'European Road to the Kentucky Derby' to Guarantee 2018 Derby Slot

Rivet winning the 2016 G1 Qatar Racing Post Trophy | Racing Post

For the first time, a standalone qualification series for the GI Kentucky Derby will be run in Europe, with seven one-mile races to be run across England, France and Ireland. The points-based series, called the “European Road to the Kentucky Derby” and based upon the “Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby” introduced last year, will guarantee one horse a spot in next year's Derby, to be held May 5.

The seven races will include four turf events this fall and three on synthetic next season, beginning with the Sept. 24 G2 Juddmonte Beresford S. at Naas and closing with Newcastle's Burradon S. Mar. 30. The series also includes the G2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge S. Sept. 30 at Newmarket, the G1 Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere on the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe undercard Oct. 1 at Chantilly and the G1 Racing Post Trophy Oct. 28 at Doncaster.

“With premier races for Europe's top horses often staged on turf in the months of May through October, we felt it was important to work with our European partners to create a distinctive path for horsemen who are interested in the Kentucky Derby,” said Bill Mudd, president and chief operating officer for Churchill Downs Incorporated. “Any European horse that intends to test the Kentucky Derby now has an opportunity to qualify by competing in the new series. By working with great partners at the racecourses along with the British Horseracing Authority, France Galop and Horse Racing Ireland governing bodies, we're optimistic this new series can add to the worldwide popularity of the Kentucky Derby.”

Points will be awarded to the first four finishers of all qualifying races, with a 10-4-2-1 distribution for the four juvenile events, a 20-8-4-2 setup for the first two races of next season and a 30-12-6-3 dispersal for the final qualifier.

In addition, the Dec. 13 Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun, a race that often decides Japan's champion 2-year-old dirt horse, has been added to the “Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby” to make it a three-race series, joining the Cattleya Sho Nov. 25 and the Hyacinth in mid-February. Domestically, the Springboard Mile S. for 2-year-olds at Remington Park Dec. 17 has also been added to the Derby points schedule.

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