Churchill Downs kicks off 2027 Kentucky Derby qualifying season

The qualifying season for the 2027 Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks begins this Saturday at Churchill Downs with the Grade 3 Iroquois and Pocahontas Stakes. These races serve as the first points opportunities on the respective paths to the historic races.

On the current leaderboard for the 2027 Kentucky Derby, Mid American leads in unrestricted stakes earnings with $436,575. Trained by James P. DiVito, the colt is a winner of the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Sprint Stakes. Hughes, trained by Bob Baffert, holds the second position with $270,000 in earnings and maintains the highest speed rating among 2-year-olds at 123.

Other notable contenders on the leaderboard include Waggley, Booked, and The Good Life. Churchill Downs is also promoting upcoming seasonal events and has released ticket packages for the 2027 Derby and Oaks.