The $500,000 Virginia Derby at 1 1/8 miles on dirt on Saturday, March 15 during a special four-day spring meet at Colonial Downs has been added to the Road to the Kentucky Derby Championship Series, the series of select races that will determine the preference list for the 151st Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (Grade I) on Saturday, May 3, 2025.

The Virginia Derby will be staged seven weeks in advance of the $5 million Kentucky Derby, a spot on the racing calendar that was previously void of any qualifying races. The race will award 105 points to the top five finishers including 50 points to the winner.

The Road to the Kentucky Derby, which debuted in 2013, annually awards a sliding scale of points to the top five finishing positions in select qualifying races. At the conclusion of the series, the leaderboard will determine the preference list for entries into the 20-horse Kentucky Derby – the 1 ¼-mile classic for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds annually held on the first Saturday in May at historic Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

At least 20 horses have entered the “Run for the Roses” in 23 of the last 26 years.

The 1 1/16-mile Virginia Oaks will be run on the Virginia Derby undercard and become a qualifier on the 33-race Road to the Kentucky Oaks series, which awards points to 3-year-old fillies to qualify for the 151st Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI) at 1 1/8 miles on Friday, May 2, 2025.

The Road to the Kentucky Derby will begin Saturday, Sept. 14 at the home of America’s greatest race as Churchill Downs stages the 43rd running of the $300,000 Iroquois (Grade III) for 2-year-olds at one mile on opening weekend of its 14-day September Meet.

In addition to the primary 36-race Road to the Kentucky Derby series, there are two separate series that carve out potential spots for international horses from Japan, Europe and the United Arab of Emirates.

The European Road to the Kentucky Derby has been rebranded as the Euro/Mideast Road to the Kentucky Derby. The April 5 UAE Derby has been removed from America’s primary Road to the Kentucky Derby and will now conclude this newly rebranded stand-alone series that will carve out two Kentucky Derby invitations to the top point earners. Additionally, the Cardinal Condition Stakes at Chelmsford City has been removed from the series and, instead, the winner will receive an automatic berth in the starting gate for the American Turf on the Kentucky Derby undercard.

No changes were made to the stand-alone Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby. Six horses based in Japan have competed in the Derby since the series debuted in 2017, including last year’s third-place finisher Forever Young (JPN).

Two other rule changes have been instituted. In the event a Championship Series race on the Road to the Kentucky Derby or Kentucky Oaks is run with a five-horse field, only 75% of the points will be proportionally awarded. A Championship Series race field with four or less horses will be proportionally awarded 50% of the total points.

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