Louisville, Kentucky:
On Tuesday, Churchill Downs released a preliminary list of races that could be used as an extension of the Road to the Kentucky Derby schedule, all of this pending agreement from the host tracks involved.
The 146th Kentucky Derby was rescheduled from the first Saturday in May, to the first Saturday in September, due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
The last two legs of the Triple Crown, Preakness, and Belmont have yet to announce a rescheduled date. If they are run before the Kentucky Derby, points to the top four finishers would be worth 150-60-30-15.
The long prep race for May will be the $150,000 Matt Winn on May 23rd at Churchill Downs. Top four finishers will receive points of 50-20-10-5, which would be an increase from 10-4-2-1.
Various prep races have been added based on a regional basis, once the New York Racing Association finalizes its stake schedule more prep races are likely to be added to the series. The point values for those races will be determined based on proximity to all Triple Crown races.
“We’re in the midst of an unprecedented year, and this year’s Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown will be one of the most memorable of our lifetimes,” said Mike Ziegler, executive director of racing for Churchill Downs Inc. “This will continue to evolve, including date placement, as host tracks firm up their plans.”
The tentative for the races are as followed:
Midwest: Matt Winn (50-20-10-5); Indiana Derby ( 20-8-4-2); Bluegrass ( 100-40-20-10); and Ellis Park Derby ( 50-20-10-5)
West: Santa Anita Derby (100-40-20-10); Los Alamitos Derby ( 20-8-4-2); and Shared Belief (50-20-10-5) at Del Mar
East: Haskell ( 100-40-20-10) and Pegasus ( 20-8-4-2) at Monmouth Park in New Jersey.
Live racing will return to Churchill Downs May 16th without spectators, with the first stakes race not until the 23rd of May.