Top Grade Stakes Race to Pay Attention On The Way to Kentucky Derby

Steve O Speak

The Road to the Kentucky Derby is well underway, as the path to the race on the first Saturday in May is clear for all to see. Prep races will be staged across the world, with horses looking to earn important points to rise up the leaderboard.

 

There have already been some significant races in the series this year, with Bob Baffert training three of the top four on the leaderboard. Citizen Bull heads the field at this early stage after winning the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar in November.

 

But, what are some of the notable prep races that will be staged before the first Saturday in May according to TwinSpires.com?

 

UAE Derby

 

One of the most important Derby preps takes place overseas, with the UAE Derby proving to be the big point-scoring race for runners from Japan and Europe. The race takes place at the start of April at Meydan Racecourse, and it is competed over 1 3/16 miles.

 

As is the case with all prep races, horses aged three will be eligible. Godolphin have been the dominant owner with nine wins since 2000, while it has typically thrown up a progressive sort in recent years. That was the case in 2024 when Forever Young won the UAE Derby, before finishing third in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

 

Risen Star Stakes

 

The first big Kentucky Derby prep of the calendar year takes place at Fair Grounds, and it is a Grade Two over a 1/8 miles. It is typically run during President’s Day weekend at the track, and there have been some famous renewals of the race throughout history.

 

Three previous runners in the race have later won the Kentucky Derby, including Country House in 2019. But, Mandaloun is the only horse to have won both races after being awarded the 2021 Derby following Medina Spirit’s failed drug test.

 

However, it has regularly thrown up some very consistent horses in recent history. Among those include 2024 winner Sierra Leone, who landed the G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic in 2024.

 

Florida Derby

 

When the Grade One preps get underway, there is a sense that the Kentucky Derby is close. The Florida Derby is set for March 29 this year, and it will be run at Gulfstream Park with a purse of $1 million.

 

This race has been the most important in terms of runners that have followed up with a success in a later Triple Crown race. In total, 21 previous winners of the Grade One have later followed up in either the Derby, Preakness Stakes, or Belmont Stakes.

 

The most recent Triple Crown race winner of both races was Tiz The Law in 2020. Meanwhile, Always Dreaming was the most recent to achieve the Florida Derby and Kentucky Derby double.

 

Wood Memorial Stakes

 

The pressure will be on connections if a Derby berth hasn’t been secured before lining up in the Wood Memorial Stakes on April 5.

 

This Grade Two is one of the final opportunities to book a spot in the opening leg of the Triple Crown, and it is run over 1 1/8 miles at Aqueduct with a purse of $750,000. It was first run in 1925, but it was downgraded from a Grade One in 2016.

 

This race has appeared to be more of a curse in recent memory, with no winner of this race following up in the Derby since 2000. However, it still attracts strong fields, with recent winners including Mo Donegal and Lord Miles.

 

Santa Anita Derby

 

There are few more prestigious races on the Kentucky Derby prep calendar than the Santa Anita Derby. Hosted by the famous track in California, the field will compete over 1 1/8 miles, with a purse of $750,000 up for grabs.

 

It is a vitally important race on the West Coast, with ten winners of the Santa Anita Derby later following up in the Kentucky Derby since 1935.

 

Among those include Winning Colors in 1988, who became the first filly to win both Derbies. Affirmed also won the Santa Anita Derby before sweeping the Triple Crown series in 1978.

 

Lexington Stakes

 

A final shot at a spot in the Derby line up arrives on April 12, as the Lexington Stakes is staged at Keeneland. The Grade Three offers a purse of $400,000, with the field completing a distance of 1 1/8 miles.

 

This race has been staged annually in its current format since 1973, and it has been the Wild Card event on the Road to the Kentucky Derby since 2013. In truth, the winners of this race have had little impact on the Derby betting in recent years, with winners including Encino, First Mission, and Tawny Port since 2022.

 

However, it could be a vocal stop for some connections if they hope to line up in the Kentucky Derby this year.

 


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