The Road to the 2025 Kentucky Derby starts now, and the qualifying format is changing

Barely four months have passed since the historic 150th running of the Kentucky Derby finished in fitting fashion at Churchill Downs in Louisville: Mystik Dan edged out Sierra Leone and Forever Young in a three-way photo finish to decide the Run for the Roses.

Now, the process to determine the starting gate for the 2025 edition of the Kentucky Derby is getting underway.

The first of 36 domestic races that will be used to determine qualifiers for next year’s Kentucky Derby will be Saturday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs. The race for 2-year-olds will be contested at 1 mile on Churchill’s dirt surface as part of that track’s opening weekend for its September meet.

After Saturday’s 43rd running of the Iroquois Stakes, there’s nearly a month until the next race that offers qualifying points on the American Road to the Kentucky Derby.

American Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifying series

Domestically, there will be 36 races contested as part of the American qualifying series for the 2025 Kentucky Derby.

Qualifying points will be awarded to the top-five finishers in each of these 36 races, with points available in the following sliding scales:

▪ 10-5-3-2-1 points for the first five finishers in 12 races.

These races are the Iroquois Stakes (Sept. 14), the Breeders’ Futurity (Oct. 5), the American Pharoah (Oct. 5), the Champagne (Oct. 5), the Street Sense (Oct. 27), the Kentucky Jockey Club (Nov. 30), the Remsen (Dec. 7), the Remington Springboard Mile (Dec. 13), the Los Alamitos Futurity (Dec. 14), the Gun Runner (Dec. 21), the Jerome (Jan. 4) and the Smarty Jones (Jan. 4).

A field of 12 horses will contest the Iroquois Stakes on Saturday at Churchill Downs. Post time is 5:29 p.m.

Owen Almighty, a two-for-two race winner trained by Brian Lynch and to be ridden by jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., was the 5-2 morning line favorite for the Iroquois.

▪ 20-10-6-4-2 points for the first five finishers in nine races.

These races are the Lecomte (Jan. 18), the Southwest (Jan. 25), the Withers (Feb. 1), the Robert B. Lewis (Feb. 1), the Holy Bull (Feb. 1), the Sam F. Davis (Feb. 8), the Sunland Derby (Feb. 16), the John Battaglia Memorial (Feb. 22) and the Lexington (April 12).

▪ 30-15-9-6-3 points for the first five finishers in one race.

That race is the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (Nov. 1).

▪ 50-25-15-10-5 points for the first five finishers in seven races.

These races are the Risen Star (Feb. 15), the Rebel (Feb. 22), the Fountain of Youth (March 1), the Gotham (March 1), the San Felipe (March 2), the Tampa Bay Derby (March 8) and the Virginia Derby (March 15).

The Virginia Derby — held at Colonial Downs in New Kent, Virginia, — is a new addition to the Derby qualifying series.

▪ 100-50-25-15-10 points for the first five finishers in seven races.

These races are the Louisiana Derby (March 22), the Jeff Ruby Steaks (March 22), the Arkansas Derby (March 29), the Florida Derby (March 29), the Santa Anita Derby (April 5), the Blue Grass (April 5) and the Wood Memorial (April 5).

Some changes have been made to the American qualifying series compared to past years.

Notably, for the races that offer qualifying points on a 50-25-15-10-5 and 100-50-25-15-10 scale, fewer points will be offered in those races if the field sizes are too small.

If one of these qualifying races, known as a Championship Series race, is run with only a five-horse field — which would mean that each starter would be guaranteed qualifying points — then only 75% of the points will be proportionally awarded. If one of these races has a field of four or less horses, then only 50% of the points will be proportionally awarded.

The Sunland Derby and the Lexington Stakes are both also subject to this potential points reduction based on field size. Both of those races award qualifying points on a 20-10-6-4-2 scale.

This rule change also applies to the Road to the Kentucky Oaks, the qualifying series used to determine the starting gate for the Kentucky Derby’s companion race for fillies that’s held the day before the Derby.

The American Road to the Kentucky Derby determines the preference list for entries into the 1 1/4-mile Run for the Roses, which will be held May 3, 2025. The top 18 points earners via the American qualifying pathway will get a spot in the starting gate.

As many as 20 horses can run in the $5 million Kentucky Derby, and up to four horses can enter on the also-eligible list. At least 20 horses have entered the Derby in 23 of the last 26 years.

Next year’s race will be the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby.

Changes made to the Kentucky Derby international qualifying series

The biggest shakeup when it comes to qualifying for the Kentucky Derby has come on the international side.

There are two international pathways for a horse to gain entry into the Derby starting gate.

One of these pathways is the re-branded Euro/Mideast Road to the Kentucky Derby, which includes races in England, France, Ireland and the United Arab Emirates. Headlining these qualification races is the UAE Derby, which was previously part of the American Road to the Kentucky Derby series, despite its location.

The Euro/Mideast Road to the Kentucky Derby includes the following seven races, and their corresponding qualifying points scales.

▪ The Sept. 28 Juddmonte Royal Lodge in England will award qualifying points on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale to the top five finishers.

▪ The Sept. 28 Montane Developments Beresford in Ireland will award qualifying points on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale.

