Given how things have gone in 2020, there is still some doubt as to when the 2021 Kentucky Derby will ultimately be run. The hope is that the upcoming COVID vaccine will allow us to return to some form of normalcy in the sport; which would include seeing the Derby return to its usual date in May.
For now, it’s business as usual in the Road to the Derby, with 36 races set to be run to determine the 20 horses that will race in the 2021 Kentucky Derby. We are still very early in the proceedings; although we do have a major race set to go this Saturday Dec. 5, with the Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct part of the 36-race qualification group. We will also have the Springboard Mile and the Los Alamitos Futurity to come this month before the calendar turns over into the new year.
The current setup sees 20 Prep Season races followed by 16 Championship Series races; with the latter group tending to be the one that separates the contenders from the pretenders. The top 4 finishers in each of the Road to the Derby races are awarded points that tally up over the course of the 36 races, with the top 20 moving on to the big race next May.
The Current Leaders in the Road to the Derby
The early leader in the standings is Essential Quality; who has amassed 30 points with wins at the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) and Breeders’ Futurity. Keepmeinmind moved to second in the standings with18 points after winning the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2). Rounding out the top 3 is Champagne (G1) winner Jackie’s Warrior with 12 points. Right behind the top trio is Get Her Number and Sittin on Go, both of whom have 10 points.
As we mentioned earlier; it is still very early in the qualification process, so we are more than likely going to see the leaders change and new challengers emerge in the coming weeks and months.
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