Road to Kentucky Derby 2023: Standings after 9 prep races
Again this year, qualifying points are being left on the table in the American road to Kentucky Derby 2023.
The Remington Springboard Mile offered 10 points to the winner and 4-3-2-1 to the next four finishers. But Wildatlanticstorm earned no points for his victory, and Giant Mischief got none for second, because they used Lasix, which is not allowed in the Kentucky Derby or for points-earning horses in its designated prep races.
Horses trained by Bob Baffert also earned no Derby points because of his suspension from Churchill Downs, which he has been appealing. These include Cave Rock, who would have had 22 points and would be second on the leaderboard.
As it is, Forte is the leader in terms of points at 40 and in the tie-breaking, non-restricted stakes earnings at $1,545,650. The son of Violence won the Breeders' Futurity (G1) and Breeders' Cup Juvenile for trainer Todd Pletcher.
By comparison, Rich Strike got into the gate at Churchill Downs with 21 qualifying points and after several defections. That was under the old system that awarded points only to the top four eligible horses in each prep. This is the first year when the top five may earn points.
Here are the points standings after Saturday's races.
| Horse | Points | Trainer | Earnings * |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Forte | 40 | Todd Pletcher | $1,545,650 |
| 2. Curly Jack | 17 | Tom Amoss | $348,120 |
| 3. Blazing Sevens | 16 | Chad Brown | $411,000 |
| 4. Instant Coffee | 12 | Brad Cox | $265,065 |
| 5. Dubyhnell | 10 | Danny Gargan | $137,500 |
| 6. Practical Move | 10 | Tim Yakteen | $132,000 |
| 7. Hayes Strike | 5 | Kenny McPeek | $91,750 |
| 8. Red Route One | 5 | Steve Asmussen | $78,375 |
| 9. Loggins | 4 | Brad Cox | $106,500 |
| 10. Verifying | 4 | Brad Cox | $140,000 |
| 11. Honed | 4 | Kenny McPeek | $65,700 |
| 12. Arctic Arrogance | 4 | Linda Rice | $50,000 |
| 13. Gulfport | 3 | Steve Asmussen | $267,070 |
| 14. Tuskegee Airmen | 3 | John Servis | $90,000 |
| 15. Echo Again | 3 | Steve Asmussen | $46,625 |
| 16. Jace's Road | 3 | Brad Cox | $29,100 |
| 17. Andiamao a Firenze | 2 | Kelly Breen | $51,000 |
| 18. Gunflash | 2 | Karl Broberg | $24,000 |
| 19. Quick to Accuse | 2 | Horacio De Paz | $15,000 |
| 20. Tall Boy | 2 | Leandro Mora | $12,000 |
| 21. Campfire Creed | 1 | Danny Pish | $77,000 |
| 22. Midnight Trouble | 1 | Peter Walder | $35,000 |
| 23. Man Child | 1 | Ryan Hanson | $30,000 |
| 24. Champions Dream | 1 | Danny Gargan | $20,000 |
| 25. Denington | 1 | Kenny McPeek | $11,610 |
| 26. Confidence Game | 1 | Keith Desormeaux | $8,730 |
| * Non-restricted stakes |
And here are the five top finishers in each of the points qualifiers so far.
| Date | Race | Track | Distance | 1st-5th (points) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. 17 | Iroquois (G3) | CD | 1 mile | Curly Jack (10), Honed (4), Jace's Road (3), Hayes Strike (2), Confidence Game (1) |
| Oct. 1 | Champagne (G1) | BAQ | 1 1/16 miles | Blazing Sevens (10), Verifying (4), Gulfport (3), Andiamo a Firenze (2), Champions Dream (1) |
| Oct. 8 | American Pharoah (G1) | SA | 1 1/16 miles | Cave Rock (0), National Treasure (0), Hejazi (0), Gandolfini (0), Man Child (1) |
| Oct. 8 | Breeders' Futurity (G1) | KEE | 1 1/16 miles | Forte (10), Loggins (4), Red Route One (3), Instant Coffee (2), Newgate (0) |
| Nov. 4 | Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) | KEE | 1 1/16 miles | Forte (3), Cave Rock (0), National Treasure (0), Blazing Sevens (6), Curly Jack (3) |
| Nov. 26 | Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) | CD | 1 1/16 miles | Instant Coffee (10), Curly Jack (4), Hayes Strike (3), Red Route One (2), Denington (1) |
| Dec. 3 | Remsen (G2) | AQU | 1 1/8 miles | Dubyuhnell (10), Arctic Arrogance (4), Tuskegee Airmen (3), Quick to Accuse (2), Midnight Trouble (1) |
| Dec. 17 | Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) | LRC | 1 1/16 miles | Practical Move (10), Carmel Road (0), Fort Bragg (0), Tall Boy (2), Arabian Lion (0) |
| Dec. 17 | Springboard Mile | RP | 1 mile | Wildatlanticstorm (0), Giant Mischief (0), Echo Again (3), Gunflash (2), Campfire Creed (1) |