2018 Road to the Kentucky Derby
The 2018 Road to the Kentucky Derby was a series of races through which horses qualified for the 2018 Kentucky Derby, which was held on May 5. The field for the Derby was limited to 20 horses, with up to four 'also eligibles' in case of a late withdrawal from the field. There were three separate paths for horses to take to qualify for the Derby: the main Road consisting of 34 races in North America plus one in Dubai, the Japan Road consisting of three races in Japan, and a new European Road consisting of seven races in England, Ireland and France.
The races in the Road to the Kentucky Derby were held from September 2017 through April 2018. The top four finishers in the specified races earned points, with the highest point values awarded in the major preparatory races held in late March or early April. Earnings in non-restricted stakes acted as a tie breaker.
Changes from 2017 series
For 2018, several changes were made from the 2017 series:- Race changes: Added the Springboard Mile to the main series. Added a third race to the Japan series.
- Points system changes: Jeff Ruby Steaks, formally the Spiral Stakes moved to a "Wild Card" race, along with the Lexington Stakes. Points for these races will now be awarded on 20-8-4-2 basis, which is a decrease for the Jeff Ruby and an increase for the Lexington
- Rules changes: European Road to the Kentucky Derby introduced on a similar basis to the Japan Road. Consists of seven races, four of them on the turf and three on a synthetic surface.
Main Road to the Kentucky Derby
Standings
The following table shows the points earned in the eligible races for the main series. Entries for the Derby were taken on May 1.| Rank | Horse | Points | Eligible Earnings | Trainer | Owner | Ref |
| 1 | Magnum Moon | 150 | $1,140,000 | Todd Pletcher | Lawana & Robert Low | |
| 2 | Good Magic | 134 | $1,838,400 | Chad Brown | e Five Racing & Stonestreet Stables | |
| 3 | Audible | 110 | $803,520 | Todd Pletcher | WinStar Farm, China Horse Club & SF Racing | |
| 4 | Noble Indy | 110 | $640,000 | Todd Pletcher | WinStar Farm & Repole Stable | |
| 5 | Vino Rosso | 107 | $572,500 | Todd Pletcher | Repole & St Elias Stables | |
| 6 | Bolt d'Oro | 104 | $980,000 | Mick Ruis | Ruis Racing | |
| 7 | Enticed | 103 | $545,880 | Kiaran McLaughlin | Godolphin Racing | |
| 8 | Mendelssohn | 100 | $1,947,299 | Aidan O'Brien | Smith, Magnier & Tabor | |
| 9 | Justify | 100 | $600,000 | Bob Baffert | China Horse Club, Head of Plains Partners, WinStar Farm, Starlight Racing | |
| bypassing | Quip | 90 | $412,000 | Rodolphe Brisset | WinStar Farm, China Horse Club & SF Racing | |
| 10 | Flameaway | 70 | $672,260 | Mark Casse | John Oxley | |
| 11 | Solomini | 54 | $716,000 | Bob Baffert | Zayat Stables | |
| 12 | Bravazo | 54 | $359,913 | D. Wayne Lukas | Calumet Farm | |
| 13 | My Boy Jack | 52 | $622,000 | J. Keith Desormeaux | Don't Tell My Wife and Monomoy Stables | |
| 14 | Promises Fulfilled | 52 | $266,480 | Dale Romans | Robert Baron | |
| injured | Runaway Ghost | 50 | $456,350 | Todd Fincher | Joe Peacock | |
| 15 | Free Drop Billy | 44 | $597,200 | Dale Romans | Albaugh Family Stables | |
| 16 | Lone Sailor | 42 | $273,347 | Thomas Amoss | Tom Benson | |
| bypassing | Rayya | 40 | $600,000 | Doug Watson | Rashid bin Humaid al Nuaimi | |
| injured | McKinzie | 40 | $320,000 | Bob Baffert | Watson, Pegram & Wellman | |
| 17 | Hofburg | 40 | $192,000 | William I. Mott | Juddmonte Farms | |
| 18 | Firenze Fire | 39 | $647,500 | Jason Servis | Mr. Amore Stable | |
