The Road to the 153rd Kentucky Derby (G1) begins this Saturday at Churchill Downs with the first of 36 prep races awarding qualifying points to the Run for the Roses on May 1.
The $300,000 Iroquois Stakes (G3) has been the opening event for years, with the top five finishers earning Derby points on a descending scale of 10-5-3-2-1.
The early prep season (20 races) runs until early March, with the points breakdown increasing as Derby Day moves closer. Then the championship season (16 races) runs through mid-April, with points increasing to 50-25-15-10-5 and to 100-50-25-15-10 for the top five finishers in each.
Winners of Championship Season preps virtually clinch a spot in the Derby field limited to 20 starters.
In addition, there’s the Japan Road to the Derby and the European-Middle East Road to the Derby, offering as many as three spots in the field.
A field of nine 2-year-olds is entered for the 1-mile Iroquois, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert’s undefeated Ellis Park Juvenile winner Salahudin. (Post time is 5:29 p.m. ET).
Salahudin, owned by Zedan Racing, won his debut by two lengths and then dominated the Ellis Park Juvenile by 4½ lengths. Uncle Mo's son will be ridden by Florent Geroux from post 7.
Blessed Flyer, trained by Mike Tomlinson, is the other stakes winner in the field. He’s also unbeaten in two starts, winning by a head in his debut at Keeneland on April 16 and by a head once again in the Bashford Manor Stakes at 31-1 odds in June. Brian Hernandez, Jr., has the call from post 2.
The rest of the field: Caribbean Life; Bearamour; Admiral’s Order; Real Goodbar; Antivenom; He Is No Lie; and Real Gone.
The $300,000 Pocahontas Stakes (G3) kicks off the road to Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on Saturday.
The Iroquois and Pocahontas are two of the five stakes races on the 11-race opening day card. The others are the Open Mind, the Louisville Thoroughbred Society, and the Locust Grove.
Manuka Honey, a seven-length winner of the Ellis Park Debutante, tops a field of nine for the 1-mile Pocahontas. Post time is 4:26 p.m. ET.
Trained by Brian Lynch, Manuka Honey is 2-0, winning in her debut by 7 ¼ lengths at Churchill Downs on June 20, followed by her dominant performance at Ellis Park on Aug. 9. Luis Saez rides and leaves from post 2.
Also entered: Pierette; Scarlett Begonia; Miss Anna; Stripe Show; Sweet Kathleen; Betty Sue; Miss Anna; For the Win; and Tahaluf.
The Pocahontas awards the top five finishers qualifying points on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale toward a spot in the Oaks.
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