The field for the

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby () is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is run by three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of . Colt (horse), Colts and geldin ...

is limited each year to 20 horses, with two 'also eligibles' in case of a late withdrawal from the field. To determine eligibility,

Churchill Downs Churchill Downs is a horse racing complex in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States that hosts the annual Kentucky Derby. It opened in 1875 and was named for Samuel Churchill, whose family was prominent in Kentucky for many years. The first ...

developed the

Road to the Kentucky Derby The Road to the Kentucky Derby is a points system by which horses qualify for a position in the starting gate for the Kentucky Derby. It features dozens of stakes races for 2 and 3-year-old Thoroughbreds – the number and specific races have chang ...

, which gives points to the top four finishers in specified races.https://www.kentuckyderby.com/horses/prep-races 2016 Road to the Kentucky Derby The 2016 season consists of 34 races, 19 races for the Kentucky Derby Prep Season and 15 races for the Kentucky Derby Championship Season. Earnings in non-restricted stakes act as a tie breaker. Gun Runner finished first in the standings thanks to wins in the Risen Star Stakes and Louisiana Derby, then finished third in the Kentucky Derby. Nyquist, who finished second in the qualification standings, won the Derby.

Standings

* ''Entrants for Kentucky Derby in blue'' * ''"Also eligible" for Kentucky Derby in green'' * ''Sidelined/Inactive/No longer under Derby Consideration/Not Triple Crown nominated in gray'' * ''Winner of Kentucky Derby in bold''

Prep season

''Note: 1st=10 points; 2nd=4 points; 3rd=2 points; 4th=1 point (except the Breeders' Cup Juvenile: 1st=20 points; 2nd=8 points; 3rd=4 points; 4th=2 point)''

Championship series

First leg of series

''Note: 1st=50 points; 2nd=20 points; 3rd=10 points; 4th=5 points'' The Sunland Derby was not eligible in 2016 because of quarantine restrictions associated with an outbreak of equine herpesvirus.

Second leg of series

These races are the major preps for the Kentucky Derby, and are thus weighted more heavily. ''Note: 1st=100 points; 2nd=40 points; 3rd=20 points; 4th=10 points'' ;"Wild Card" ''Note: 1st=10 points; 2nd=4 points; 3rd=2 points; 4th=1 point'' ;Notes

References

External links

{{Road to the Kentucky Derby

2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...