 13. Heavenhasmynikki (11) and 14. Kelly's Humor (8).

2017 FINAL LEADERBOARD – 1. Farrell (170), 2. Miss Sky Warrior (160), 3. Ever So Clever (106), 4. Sailor's Valentine (100, $307,014), 5. Paradise Woods (100, $240,000), 6. Salty (100, $150,350), 7. Abel Tasman (70), 8. Daddys Lil Darling (60), 9. Tequilita (50, $227,540), 10. Lockdown (50, $120,000), 11. Wicked Lick (49), 12. Vexatious (40, $80,000), 13. Jordan's Henny (40, $66,410), 14. Mopotism (16) and AE 15. Summer Luck (11).

2016 FINAL LEADERBOARD – 1. Terra Promessa (150), 2. Lewis Bay (130), 3. Land Over Sea (128), 4. Weep No More (100, $340,000), 5. Go Maggie Go (100, $151,900), 6. Cathryn Sophia (80), 7. Mo d'Amour (70), 8. Venus Valentine (50, $132,375), 9. Mokat (50, $112,000), 10. Rachel's Valentina (48), 11. Royal Obsession (45), 12. Dream Dance (44), 13. Taxable (40, $80,000), 14. Paola Queen (40, $49,000) and 15.Dothraki Queen (20).

2015 FINAL LEADERBOARD – 1. Condo Commando (161, $715,000), 2. I'm a Chatterbox (161, $430,714), 3. Stellar Wind (150), 4. Birdatthewire (130), 5. Lovely Maria (120), 6. Include Betty (100), 7. Oceanwave (60), 8. Angela Renee (57), 9. Sarah Sis (54), 10.Eskenformoney (50), 11. Puca (45), 12. Shook Up (40), 13. Forever Unbridled (34), 14. Money'soncharlotte (22) and AE 15. Peace and War (10).

2014 FINAL LEADERBOARD – 1. Untapable (160), 2. Sugar Shock (120), 3. Fashion Plate (110), 4. My Miss Sophia (100), 5. Rosalind (78), 6. Got Lucky (64, $180,000), 7. Aurelia's Belle (64, $142,850), 8. Ria Antonia (55), 9. Kiss Moon (50), 10. Fiftyshadesofgold (40), 11. Unbridled Forever (30), 12. Thank You Marylou (20) and 13. Empress of Midway (15).

2013 FINAL LEADERBOARD – 1. Beholder (164, $1,500,000), 2. Rose to Gold (164, $717,889), 3. Unlimited Budget (160), 4. Dreaming of Julia (132), 5. Close Hatches (100), 6. Flashy Gray (60), 7. Princess of Sylmar (50, $170,000), 8. Midnight Lucky (50, $120,000), 9. Silsita(50, $57,600), 10. Seaneen Girl (34) and 11. Pure Fun (20).

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