The 2026 Road to the Kentucky Derby was a series of races through which horses qualified for the 2026 Kentucky Derby, which was held on May 2. The field for the Derby was limited to 20 horses, with up to four 'also eligibles' in case of a late withdrawal from the field. There were three separate paths for horses to take to qualify for the Derby: the main Road consisting of races in North America, the Japan Road consisting of four races in Japan, and the Euro/MidEast road consisting of ten races in England, Ireland, United Arab Emirates and France. The top five finishers in the specified races received points, with higher points awarded in the major prep races in March and April. Earnings in non-restricted stakes races acted as a tie breaker.
For 2026, the main Road to the Kentucky Derby resembled the 2025 Road to the Kentucky Derby, consisting of 36 races, with 20 races for the Kentucky Derby Prep Season and 16 races for the Kentucky Derby Championship Season without any changes:
The following changes were introduced to the Euro/Mideast Road to the Kentucky Derby with three new events were added:
The Group 3 UAE 2000 Guineas The Group 3 Saudi Derby The Listed Dubai Road to the Kentucky Derby Stakes (formerly the Al Bastakiya)
With the addition of more qualifying events the top two qualifiers gained a place in the starting field.
Standings The following table shows the points earned in the eligible races for the main series. Entrants that have been nominated are ranked in the standings.
RankHorsePointsEarningsTrainerOwnerRef 1 Commandment 150 $943,020 Brad H. Cox Wathnan Racing 2Further Ado135$1,068,095Brad H. CoxSpendthrift Farm 3 Renegade 125 $1,002,500 Todd A. Pletcher Robert & Lawana Low & Repole Stable 4So Happy115$444,000Mark GlattNorman Stables & Saints or Sinners 5 - scratched Fulleffort 110 $507,900 Brad H. Cox St. Elias Stable & Starlight Racing 6 - scratched The Puma 106 $428,000 Gustavo Delgado OGMA Investments, JR Ranch & High Step Racing 7 - scratched Silent Tactic 100 $1,020,130 Mark E. Casse John C. Oxley 8 Emerging Market 100 $600,000 Chad C. Brown Klaravich Stables 9Albus100$400,000Riley MottPin Oak Stud 10 Potente 100 $220,000 Bob Baffert Speedway Stables 11 Pavlovian 70 $527,000 Doug F. O'Neill Reddam Racing 12 - scratched Right to Party 65 $176,000 Kenneth G. McPeek Chester Broman Sr. injured Paladin 60 $437,500 Chad C. Brown Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Peter Brant, Brook T. Smith & Summer Wind Equine 13 Incredibolt 60 $424,570 Riley Mott Pin Oak Stud 14 Golden Tempo 60 $300,000 Cherie DeVaux Phipps Stable & St. Elias Stable bypassingOttinho56$267,750Chad C. BrownThree Chimneys Farm injured Class President 50 $569,700 Todd A. Pletcher WinStar Farm, First Go Racing & China Horse Club bypassing Stark Contrast 50 $439,900 Michael McCarthy Amerman Racing bypassing Iron Honor 50 $182,500 Chad C. Brown St. Elias Stable, William H. Lawrence & Glassman Racing 15 Chief Wallabee 50 $175,800 William I. Mott Michael & Katherine Bell bypassing Chip Honcho 49 $190,000 Steven M. Asmussen Leland Ackerley Racing injured Ted Noffey 40 $1,602,963 Todd A. Pletcher Spendthrift Farm 16 Intrepido 38 $290,000 Jeff Mullins Dutch Girl Holdings & Irving Ventures bypassing Universe 38 $244,650 Kenneth G. McPeek Four G Racing, Gregg Day & Steven Crain bypassing Grittiness 36 $150,000 Todd A. Pletcher Repole Stable bypassing Talkin 35 $233,625 Danny Gargan Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Pine Racing Stables, Legendary Thoroughbreds, Belmar Racing & Breeding & R. A. Hill Stable bypassing Nearly 35 $220,450 Todd A. Pletcher Centennial Farms bypassing Bravaro 35 $118,700 Saffie Joseph Jr. Albert Ciuffetelli, Stephanie S. Brennan, Shining Stables, BAG Racing Stables & Paul Braverman 17 Litmus Test 34 $429,688 Bob Baffert SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital & Catherine Donovan 18 Danon Bourbon Japan $221,246 Manabu Ikezoe Danox Co. Ltd. 19 $725,172 Daisuke Takayanagi Yoshinari Yamamoto 20 Six Speed E/ME $314,366 Bhupat Seemar Brunetti Dugan Stables, Black Type Thoroughbreds, Steve Adkisson, Swinbank Stables 21 - scratched Great White 30 $117,440 John Eniss Three Chimneys Farm & John Ennis Crown the Buckeye 28 $73,500 Michael J. Maker Paradise Farms, David Staudacher & Hooties Racing bypassing Napoleon Solo 25 $286,520 Chad Summers Gold Square bypassing Blackout Time 25 $237,875 Kenneth G. McPeek Brookdale Racing, Lance Gasaway & Magdalena Racing not nominated Taptastic 25 $138,750 Steven M. Asmussen Winchell Thoroughbreds & Stonestreet Stables not nominated Medici 25 $94,950 Richard Mandella Perry R. & Ramona S. Bass 22 Ocelli 25 $80,200 Whitworth D. Beckman Ashley Durr, Anthony Tate & Front Page Equestrian not nominated Vitruvian Man 25 $60,000 Doug F. O'Neill Glenn Sorgenstein WC Racing 23 Robusta 25 $41,000 Doug F. O'Neill Calumet Farm bypassing Plutarch 23 $140,000 Bob Baffert Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier & Michael Tabor bypassing Bricklin 21 $135,250 Rodolphe Brisset Imagine Racing bypassing Trendsetter 20 $309,462 Ben Colebrook Midway Racing bypassing Express Kid 20 $308,800 Justin Evans Bradley James & Sharon Kleven bypassing Talk to Me Jimmy 20 $135,000 Rudy R. Rodriguez SEI Thoroughbreds & Rudy R. Rodriguez not nominated Wayne's Law 20 $134,700 Baalbek Corp. bypassing Soldier N Diplomat 18 $258,350 Steven M. Asmussen St. Elias Stable bypassing Confessional 17 $66,500 Brad H. Cox Steve Landers Racing bypassing Buetane 16 $212,500 Bob Baffert Zedan Racing Stables bypassing Secured Freedom 16 $24,000 Tim Yakteen Leslie A.& Pierre Jean Amestoy Jr. & Roger K. Beasley injured Mr. A. P. 15 $340,000 Vladimir Cerin Holly & David Wilson bypassing Solitude Dude 15 $190,470 Saffie Joseph Jr. Chris Fountoukis bypassing Creole Chrome 15 $48,750 Joe Sharp Gulf Haven Farms bypassing Stop the Car 15 $39,975 Brendan P. Walsh Trade Winds Farm injured Canaletto 15 $35,000 Chad C. Brown Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Peter Brant & Brook T. Smith bypassing Brant 14 $364,000 Bob Baffert Zedan Racing Stables bypassing Balboa 14 $144,000 Brittany T. Russell SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital & Catherine Donovan bypassing Spice Runner 11 $247,426 Steven M. Asmussen Winchell Thoroughbreds bypassing Carson Street 11 $35,000 Brendan P. Walsh Ike & Dawn Thrash bypassing Argos 10 $265,160 Brad H. Cox David S. Romanik, Warren Cheekes, Deborah K. Dougherty, C2 Racing Stable, BAG Racing Stable & Robert Liedel bypassing Strategic Risk 10 $204,500 Mark E. Casse John C. Oxley bypassing My World 10 $165,000 Brad H. Cox Robert LaPenta & Madaket Stables bypassing The Hell We Did 10 $95,200 Todd Fincher Peacock Family Racing Stable bypassing Redland Rebels 10 $89,400 Patrick Biancone Calypso Racing Stables 2022 injured Mesquite 10 $50,000 Cherie DeVaux LBD Stable not nominated Exhibition Only 10 $23,000 Rudy R. Rodriguez SEI Thoroughbreds & Rudy R. Rodriguez bypassing Start The Ride 10 $10,500 Dan Blacker Harris Farms bypassing Desert Gate 9 $216,000 Bob Baffert Karl Watson, Michael