▪ The Oct. 6 Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère in France will award qualifying points on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale.

▪ The Oct. 26 Futurity Trophy in England will award qualifying points on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale.

▪ The Feb. 26 Road to the Kentucky Derby Condition Stakes in England will award qualifying points on a 20-10-6-4-2 scale.

▪ The Feb. 28 Patton in Ireland will award qualifying points on a 20-10-6-4-2 scale.

▪ The April 5 UAE Derby in the United Arab Emirates will award qualifying points on a 100-50-25-15-10 scale.

This makes the UAE Derby a de facto “win-and-in” contest to make the Derby starting gate.

One invitation to run in the Kentucky Derby will be extended from the Euro/Mideast Road to the Kentucky Derby, with preference given to the horses with the most points from this qualifying series.

No invitation will be extended beyond the top four points earners from the Euro/Mideast Road to the Kentucky Derby, but if a horse also qualifies through the American pathway, then the invite will be extended to the next eligible horse.

Since 1967, 55 horses who previously raced outside North America have ran in the Kentucky Derby. Venezuela’s Canonero II won the 1971 Derby and Puerto Rico’s Bold Forbes won the 1976 Derby.

The format for the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby remains unchanged from last year.

The Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby includes the following four races, and their corresponding qualifying points scales.

▪ The Nov. 23 Cattleya will award qualifying points on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale to the top five finishers.

▪ The Dec. 11 Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun will award qualifying points on a 20-10-6-4-2 scale.

▪ The Feb. 16 Hyacinth will award qualifying points on a 30-15-9-6-3 scale.

▪ The March 22 Fukuryu will award qualifying points on a 40-20-12-8-4 scale.

Only one invitation to compete in the Kentucky Derby will be extended to a horse from the Japanese qualifying pathway, with preference given to the horses with the most points.

If a horse also qualifies through the American Road to the Kentucky Derby, then an additional invite could be extended.

All time, eight horses based in Japan have run in the Kentucky Derby: The only one of the eight to hit the board was Forever Young, who finished third as part of the three-way photo finish to decide the 2024 Kentucky Derby.

2025 Kentucky Oaks qualifying schedule

A total of 33 races comprise this year’s Road to the Kentucky Oaks qualifying series for fillies.

Like with the various Kentucky Derby qualifying pathways, the Road to the Kentucky Oaks awards points to the first five fillies in each race. The top 14 points earners who are nominated to the Kentucky Oaks will earn a spot in the starting gate for the 151st edition of the race on May 2, 2025.

Qualifying points will be on offer toward the Kentucky Oaks in the following 33 races, and in the following sliding scales:

▪ 10-5-3-2-1 points for the first five finishers in 10 races.

These races are the Pocahontas (Sept. 14), the Alcibiades (Oct. 4), the Frizette (Oct. 5), the Oak Leaf (Oct. 5), the Rags to Riches (Oct. 27), the Golden Rod (Nov. 30), the Demoiselle (Dec. 7), the Starlet (Dec. 7), the Untapable (Dec. 21) and the Santa Ynez (Jan. 5).

▪ 20-10-6-4-2 points for the first five finishers in eight races.

These races are the Busanda (Jan. 11), the Silverbulletday (Jan. 18), the Martha Washington (Jan. 25), the Forward Gal (Feb. 1), the Suncoast (Feb. 8), the Las Virgenes (Feb. 8), the Sunland Park Oaks (Feb. 16) and the Cincinnati Trophy (Feb. 21).

▪ 30-15-9-6-3 points for the first five finishers in one race.

That race is the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (Nov. 1).

▪ 50-25-15-10-5 points for the first five finishers in eight races.

These races are the Rachel Alexandra (Feb. 15), the UAE Oaks (Feb. 21), the Honeybee (Feb. 22), the Davona Dale (March 1), the Busher (March 1), the Santa Ysabel (March 2), the Virginia Oaks (March 15) and the Bourbonette Oaks (March 22).

▪ 100-50-25-15-10 points for the first five finishers in six races.

These races are the Fair Grounds Oaks (March 22), the Gulfstream Park Oaks (March 29), the Fantasy (March 29), the Ashland (April 4), the Gazelle (April 5) and the Santa Anita Oaks (April 5).

As mentioned previously, Road to the Kentucky Oaks races that offer qualifying points on a 50-25-15-10-5 and 100-50-25-15-10 scale could have fewer points awarded if the field sizes in those races are too small.

The Sunland Park Oaks, which offers qualifying points on a 20-10-6-4-2 scale, is also subject to this.

If any of those qualifying races, known as a Championship Series race, is run with only a five-horse field — which would mean that each starter would be guaranteed qualifying points — then only 75% of the points will be proportionally awarded. If one of these races has a field of four or less horses, then only 50% of the points will be proportionally awarded.

Points earned by a filly in a Road to the Kentucky Derby pathway against open company will also be credited to that filly’s point total in the Road to the Kentucky Oaks series.

Should a filly earn an invite to the Kentucky Derby via the Euro/Mideast Road or Japan Road qualifying pathways, her ownership may opt to use that invite for the Kentucky Oaks.

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