The Southern California pathway to the 2024 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve continues Saturday with the $200,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes, held at a mile on the main track at Santa Anita Park.
The Road to the Kentucky Derby gets a little longer this week as the Withers Stakes at Aqueduct will test Triple Crown hopefuls at 1 1/8 miles. That’s the same distance as most of the final rounds of preps two months from now in late March and early April.
BloodHorse news editor Byron King presents his Derby Dozen with a look at his leading contenders for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve on May 4.
Each week, members of the national media vote on the nation's top contenders on the Triple Crown trail in the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Top Thoroughbred Poll.
Week 1 of the 2024 Top 3-Year-Old Thoroughbred Poll conducted by the NTRA covers racing performances through Jan. 29, 2024.
The 3-year-old poll represents horses competing up to and through the Triple Crown. Rankings are based on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-1 voting system. First place votes are in parentheses.
A week later than expected, Oaklawn Park’s rescheduled Southwest Stakes will be run Saturday with another large field set to break from the starting gate. A field of 12 was drawn for the 1 1/16 test that will offer 42 qualifying points for the 2024 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve.