| 19 | Combatant | 32 | $350,000 | Steve Asmussen | Winchell Thoroughbreds & Willis Horton Racing | |
| 20 | Instilled Regard | 29 | $246,000 | Jerry Hollendorfer | OXO Equine LLC | |
| injured | Catholic Boy | 24 | $378,000 | Jonathan Thomas | Robert LaPenta | |
| bypassing | Snapper Sinclair | 22 | $301,810 | Steve Asmussen | Bloom Racing | |
| 21 | Blended Citizen | 22 | $159,644 | Doug O'Neill | Greg Hall & Sayjay Racing | |
| bypassing | Reride | 20 | $298,000 | Steve Asmussen | Winchell Thoroughbreds | |
| Strike Power | 20 | $209,560 | Mark Hennig | Courtland Farms | ||
| Dream Baby Dream | 20 | $176,000 | Steve Asmussen | Dream Baby Dream Racing Stable | ||
| not nominated | Core Beliefs | 20 | $120,000 | Peter Eurton | Gary Broad | |
| Restoring Hope | 20 | $100,000 | Bob Baffert | Gary and Mary West | ||
| Old Time Revival | 20 | $100,000 | Kenneth Decker | Fred Brei | ||
| Mississippi | 20 | $96,000 | Mark Casse | Magnier, Tabor, Oxley, Smith and Jooste | ||
| Peace | 15 | $123,000 | Richard Mandella | Spendthrift Farm & Town and Country Racing | ||
| injured | Avery Island | 14 | $320,000 | Kiaran McLaughlin | Godolphin Racing | |
| Sporting Chance | 12 | $337,000 | D. Wayne Lukas | Robert Baker & William Mack | ||
| Greyvitos | 12 | $310,000 | Adam Kitchingman | Triple B Farms | ||
| Givemeaminit | 12 | $196,000 | Thomas Amoss | Valleen Farms | ||
| Pony Up | 12 | $101,580 | Todd Pletcher | Calumet Farm | ||
| euthanized | Mourinho | 11 | $143,360 | Bob Baffert | Phoenix Thoroughbred III | |
| Gold Town | 10 | $251,342 | Charlie Appleby | Godolphin | ||
| not nominated | The Tabulator | 10 | $186,750 | Larry Rivelli | Carolyn Wilson | |
| not nominated | Paved | 10 | $60,000 | Michael McCarthy | Ciaglia Racing & Eclipse Thoroughbred | |
| Kanthaka | 10 | $168,000 | Jerry Hollendorfer | West Point Thoroughbreds | ||
| World of Trouble | 10 | $145,000 | Jason Servis | Michael Dubb & Bethlehem Stables | ||
| Lombo | 10 | $90,345 | Michael Pender | Michael Lombardi | ||
| Seven Trumpets | 9 | $80,000 | Dale Romans | West Point Thoroughbreds | ||
| Telekinesis | 8 | $40,000 | Mark Casse | Stonestreet Stables LLC | ||
| Tiz Mischief | 6 | $80,900 | Dale Romans | Frank Jones Jr. | ||
| Ayacara | 5 | $71,345 | J. Keith Desormeaux | Charles & Cynthia Marquis | ||
| Title Ready | 5 | $45,000 | Steve Asmussen | Charles Fipke | ||
| Machismo | 5 | $19,200 | Anthony Quartarolo | Looch Racing & Quartarolo | ||
| not nominated | City Plan | 4 | $67,346 | Eoin Harty | Godolphin Racing | |
| Arawak | 4 | $63,156 | Doug O'Neill | 3R Racing, S. Kah & C T R Stables | ||
| All Out Blitz | 4 | $56,000 | Simon Callaghan | Kareem Shah, Inc. | ||
| Principe Guilherme | 4 | $44,000 | Steve Asmussen | Three Chimneys Farm | ||
| Coltandmississippi | 3 | $31,137 | Todd Pletcher | Teresa Viola Racing and St Elias Stable | ||
| euthanized | Ten City | 2 | $83,300 | Kenneth McPeek | Tommie Lewis & Magdalena Racing | |
| not nominated | Tap Daddy | 2 | $65,000 | Steve Asmussen | Winchell Thoroughbreds | |
| not nominated | Kingsville | 2 | $44,000 | Danny Pish | Armstrong, Saenz & Pish | |
| Vouch | 2 | $25,000 | Arnaud Delacour | Lael Stables & Three Chimneys Farm | ||
| Dark Vader | 2 | $50,000 | Peter Eurton | Alesia, Burns Racing, Ciaglia Racing & Christensen | ||
| Marconi | 2 | $36,520 | Todd Pletcher | Bridlewood Farm, Magnier, Smith & Tabor | ||
| Take the One O One | 2 | $36,345 | J. Keith Desormeaux | Jay Em Ess Stable | ||
| not nominated | Zanesville | 2 | $9,600 | Thomas Amoss | Rosemont Farms | |
