The Road to the Kentucky Derby Condition Stakes is a one-mile all-weather race for three-year-old horses held at Kempton Park in Great Britain. As part of the European/Middle East Road to the Kentucky Derby, the Conditions Stakes awards qualifying points that count toward an invitation to compete in the Kentucky Derby.
The 2026 Road to the Kentucky Derby Condition Stakes is scheduled for February 25, placing it early in the European/Middle East Derby prep season and giving contenders a key early chance to earn points on synthetic surface before turf and dirt preps intensify.
Past winners of the Road to the Kentucky Derby Condition Stakes include British and international runners who demonstrated early seasonal form on all-weather surfaces prior to moving on to other Derby prep races or regional targets.
| Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Opera Ballo | William Buick | Charlie Appleby | 1:38.16 |
| 2024 | Notable Speech | William Buick | Charlie Appleby | 1:39.23 |
| 2023 | Brave Emperor | Luke Morris | Archie Watson | 1:39.76 |
| 2022 | Blue Trail | James Doyle | Charlie Appleby | 1:39.11 |
| 2021 | Highland Avenue | Hollie Doyle | Charlie Appleby | 1:38.12 |
| 2020 | Chares | J. F. Egan | Jane Chapple-Hyam | 1:39.47 |
As part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby, the race awards points on a 20-10-6-4-2 scale to the top five finishers and often provides a meaningful early indicator of which European-based three-year-olds are preparing seriously for the international Derby trail.
For online horse betting, this race is important because all-weather tracks can highlight horses with tactical speed and adaptability, traits that matter when evaluating international contenders for longer and more demanding Derby prep races later in the season.
