Road to the 2022 Kentucky Derby: Points standings

Photo: Parker Waters/Eclipse Sportswire

Last weekend featured the biggest Kentucky Derby points race yet, the Risen Star (G2) at Fair Grounds. The race paid points in increments of 50-20-10-5 to the top four finishers.

Another major points prep is Saturday in the Rebel (G2) at Oaklawn. Below is a look at the Derby prep races so far. Note that horses trained by Bob Baffert are ineligible for points because of his Churchill Downs Inc. ban.

DateRaceTrackDistance1st-4th (points)
Sept. 18IroquoisCD1 1/16 milesMajor General (10), Tough to Tame (4), Red Knobs (2), Bourbon Heist (1)
Oct. 1American PharoahSA1 1/16 milesCorniche (0), Pappacap (4), Oviatt Class (2), Rockefeller (0)
Oct. 2ChampagneBELOne mileJack Christopher (10), Commandperformance (4), Wit (2), My Prankster (1)
Oct. 9Breeders' FuturityKEE1 1/16 milesRattle N Roll (10), Double Thunder (4), Classic Causeway (2), American Sanctuary (1)
Nov. 5Breeders' Cup JuvenileDMR1 1/16 milesCorniche (0), Pappacap (8), Giant Game (4), Commandperformance (2)
Nov. 27Kentucky Jockey ClubCD1 1/16 milesSmile Happy (10), Classic Causeway (4), White Abarrio (2), Ben Diesel (1)
Dec. 4RemsenAQU1 1/8 milesMo Donegal (10), Zandon (4), Midnight Chrome (2), Mr Jefferson (1)
Dec. 11Los Alamitos FuturityLRC1 1/16 milesSlow Down Andy (10), Messier (0), Barossa (0), Durante (1)
Dec. 17Springboard MileRPOne mileMake It Big (10), Osbourne (4), Concept (0), Classic Moment (0)
Dec. 26Gun RunnerFG1 1/16 milesEpicenter (10), Tejano Twist (4), Surfer Dude (2), Kevin's Folly (1)
Jan. 1JeromeAQUOne mileCourvoisier (10), Smarten UP (4), Cooke Creek (2), Unbridled Bomber (1)
Jan. 1Smarty JonesOPOne mileDash Attack (10), Barber Road (4), Ignitis (2), Kavod (1)
Jan. 1ShamSAOne mileNewgrange (0), Rockefeller (0), Oviatt Class (2), Mackinnon (1)
Jan. 22LecomteFG1 1/16 milesCall Me Midnight (10), Epicenter (4), Pappacap (2), Trafalgar (1)
Jan. 29SouthwestOP1 1/16 milesNewgrange (0), Barber Road, Ben Diesel (2), Kavod (1)
Feb. 5WithersAQU1 1/8 milesEarly Voting (10), Un Ojo (4), Gilded Age (2), Grantham (1)
Feb. 5Holy BullGP1 1/16 milesWhite Abarrio (10), Simplification (4), Mo Deonegal (2), Galt (1)
Feb. 6Robert B. LewisSA1 1/16 milesMessier (0), Cabo Spirit (4), Wharton (0), Sir London (1)
Feb. 12Sam F. DavisTAM1 1/16 milesClassic Causeway (10), Shipsational (4), Volcanic (2), Strike Hard (1)
Feb. 12El Camino Real DerbyGG1 1/8 milesBlackadder (0), Mackinnon (4), Del Mo (2), Il Bellator (1)
Feb. 19Risen StarFG1 1/8 milesEpicenter (50), Smile Happy (20), Zandon (10), Pioneer of Medina

In winning the Risen Star, Epicenter took a large lead in the points standings, with 64. Smile Happy, who finished second, moved to second with 30.

RankHorsePointsTrainerStakes earnings
  1Epicenter64Steve Asmussen$340,000
  2Smile Happy30Kenny McPeek$314,410
  3Classic Causeway16Brian Lynch$246,100
  4Pappacap14Mark Casse$562,000
  5Zandon14Chad Brown$90,000
  6White Abarrio12Saffie Joseph Jr.$186,850
  7Mo Donegal12Todd Pletcher$161,500
  8Rattle N Roll10Kenny McPeek$300,000
  9Jack Christopher10Chad Brown$275,000
10Make It Big10Saffie Joseph Jr.$240,000
11Slow Down Andy10Doug O'Neill$184,000
12Major General10Todd Pletcher$177,525
13Dash Attack10Kenny McPeek$172,500
14Early Voting10Chad Brown$137,500
15Call Me Midnight10Keith Desormeaux$123,500
16Courvoisier10Kelly Breen$83,750
17Barber Road8John Ortiz$239,700
18Commandperformance6Todd Pletcher$200,000
19Mackinnon5Doug O'Neill$296,000
20Pioneer of Medina5Todd Pletcher$16,000
21Giant Game4Dale Romans$182,500
22Simplification4Antonio Sano$140,070
23Cabo Spirit4George Papaprodromou$112,000
-Osbourne4Ron Moquett$82,143
24Tough to Tame4Chris Davis$57,750
25Un Ojo4Tony Dutrow$55,000
26Shipsational4Ed Barker$40,000
27Smarten Up4Alfredo Velazquez$31,250
28Ben Diesel3Dallas Stewart$94,650
29Wit2Todd Pletcher$202,500
30Kavod2Chris Hartman$198,500
31Cooke Creek2Jeremiah O'Dwyer$79,250
32Red Knobs2Dale Romans$53,075
33Midnight Chrome2Tyler Servis$32,500
34Gilded Age2Bill Mott$30,000
35Ignitis2Wayne Lukas$29,643
36Volcanic2Mark Casse$21,500
-Surfer Dude2Dallas Stewart$12,000
37Del Mo2Doug O'Neill$12,000
38My Prankster1Todd Pletcher$121,380
39American Sanctuary1Chris Davis$104,600
-Kevin's Folly1Tom Amoss$41,250
-Mr Jefferson1Mike Trombetta$17,750
40Grantham1Mike Maker$15,000
41Bourbon Heist1Ian Wilkes$14,438
42Unbridled Bomber1Jim Ryerson$10,250
43Trafalgar1Al Stall Jr.$12,000
44Sir London1Simon Callaghan$12,000
45Galt1Bill Mott$12,000
46Il Belator1Jose Bautista$6,000
47Strike Hard1Matthew Williams$4,250

Last week also included a prep race in Japan, the Hyacinth at Tokyo Racecourse. The 30-12-6-3 points race was won by Combustion, while Geraldo Barows finished second and Sea Vixen completed the trifecta.

Combustion, who is not Triple Crown nominated, is owned by Godolphin. The Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby concludes on March 26 at Nakayama with the Fukuryu, a 40-16-8-4 points prep.

PointsHorse
38Combustion
20Dry Stout
14Geraldo Barows
10Consigliere
  6Sea Vixen (f)
  4Cafe Karma
  4Praelude
  3El Paso
  2Sekifu
  1World Connector

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