| not nominated | Kowboy Karma | 1 | $90,000 | J. Larry Jones | Jones, Jones & Pressley | |
| not nominated | Bode's Maker | 1 | $27,500 | Allen Milligan | Keane Thoroughbreds | |
| Zing Zang | 1 | $26,600 | Steve Asmussen | Jackpot Ranch | ||
| not nominated | Night Strike | 1 | $26,000 | W. Bret Calhoun | Erich Brehm | |
| Lionite | 1 | $25,000 | Steve Asmussen | Winchell Thor. and Willis Horton Racing | ||
| For Him | 1 | $24,000 | Michael Pender | Michael Lombardy | ||
| High North | 1 | $17,200 | Brad Cox | Shortleaf Stable | ||
| not nominated | Alkhaatam | 1 | $12,500 | Chad Brown | Shadwell Stable | |
| not nominated | Mugaritz | 1 | $11,840 | Jonathan Wong | Alejandro Mercado | |
| not nominated | Ebben | 1 | $10,671 | Steve Margolis | Craig Agular | |
| Regulate | 1 | $9,000 | Bob Baffert | Juddmonte Farms | ||
| not nominated | Regalian | 1 | $7,500 | Chris Engelhart | Island Wind Racing | |
| Shivermetimbers | 1 | $6,000 | Jerry Hollendorfer | M. DeDomenico and West Point Thor. |
Winner of Kentucky Derby in bold
- Entrants for Kentucky Derby in blue
- "Also eligible" for Kentucky Derby in green
- Sidelined/Not under Derby Consideration/Not nominated in gray
Prep season events
Championship series events
First leg of series
Note: 1st=50 points; 2nd=20 points; 3rd=10 points; 4th=5 points| Race | Distance | Purse | Grade | Track | Date | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Ref |
| Risen Star | miles | $400,000 | 2 | Fair Grounds | Feb 17 2018 | Bravazo | Snapper Sinclair | Noble Indy | Instilled Regard | |
| Fountain of Youth | miles | $400,000 | 2 | Gulfstream | Mar 3 2018 | Promises Fulfilled | Strike Power | Good Magic | Machismo | |
| Tampa Bay Derby | miles | $355,000 | 2 | Tampa Bay | Mar 10 2018 | Quip | Flameaway | World of Trouble | Vino Rosso | |
| Gotham | 1 mile | $300,000 | 3 | Aqueduct | Mar 10 2018 | Enticed | Old Time Revival | Free Drop Billy | Firenze Fire | |
| San Felipe | miles | $400,690 | 2 | Santa Anita | Mar 10 2018 | Bolt d'Oro | McKinzie | Kanthaka | Peace | |
| Rebel | miles | $900,000 | 2 | Oaklawn | Mar 17 2018 | Magnum Moon | Solomini | Combatant | Title Ready | |
| Sunland Derby | miles | $800,000 | 3 | Sunland Park | Mar 25 2018 | Runaway Ghost | Dream Baby Dream | Peace | Seven Trumpets |
Second leg of series
These races are the major preps for the Kentucky Derby, and are thus weighted more heavily. Note: 1st=100 points; 2nd=40 points; 3rd=20 points; 4th=10 points| Race | Distance | Purse | Grade | Track | Date | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Ref |
| Louisiana Derby | miles | $1,000,000 | 2 | Fair Grounds | Mar 24 2018 | Noble Indy | Lone Sailor | My Boy Jack | Givemeamint | |
| UAE Derby | 1,900 metres | $2,000,000 | 2 | Meydan | Mar 31 2018 | Mendelssohn | Rayya | Reride | Gold Town | |
| Florida Derby | miles | $1,100,000 | 1 | Gulfstream | Mar 31 2018 | Audible | Hofburg | Mississippi | Catholic Boy | |
| Wood Memorial | miles | $1,000,000 | 2 | Aqueduct | Apr 7 2018 | Vino Rosso | Enticed | Restoring Hope | Firenze Fire | |
| Blue Grass Stakes | miles | $1,000,000 | 2 | Keeneland | Apr 7 2018 | Good Magic | Flameaway | Free Drop Billy | Sporting Chance | |
| Santa Anita Derby | miles | $1,000,345 | 1 | Santa Anita | Apr 7 2018 | Justify | Bolt d'Oro | Core Beliefs | Instilled Regard | |
| Arkansas Derby | miles | $1,000,000 | 1 | Oaklawn Park | Apr 14 2018 | Magnum Moon | Quip | Solomini | Combatant |
"Wild Card" events
Note: 1st=20 points; 2nd=8 points; 3rd=4 points; 4th=2 point| Race | Distance | Purse | Track | Date | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Ref |