E. Pegram & Paul Weitman bypassing Baytown Dreamer 7 $171,109 Paul McEntee Baytown Partnerships bypassing Maximus Prime 7 $81,411 Anthony Mitchell Gary & Tiffany Bizzack bypassing Very Connected 6 $42,525 Kenneth G. McPeek Dream Big Racing 24 Corona de Oro 6 $38,000 Dallas Stewart On Our Own Stable, Commonwealth Stable, U Racing Stables, Saints or Sinners, Titletown Racing, Jim Nichols, Edwin S. Barker, Daiel Rivers, John Haines & Dallas Stewart not nominated I Did I Did 6 $30,175 Michael J. Maker Paradise Farms, David Staudacher, Turman Racing Stable & Skychai Racing bypassing Project Ace 6 $24,750 Dale L. Romans Albaugh Family Stables bypassing Comport 5 $264,050 Eddie Kenneally Joseph W. Sutton bypassing Rancho Santa Fe 5 $83,750 Brad H. Cox Gary & Mary West bypassing Arctic Beast 5 $60,000 Michael J. Maker Paradise Farms, JP Racing Stable, David Staudacher, Zilla Racing Stables & Jennifer Rice bypassing Blacksmith 5 $50,000 Bob Baffert Wathnan Racing euthanized Liberty National 5 $45,000 Kenneth G. McPeek Brookdale Racing & Fern Circle Stables bypassing Lockstocknpharoah 5 $15,000 Thomas Drury Jr. Ashley Durr, Anthony Tate & Front Page Equestrian not nominated Daneyko 4 $90,450 Edward Kereluk Roys Mansur bypassing Quality Mischief 4 $16,000 Brad H. Cox West Paces Racing & Donegal Racing bypassing Cannoneer 4 $12,375 Brad H. Cox St. Elias Stable & Stonestreet Stables bypassing Schoolyardsuperman 4 $12,000 Chad C. Brown Hit The Bid Racing Stable & CMNWLTH bypassing Game for It 4 $10,000 Chad Summers Gold Square, Wynnstay & Chad Summers not nominated Royalamerican 3 $33,000 C. R. Trout C. R. Trout not nominated Vost 3 $28,875 William Walden OXO Equine bypassing Provenance 3 $24,000 Bob Baffert Spendthrift Farm bypassing Enforced Agenda 3 $18,000 George Weaver St. Elias Stable bypassing Cherokee Nation 3 $14,305 Bob Baffert SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital & Catherine Donovan not nominated Diciassette 2 $75,762 Patrick Biancone Green With MV Stable bypassing Steel Imperium 2 $54,470 Caio Caramori LCI bypassing Civil Liberty 2 $54,000 Doug F. O'Neill Great Friends Stables & Mark D. Davis bypassing Courting 2 $42,500 Todd A. Pletcher Whisper Hill Farm, Stonestreet Stables and Windancer Farm bypassing Sleepingonfreedom 2 $38,875 Kenneth G. McPeek Dream Big Racing & Magdalena Racing bypassing Acknowledgemeplz 2 $36,000 Doug F. O'Neill Purple Rein Racing & Mark D. Davis bypassing Circle Tap 2 $33,000 Dallas Stewart Willis Horton Racing bypassing It's Our Time 2 $30,000 Thomas M. Amoss Double Down Horse Racing not nominated Western Man 2 $18,000 Joe Offotler Bart D. & Sandra A. Howard bypassing Forty Twenty 2 $14,850 Robertino Diodoro Randy Howg bypassing Nothing Personal 2 $14,438 Gregory Compton Mag Racing not nominated Star Sweeper 2 $11,000 Louis C. Linder Jr. Bran Jam Stable & David W. Clark not nominated Freedom's Echo 2 $9,000 Guadalupe Preciado Nicholas Cammarano Jr. bypassing Global Aviator 2 $7,425 Rohan G. Crichton Special Aviators bypassing Epic Desire 2 $7,200 Todd A. Pletcher Epic Horses not nominated Stradale 1 $42,500 Steven M. Asmussen Kaleem Shah not nominated Way Beyond 1 $14,000 Steven M. Asmussen Ed & Susie Orr not nominated Ganaas 1 $11,655 Andrew McKeever Shadwell Stable bypassing American King 1 $4,000 Ruben Gomez Gary J. Folgner Legend:
Prep season Initial prep events Note: 1st=10 points; 2nd=5 points; 3rd=3 points; 4th=2 points; 5th=1 point (except the Breeders' Cup Juvenile: 1st=30 points; 2nd=15 points; 3rd=9 points; 4th=6 points; 5th=3 points)