Churchill Downs reveals preliminary schedule of prep races for Kentucky Derby qualifying

The Kentucky Derby was moved to Sept. 5 in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic

By Chris Bengel

May 12, 2020 at 1:01 pm ET • 2 min read

The coronavirus pandemic forced the 2020 Kentucky Derby to be rescheduled for Sept. 5. With the schedule adjustment, many of the prep races in which horses could earn points to qualify for the Triple Crown race will have to be altered. On Tuesday, Churchill Downs Racetrack released a preliminary list of races that could be used as the new prep races.

The first race of prep races will be the $150,000 Matt Winn Stakes, which takes place on May 23 at Churchill Downs.

"Based on measured interest from horsemen and limited racing opportunities for 3-year-olds across the country, the Matt Winn at the home of the Kentucky Derby appears to be the lone race in May on the national calendar for horsemen to use as a prep to possible important stakes engagements in mid-to-late June," Churchill Downs executive director of racing Mike Ziegler said. "For that reason, we're pleased to be able to fill the void and raise the significance of the Matt Winn."

Among the races that are being potentially added:

East: Haskell (100-40-20-10) and Pegasus (20-8-4-2) at Monmouth Park.
Midwest: Matt Winn (50-20-10-5); Indiana Derby (20-8-4-2); Blue Grass (100-40-20-10); and Ellis Park Derby (50-20-10-5).
West: Santa Anita Derby (100-40-20-10); Los Alamitos Derby (20-8-4-2); and Del Mar's Shared Belief (50-20-10-5).

Once the New York Racing Association announces their stakes schedule, these races could be added to the series.

Due to the uncertainty that has been created around the sport due to COVID-19, all of the races are subject to change. In addition, the point values are subject to readjustment based on their proximity to the three Triple Crown races.

The following races have been added to the Road to the Kentucky Oaks:

East: Delaware Oaks (50-20-10-5) and Monmouth Oaks (50-20-10-5).
Midwest: Dogwood (20-8-4-2); Indiana Oaks (20-8-4-2); Ashland (100-40-20-10); and Beaumont (20-8-4-2).
West: Santa Anita Oaks (100-40-20-10).

The horse racing calendar has been affected in a huge way by the coronavirus pandemic. While the Kentucky Derby is scheduled for Sept. 5, the Preakness and Belmont Stakes don't have a rescheduled date at this point in time. If the Triple Crown races have a rescheduled date prior to the Kentucky Derby, the top four Kentucky Derby finishers will receive 150, 60, 30, and 15 points respectively towards the Preakness and Belmont Stakes..

"We're in the midst of an unprecedented year, and this year's Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown will be one of the most memorable of our lifetimes," Ziegler added. "There are a lot of moving parts and there are still a lot of unanswered questions, including who will be running and when. We've had great conversations with our partner racetracks and believe we've identified the best extension to a most unique Road to the Kentucky Derby. This will continue to evolve, including date placement, as host tracks firm up their plans."