| Spiral | miles | $202,400 | Turfway | Mar 17 2018 | Blended Citizen | Pony Up | Arawak | Zanesville | |
| Lexington | miles | $200,000 | Keeneland | Apr 14 2018 | My Boy Jack | Telekinesis | Pony Up | Greyvitos |
Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby
The Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby is intended to provide a place in the Derby starting gate to the top finisher in the series. If the connections of that horse decline the invitation, their place is offered to the second-place finisher and so on through the top four finishers. If neither of the top four accept, this place in the starting gate reverts to the horses on the main road to the Derby. Eligible Earnings, defined as career earnings through April 14, 2018, serves as the tie-break if two or more horses have the same number of points. For 2018, none of the invitations was accepted.Qualification Table
The top four horses are eligible to participate in the Kentucky Derby provided the horse is nominated.| Rank | Horse | Points | Eligible Earnings | Trainer | Owner | Ref |
| 1^ | Sumahama | 30 | $291,287 | R. Takahashi | Sanshisuimei Co. Ltd. | |
| 2~ | Ruggero | 16 | $220,861 | Y. Shikato | Takashi Muraki | |
| 3~ | Taiki Ferveur | 12 | $240,689 | M. Makiura | U. Taiki Farm | |
| 4^ | Le Vent Se Leve | 10 | $463,935 | K. Hagiwara | G1 Racing Co. | |
| 5 | Don Fortis | 4 | $436,916 | M. Makiura | K. Yamada | |
| 6 | Mic Ben Hur | 4 | $122,696 | Y. Hatakeyama | Kiratto One Co., Ltd. | |
| 7 | Great Time | 3 | $186,586 | Hideaki Fujiwara | Kaneko Makoto Holdings Co. Ltd. | |
| 8 | Haseno Pyro | 2 | $263,981 | K. Sato | F. Hasegawa | |
| 9 | Meiner Yukitsubaki | 2 | $179,190 | N. Takagi | K. Thoroughbred Club Ruffian | |
| 10 | Dark Repulser | 1 | $200,920 | T. Kanari | Akira Katayama | |
| 11 | Bronze Key | 1 | $75,979 | K. Tsunoda | Hiroshi Hatasa |
^ - not nominated
~ - declined offer to participate
Events
| Race | Distance | Track | Date | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Ref |
| Cattleya Sho | 1,600 metres | Tokyo Racecourse | Nov 25 2017 | Ruggero | Mic Ben Hur | Meiner Yukitsubaki | Bronze Key | |
| Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun | 1,600 metres | Kawasaki Racecourse | Dec 13 2017 | Le Vent Se Leve | Don Fortis | Haseno Pyro | Dark Repulser | |
| Hyacinth | 1,600 metres | Tokyo Racecourse | Feb 18 2018 | Sumahama | Taiki Ferveur | Ruggero | Great Time |
Note: Cattleya Sho and Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun: 1st=10 points; 2nd=4 points; 3rd=2 points; 4th=1 points
Note: Hyacinth: 1st=30 points; 2nd=12 points; 3rd=6 points; 4th=3 points
European Road to the Kentucky Derby
The European Road to the Kentucky Derby is designed on a similar basis to the Japan Road and is intended to provide a place in the Derby starting gate to the top finisher in the series. If the connections of that horse decline the invitation, their place is offered to the second-place finisher and so on. If neither of the top four accept, this place in the starting gate reverts to the horses on the main road to the Derby. Eligible Earnings, defined as non-restricted stakes earnings through April 14, 2018, serves as the tie-break if two or more horses have the same number of points. If non-restricted stakes earnings happen to be identical, career earnings through April 14, 2018 would be used to break the tie.The series consists of seven races – four run on the turf in late 2017 when the horses are age two, plus three races run on a synthetic surface in early 2018.
