Kentucky Derby bracketology: How a horse qualifies for the Derby and how that system has changed

Teresa Genaro details the qualifying system that gets horses into the Kentucky Derby field and how it has changed over the years.

On Saturday, shortly before 7 p.m., 20 horses will begin loading into the starting gate for the 150th Kentucky Derby. That’s right: 20, a far bigger field than any of the horses will have previously run in and far bigger than any field they’ll run in after this Saturday. When last Saturday, 22 horses entered, two of them as “also-eligibles.” Every year, the top 20 runners on the Kentucky Derby points list get to run.

Last year’s prep races were limited to 2-year-old horses, while this year’s, like the Kentucky Derby , are restricted to 3-year-olds. The points system has remained largely intact for the last decade; tweaks have included distributing points down to the fifth-place finisher, while bigger changes include establishing qualifying races in England, Ireland, France and Japan.

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