Nine qualifying races added

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Churchill Downs officials announced Tuesday a partially updated list of qualifying races for the Kentucky Derby and Oaks while also making contingencies for the Preakness and/or Belmont Stakes in case either precedes the Derby.

Nine new points races for the Derby are listed, starting with the May 23 Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill. Points for the Matt Winn have been increased to 85 (50-20-10-5), up substantially from the 17 points originally (10-4-2-1) designated for the race when Churchill began to reset its schedule earlier this month.

The 146th Derby is scheduled for Sept. 5 after Churchill postponed it from the original May 2 date because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Nadal is the current points leader with 150.

The other new points races, “pending agreeable race placement by the host tracks,” according to a Churchill press release, are the Santa Anita Derby (100-40-20-10), tentatively scheduled for June 6; the Pegasus (20-8-4-2) and Haskell (10040-20-10) at Monmouth Park; the Indiana Derby (20-8-4-2) at Indiana Grand; the Blue Grass (100-40-20-10), yet to be officially announced for a summer date Keeneland; the Ellis Park Derby (50-20-10-5); the Los Alamitos Derby (20-8-4-2); and the Shared Belief (50-20-10-5) at Del Mar.

Additional races from the New York Racing Association and possibly Del Mar also are expected to be added to the points schedule when more information from those tracks becomes available.

Meanwhile, if the Preakness or Belmont are run prior to the Derby, their point values would be 150-60-30-15. Neither of those Triple Crown events have yet to be rescheduled.

There are seven new points races toward the Kentucky Oaks, which has been postponed to Sept. 4. They are the Santa Anita Oaks (100-40-20-10), the Delaware Oaks (50-20-10-5), the Monmouth Oaks (50-20-10-5), the Dogwood (20-8-4-2), the Indiana Oaks (20-8-4-2), and the Ashland (100-40-20-10) and Beaumont (20-8-4-2) at Keeneland.

Churchill issued the following caveat in regard to the new points schedules for both the Derby and Oaks: “Because this is an unprecedented and fluid situation, all races are subject to change and events could be added or removed. Additionally, the point values for each race will be subject to readjustment based on their proximity to all Triple Crown races.”

The release also said new Derby qualifiers in Europe and Japan have yet to be determined.

A shortened Churchill spring meet will begin Saturday following a three-week delay from its original April 25 opening. The Matt Winn is among the first set of stakes races on May 23.

The Grade 3, $150,000 Matt Winn, to be run at 1 1/16 miles, already was expected to get such Derby hopefuls as Maxfield, Major Fed, and Mr. Big News, and the increased points value might prove enticing for the trainers of other contenders.

The Churchill stable area opened early Monday, with horses from Fair Grounds the first arrivals. Training began Wednesday morning.