Qualification Table
The following table shows the points earned in the eligible races for the European series. The top four horses were eligible for the invitation to participate in the Kentucky Derby, provided the horse was nominated. The connections of Gronkowski, who finished first with 50 points, accepted the invitation but Gronkowski subsequently became ill and had to miss the race. The second place finisher, Mendelssohn, separately qualified on the main Road by winning the UAE Derby.| Rank | Horse | Points | Eligible Earnings | Trainer | Owner | Ref |
| 1 - ill | Gronkowski | 50 | $99,945 | Jeremy Noseda | Phoenix Thoroughbreds | |
| 2 - qualified on main Road | Mendelssohn | 20 | $1,947,299 | Aidan O'Brien | Smith, Magnier & Tabor | |
| 3 - not nominated | Saxon Warrior | 20 | $245,017 | Aidan O'Brien | Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier & Michael Tabor | |
| 4 - not nominated | Roaring Lion | 14 | $136,807 | John Gosden | Qatar Racing Limited | |
| Iconic Sunset | 12 | $30,139 | James Tate | Saeed Manana | ||
| Happily | 10 | $543,648 | Aidan O'Brien | Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier & Michael Tabor | ||
| Threeandfourpence | 8 | $53,150 | Aidan O'Brien | Smith, Magnier & Tabor | ||
| Court House | 8 | John Gosden | Princess Haya of Jordan | |||
| Dark Acclaim | 6 | $30,139 | Marco Botti | Middleham Park Racing & Partners | ||
| Seahenge | 4 | $144,705 | Aidan O'Brien | Smith, Magnier & Tabor | ||
| Olmedo | 4 | $113,505 | Jean-Claude Rouget | Ecurie Antonio Caro & Gerard Augustin-Normand | ||
| Nelson | 4 | $99,826 | Aidan O'Brien | Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier & Michael Tabor | ||
| Delano Roosevelt | 4 | $38,074 | Aidan O'Brien | Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier & Michael Tabor | ||
| Fortune's Pearl | 4 | $1,800 | Andrew Balding | Qatar Racing Limited | ||
| Purser | 3 | $19,215 | John Gosden | Prince Khalid Abdullah | ||
| Masar | 2 | $101,264 | Charles Appleby | Godolphin Racing LLC | ||
| The Pentagon | 2 | $71,981 | Aidan O'Brien | Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier & Michael Tabor | ||
| Mildenberger | 2 | $64,634 | Mark Johnston | Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum | ||
| Warm The Voice | 2 | $12,904 | Brendan Duke | Mrs. J.S. Bolger | ||
| Ventura Knight | 2 | $33,654 | Mark Johnston | Middleham Park Racing XXXVII | ||
| Blackgold Fairy | 2 | $15,164 | Michael Halford | Zhang Yuesheng | ||
| Verbal Dexterity | 1 | $280,269 | Jim Bolger | Mrs. J.S. Bolger | ||
| Kew Gardens | 1 | $58,741 | Aidan O'Brien | Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier & Michael Tabor | ||
| Woodmax | 1 | $23,610 | Nicolas Clement | M J Jooste | ||
| Petrus | 1 | $11,454 | Brian Meehan | GPM Moreland |
Events
| Race | Location | Distance | Track | Date | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Ref |
| Beresford Stakes | IRE | 1 mile | Curragh Racecourse | Sep 24 2017 | Saxon Warrior | Delano Roosevelt | Warm The Voice | Kew Gardens | |
| Royal Lodge Stakes | GB | 1 mile | Newmarket Racecourse | Sep 30 2017 | Roaring Lion | Nelson | Mildenberger | Petrus | |
| Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère | FR | Chantilly Racecourse | Oct 1 2017 | Happily | Olmedo | Masar | Woodmax | ||
| Racing Post Trophy | GB | 1 mile | Doncaster Racecourse | Oct 28 2017 | Saxon Warrior | Roaring Lion | The Pentagon | Verbal Dexterity | |
| Road to the Kentucky Derby Stakes | GB | 1 mile | Kempton Park Racecourse | Mar 7 2018 | Gronkowski | Court House | Fortune's Pearl | Ventura Knight | |
| Patton Stakes | IRE | 1 mile | Dundalk Racecourse | Mar 9 2018 | Mendelssohn | Threeandfourpence | Seahenge | Blackgold Fairy | |
| Burradon Stakes | GB | Newcastle Racecourse | Mar 30 2018 | Gronkowski | Iconic Sunset | Dark Acclaim | Purser |
Points offered:
- the four races in 2017 for two-year-olds: 1st=10 points; 2nd=4 points; 3rd=2 points; 4th=1 points
- the first two races in 2018: 1st=20 points; 2nd=8 points; 3rd=4 points; 4th=2 points
- the Burradon Stakes: 1st=30 points; 2nd=12 points; 3rd=6 points; 4th=3 points