LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The road to the 150th Kentucky Derby takes many horses across the United States. From New York to Florida to California and in between, trainers gear up their horses in prep races to build up points and qualify for a trip to Churchill Downs.
Officially, that journey starts in September with the Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs and runs all the way to the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland in mid-April.
Below is a list of the most prominent Derby prep races with results and full replay videos. And to see the real-time Derby points standings, click here.
Smarty Jones Stakes: Jan. 1 at Oaklawn Park
- Win: Catching Freedom (Brad Cox)
- Place: Just Steel
- Show: Informed Patriot
Holy Bull Stakes: Feb. 3 at Oaklawn Park
- Win: Mystik Dan (Kenny McPeek)
- Place: Just Steel
- Show: Liberal Arts
Robert B. Lewis Sakes: Feb. 3 at Santa Anita Park
- Win: Nysos (Bob Baffert)
- Place: Wine Me Up
- Show: Scatify
Sam F. Davis Stakes: Feb. 10 at Tampa Bay Downs
- Win: No More Time (Jose Francisco D'Angelo)
- Place: Agate Road
- Show: West Saratoga
Risen Star Stakes: Feb. 17 at Fair Grounds Race Course
- Win: Sierra Leone (Chad C. Brown)
- Place: Track Phantom
- Show: Catching Freedom
Rebel Stakes: Feb. 24 at Oaklawn Park
- Win: Timberlake (Brad Cox)
- Place: Common Defense
- Show: Northern Flame
John Mattaglia Memorial: March 2 at Turfway Park
- Win: Encino (Brad Cox)
- Place: Epic Ride
- Show: Blue Eyed George
Fountain of Youth Stakes: March 2 at Gulfstream Park
- Win: Dornoch (Danny Gargan)
- Place: Le Dom Bro
- Show: Frankie's Empire
Gotham Stakes: March 2 at Aqueduct
- Win: Deterministic (Christophe Clement)
- Place: Just a Touch
- Show: El Grande O
San Felipe Stakes: March 2 at Santa Anita Park
- Win: Imagination (Bob Baffert)
- Place: Wine Me Up
- Show: Mc Vay
Bob Baffert stablemates #5 IMAGINATION ($3.80) and #2 Wine Me Up slugged it out down the stretch, but the former got a nose down on the line to win Santa Anita's $300,000 G2 San Felipe Stakes under @FrankieDettori! pic.twitter.com/qiNhshsuNg
— TVG (@TVG) March 3, 2024
Tamp Bay Derby: March 9 at Tampa Bay Downs
- Win: Domestic Product (Chad C. Brown)
- Place: No More Time
- Show: Grand Mo the First
Louisiana Derby: March 23 at Fair Grounds
- Win: Catching Freedom (Brad Cox)
- Place: Honor Marie
- Show: Tuscan Gold
Jeff Ruby Steaks: March 23
- Win: Endlessly (Michael McCarthy)
- Place: West Saratoga
- Show: Seize the Grey
UAE Derby: March 30
- Win: Forever Young (Yoshito Yahagi)
- Place: Auto Bahn
- Show: Pandagate
Arkansas Derby: March 30
- Win: Muth (Bob Baffert)
- Place: Just Steel
- Show: Mystik Dan
Florida Derby: March 30
- Win: Fierceness (Todd Pletcher)
- Place: Catalytic
- Show: Grand Mo the First
Santa Anita Derby: April 6
- Win: Stronghold (Phillip D'Amato)
- Place: Imagination
- Show: EJ Won the Cup
Blue Grass Stakes: April 6
- Win: Sierra Leone (Chad C. Brown)
- Place: Just A Touch
- Show: Epic Ride
Wood Memorial: April 6
- Win: Resilience (William Mott)
- Place: Society Man
- Show: Protective
Lexington Stakes: April 13
- Win: Encino (Brad Cox)
- Place: The Wine Steward
- Show: Dilger
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