As it was last week with The Road to the Kentucky Oaks, so it was this past weekend for The Road to the Kentucky Derby, with Phase One coming to a conclusion. Phase One, a.k.a. The Kentucky Derby Prep Season, consisted of nineteen races, each run at a distance of at least eight furlongs. Phase One began back in September with the running of the Royal Lodge Stakes at Newmarket, and ended with the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park on Presidents Day.
During Phase One, points were awarded in each of the nineteen races on a 10-4-2-1 scale; that is, the Winner of each race received ten points, the Place horse received four points; the Show horse received two points; and the horse at the bottom of the Superfecta received one point. Full standings can be viewed here.
Since earnings in non-restricted stakes races serve as a tie-breaker, the current Road leader is Shanghai Bobby, trained by Todd Pletcher (the same man who trains the filly sitting atop The Road to the Kentucky Oaks leader board, Kauai Katie). Shanghai Bobby currently has twenty-four points, earned via victories in The Champagne Stakes and The Breeders' Cup Juvenile, along with a Place finish in The Holy Bull Stakes.
Sitting right behind Shanghai Bobby with an identical twenty-four points (but fewer non-restricted stakes earnings) is Goldencents (of whom we wrote on this blog shortly after his debut). Goldencents is trained by Doug O'Neill, who trained last year's Derby winner, I'll Have Another. Goldencents obtained his two dozen points by crossing the finish line first in both The Delta Downs Jackpot Stakes and The Sham Stakes, while taking the Place behind Shanghai Bobby in The Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Shanghai Bobby and Goldencents were the only two horses to gain multiple victories during Phase One; however, their combined point total is currently less than that to be earned by a single win during Phase Two.
Phase Two, a.k.a. the first leg of The Kentucky Derby Championship Series, consists of eight races where points will be rewarded on a 50-20-10-5 scale. Phase Two kicks off this Saturday with The Risen Star Stakes at Louisiana's Fair Grounds, along with The Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
Phase Three, a.k.a. the second leg of The Kentucky Derby Championship Series, will have a point scale double that of Phase Two; i.e., 100-40-20-10. Seven races comprise Phase Three; three of those seven will be contested on March 30. Finally, The Road ends with a pair of Wildcard Races: The Lexington Stakes at Keeneland on April 20; and The Derby Trial at Churchill Downs one week later. Points in the Wildcard Races will be awarded on a 20-8-4-2 scale.
Peace and Love,
Jimbo
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