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Road to the Kentucky Derby: Who's in, who isn't and who has more work to do?

The top six horses on the Road to the Kentucky Derby have completed the prep series and will feature, while others have qualified but are still aiming for points. Others still are close but not there.

No horse has yet to follow up a 50-20-10-5 race victory with a win in a 100-40-20-10 point contest this year. Therefore, no one has really taken control of the Kentucky Derby standings, with Louisiana Derby winner Hot Rod Charlie on top with 110 points.
The top six horses in the standings have completed their prep series competition and will race next in the Kentucky Derby on May 1 at Churchill Downs. In second place with 104 points is Jeff Ruby Steaks winner Like the King, followed by Florida Derby champion Known Agenda with 102 points.
Rebel's Romance won in Dubai, taking the UAE Derby to pick up 100 points and an invitation to the Kentucky Derby.

Greatest Honour missed a chance to follow up his win in the 50-20-10-5 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park with a victory in the 100-40-20-10 Florida Derby at the same track to wrap up top spot in the standings. He finished third, taking his total to 80 points, but he'll still be in the starting gate at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May.

Midnight Bourbon didn't win one of the big point races at The Fair Grounds but has accumulated 66 points, enough to get into the Kentucky Derby, his next race. The Steven Asmussen-trained colt is dependable but clearly lacks the speed to contend with some of the other top horses.

After Mandaloun won the 50-20-10-5 Risen Star Stakes at The Fair Grounds to run his point total to 52, great things were expected of the Brad Cox-trained entry in the Louisiana Derby. Instead, he never contended and faded to a sixth-place finish. That prompted Cox to enter him in the 20-8-4-2 Lexington Stakes at Keeneland on April 10.

Bob Baffert's Concert Tour surprised the field in the 50-20-10-5 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park. Even though he has enough points with 50 for a Kentucky Derby invitation, he's expected to run in the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn on April 10. That's the last 100-40-20-10 point race before the Kentucky Derby.

Helium and Weyburn, surprise winners of the Tampa Bay Derby and the Gotham Stakes, both had to pay a $6,000 late fee to be nominated for the Kentucky Derby. While Helium is heading straight to Churchill Downs, Weyburn will follow up his 76/1 longshot win with an appearance at the Wood Memorial on April 3.

More points on the horizon for top contender

A fascinating development is that the top Triple Crown Series contender hasn't even run in a race offering more than 20-8-4-2 points, but undefeated Essential Quality with 40 points is still poised to garner an invitation to the Kentucky Derby. He'll be in the field at the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland Race Course on April 3 to run for a share of the 100-40-20-10 point offering.

Sainthood finished second in the Jeff Ruby Steaks and, along with Florida Derby runner-up Soup and Sandwich, has 40 qualifying points. Both are expected to race next in the Kentucky Derby, although it's mathematically possible but highly unlikely for them to fall short of qualifying.

Michael Stidham's Proxy and Baffert's Medina Spirit probably have enough points at 34 to qualify for the Kentucky Derby. Baffert isn't taking any chances though, racing Medina Spirit in the Santa Anita Derby on April 3.

Proxy's connections are banking on his points being enough to get to Churchill Downs, so no other races are scheduled for him.

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