Kentucky Derby points system: Ranking the 2012 Derby field
Churchill Downs on Thursday announced a new points system to determine eligibility for the Kentucky Derby starting in 2013, replacing the system of graded stakes earnings that had been in place since 1986. If the new system, awarding points for the top four finishes in certain prep races, had been in place this year, what would the 2012 Kentucky Derby field have looked like?
2012 Kentucky Derby field ranked by new points system
| Horse | Graded earnings | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Bodemeister | $660,000 | 120 |
| Dullahan | 855,000 | 111 |
| Gemologist | 703,855 | 110 |
| I'll Have Another | 601,000 | 110 |
| Hansen | 1,550,000 | 104 |
| Creative Cause | 836,000 | 102 |
| Take Charge Indy | 698,400 | 101 |
| Daddy Long Legs | 1,294,030 | 100 |
| Union Rags | 1,170,000 | 74 |
| Prospective | 367,327 | 64 |
| El Padrino | 250,000 | 62 |
| Alpha | 380,000 | 54 |
| Optimizer | 184,708 | 52 |
| Daddy Nose Best | 545,558 | 50 |
| Went the Day Well | 282,000 | 50 |
| Sabercat | 701,429 | 30 |
| Rousing Sermon | 270,000 | 24 |
| My Adonis (AE) | 140,000 | 22 |
| Liaison | 393,000 | 15 |
| Done Talking | 311,000 | 1 |
| Trinniberg | 324,500 | 0 |
• Trinniberg, who pressed the pace behind Bodemeister in the early stages of the Kentucky Derby, would have earned 0 points since his graded earnings came from sprint races.
• Illinois Derby winner Done Talking would have earned only 1 point as the fourth-place finisher in the Remsen. The Illinois Derby at Hawthorne was not included in the points series.
• In addition to those horses, Delta Jackpot winner Sabercat, Rousing Sermon, My Adonis, and Liaison would have likely found themselves on the bubble or excluded from the field. Churchill Downs officials said they expect a score of about 40 points to qualify a horse for the Kentucky Derby.
[MORE: Kentucky Derby entry to be determined by new points system | Trainers react]