The Road to the Kentucky Derby is well underway, with trainers plotting their route to the opening leg of the Triple Crown at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May.

However, earning a spot in the prestigious Grade One is challenging, as only the top-ranking runners on the leaderboard will secure their spot in the Kentucky Derby.

Points are earned via prep races, with the initial stage of the Road to the Kentucky Derby staged in the two-year-old season for runners between September and December.

However, the big point scoring opportunities come thick and fast in 2025, as the field begins to take shape. You can find out more about the notable prep races here and in more details in TwinSpires website.

Risen Star Stakes

The action on the Road to the Kentucky Derby heats up when the opening leg of the Championship Series gets underway at Fair Grounds on February 15, 2025.

This Grade Two has been contested since 1973, and it is run over a distance of 1 1/8 miles. It has seen some notable winners, including War Emblem, War of Will and Master Derby.

However, no winner of the Risen Star has won the Derby, with War Emblem finishing sixth in the prep and Country House taking second before being awarded the race at Churchill Downs following Maximum Security’s disqualification.

Rebel Stakes

One of the most lucrative purses on the Road to the Kentucky Derby comes in the form of the Rebel Stakes, which is worth $1.25 million.

This Grade Two is staged annually at Oaklawn Park, and it is run over a distance of 1 1/16 miles. It has been a graded affair since 2008 when upgraded to a Grade Two.

Bob Baffert typically targets the race with one of his best Derby contenders, which included notably American Pharoah in 2015. However, recent winners such as Timberlake, Confidence Game, and Un Ojo have had limited impact on the Derby outlook.

Florida Derby

A key day on the Road to the Kentucky Derby arrives on March 29, 2025, as two huge Grade Ones are staged in the forms of the Arkansas Derby and Florida Derby.

The latter is run five weeks before the Derby, with the field competing over a distance of 1 1/8 miles. It has been a hugely important race in terms of assessing Derby contenders, with 21 previous winners of the race later landing success in at least one Triple Crown race.

Among those include 15 that have won the Derby. The most recent to do the double was Always Dreaming in 2017. Maximum Security did also complete the double before his Derby win was removed following disqualification.

Blue Grass Stakes

The Kentucky Derby picture will become much clearer on April 5, with three huge prep races staged across the U.S.

The Blue Grass and Wood Memorial are run at Keeneland and Aqueduct, respectively, and the former is typically won by a smart type. This race is run over a distance of 1 1/8 miles, and horses aged three will be competing for a share of the $1 million purse.

Sierra Leone was the winner of the race in 2024, before running a solid race in defeat in the Derby. However, his season would end on a high point after securing Breeders’ Cup Classic success for the Chad Brown team.

Santa Anita Derby

The Santa Anita Derby is likely to be the crucial prep race to be staged on April 5, 2025, as it is typically contested between horses that will take high rank in the Derby picture.

Horses aged three will compete over a distance of 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita, and it has been run since 1935. Since its inception, the winner of the Santa Anita Derby has won the Kentucky Derby on ten occasions.

Furthermore, seven horses that were unsuccessful at Santa Anita have later scored at Churchill Downs. The most recent runner to have achieved success in both races was Bob Baffert’s Triple Crown-winner, Justify in 2018.

UAE Derby

The Road to the Kentucky Derby also boasts some lucrative opportunities for runners based outside of North America. The most notable of these comes in the form of the UAE Derby, which is also run on April 5.

This race has been staged since 2000, and a field of horses compete over a distance of 1 3/16 miles. It is one of the most lucrative prep races before the Derby, with the winner claiming their share of the $2.5 million purse.

It has been a race dominated by Japanese-raiders in recent years, with each of the last two taking their place in the Derby field. Last year’s winner was Forever Young, who won the UAE Derby before battling to a well-deserved third-place finish at Churchill Downs.