LEXINGTON, Ky. — The most important stretch of prep races for the 2022 Kentucky Derby is finally here.
Starting with the Louisiana Derby on Saturday, the calendar over the next few weekends will be filled with win-and-you’re-in showcases featuring the top 3-year-olds in the country.
In all, eight races over the next three Saturdays will deliver 100 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the winner, with 40 points going to second place, 20 to third, and 10 to fourth. Traditionally, the first- and second-place finishers of each of those races accumulate enough points to make the Derby starting gate, and a third- or fourth-place showing can often be enough to boost contenders into that top-20 range in the standings.
