How Does a Horse Get Entered Into The Kentucky Derby?

Breeding and Training

Buy a thoroughbred colt or filly at a yearling sale, or breed one of your own using a mare with an incredible pedigree (daughter of Seattle Slew, for example) and a stud with high earnings/pedigree (Giant's Cosway, for example). The stud fee alone might cost $150,000. Put the horse in training with an experienced trainer, which will include breaking the horse at 2 years. Then train at a training farm before beginning training at the track and race as a 2- and 3-year-old. To have a successful Derby horse, you want a horse that is fit, fast and accustomed to the rigors of racing.

After your 3-year-old racehorse has earned significant wins in his career on the track, make sure he runs one last race before the Derby that mirrors the length and endurance necessary for the actual Run for the Roses. Preferred races are the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park for Eastern and Southern horses, the Santa Anita Derby at Santa Anita for West Coast and California horses, the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland Race Course in Kentucky, the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct for New York horses and the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park for Southern horses.

You must nominate your horse to be in the Kentucky Derby. There are three different times of year you can nominate the horse for the race, and if you do it early, you pay much less than nominating later. In 2008, January 20 was the nomination deadline, and the cost was $600. To nominate your horse between January 21 until March 31, the nomination jumped to $6,000. To nominate your horse after March 31, the cost was $200,000. The only way your fees are refundable is if there are more than 20 horses nominated and your horse doesn't get in. If there are more than 20 horses nominated, horses will be chosen according to their previous earnings at the track, the highest earners winning a slot in the Derby. Horses nominated before the March 31 get preference over a later nomination, regardless of earnings.

Once nominated and accepted, you must then pay the entry fee for the race. It costs $25,000 to enter and another $25,000 to start. The lowest price for getting into the Derby is $50,600 with early nomination. Keep in mind that only the winner of the Derby reaps the benefits of the race (with purse winnings, future stud fees and notoriety). You also have to figure in training costs, cost of transportation to and from Kentucky, veterinarian, feed and maintenance costs. Only one horse a year will end up being worth all the expense.