The $500,000 Virginia Derby held at 1 1/8 miles on filth March 15 throughout a particular four-day spring meet at Colonial Downs has been added to the Highway to the Kentucky Derby Championship Collection, the collection of choose races that can decide the desire record for the 151st Kentucky Derby Introduced by Woodford Reserve Could 3, 2025.
The Virginia Derby will probably be staged seven weeks prematurely of the $5 million Kentucky Derby, a spot on the racing calendar that was beforehand void of any qualifying races. The race will award 105 factors to the highest 5 finishers, together with 50 factors to the winner.
The Highway to the Kentucky Derby, which debuted in 2013, yearly awards a sliding scale of factors to the highest 5 ending positions in choose qualifying races. On the conclusion of the collection, the leaderboard will decide the desire record for entries into the 20-horse Kentucky Derby – the 1 ¼-mile traditional for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds yearly held on the primary Saturday in Could at Churchill Downs.
At the very least 20 horses have entered the Run for the Roses in 23 of the final 26 years.
The 1 1/16-mile Virginia Oaks will probably be run on the Virginia Derby undercard and turn out to be a qualifier on the 33-race Highway to the Kentucky Oaks collection, which awards factors to 3-year-old fillies to qualify for the 151st Longines Kentucky Oaks at 1 1/8 miles Could 2, 2025.
The Highway to the Kentucky Derby will start Sept. 14 on the dwelling of America’s biggest race as Churchill Downs levels the 43rd working of the $300,000 Iroquois Stakes for 2-year-olds at one mile on opening weekend of its 14-day September Meet.
Along with the first 36-race Highway to the Kentucky Derby collection, there are two separate collection that carve out potential spots for worldwide horses from Japan, Europe, and the United Arab of Emirates.
The European Highway to the Kentucky Derby has been rebranded because the Euro/Mideast Highway to the Kentucky Derby. The April 5 UAE Derby has been faraway from America’s main Highway to the Kentucky Derby and can now conclude this newly rebranded stand-alone collection that can carve out two Kentucky Derby invites to the highest level earners. Moreover, the Cardinal Situation Stakes at Chelmsford Metropolis has been faraway from the collection and, as an alternative, the winner will obtain an automated berth within the beginning gate for the American Turf Stakes on the Kentucky Derby undercard.
No adjustments had been made to the stand-alone Japan Highway to the Kentucky Derby. Six horses primarily based in Japan have competed within the Derby for the reason that collection debuted in 2017, together with this yr’s third-place finisher Endlessly Younger.
Two different rule adjustments have been instituted. Within the occasion a Championship Collection race on the Highway to the Kentucky Derby or Kentucky Oaks is run with a five-horse subject, solely 75% of the factors will probably be proportionally awarded. A Championship Collection race subject with 4 or fewer horses will probably be proportionally awarded 50% of the full factors.
The total schedule for the Highway to the Kentucky Derby and Oaks may be considered on-line.
