The Road to the Kentucky Derby Starts Now: March Preps to Follow
Kentucky Derby dreams don’t start in May. They start in March — in the gate at Aqueduct, down the backstretch at Gulfstream, and on the muddy oval at Oaklawn Park. The prep race season is when contenders separate from pretenders, and right now, some of the most important Kentucky Derby prep races March 2026 has to offer are just days away.
Whether you’re watching from a MyWinners venue location or betting the card from home through MyWinners — here’s everything you need to follow the trail.
How the Kentucky Derby Points System Works
Before we get into the races, here’s the quick version of how horses qualify for Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May.
The Road to the Kentucky Derby is a series of graded stakes races, each awarding qualifying points on a 10-4-2-1 scale (first through fourth place). The 20 horses with the most points at the close of qualifications earn a starting gate spot. That means every prep race matters — especially for horses still building their point totals in March.
The stakes get higher as the Derby gets closer. Races like the Gotham and Tampa Bay Derby award 50-20-10-5 points. By the time the Blue Grass and Santa Anita Derby roll around in April, the top prize jumps to 100 points. But right now, in March, the field is still wide open — and that makes betting it genuinely exciting.
The Gotham Stakes (Aqueduct) — March 8
The Gotham Stakes is one of the oldest preps on the calendar and the marquee dirt route race in the Northeast at this stage of the season. Run at one mile on the main track at Aqueduct Racetrack, it awards 50 points to the winner — enough to punch a ticket to Louisville with a strong field.
Why It Matters
Aqueduct plays host to some of the best East Coast 3-year-olds, and the Gotham has launched more than a few serious Derby contenders over the years. Watch the pace scenario closely — the one-turn mile at “The Big A” can catch horses off guard, particularly those better suited to two turns.
Betting Angle
Look for horses coming off a fast maiden win or allowance score. The Gotham often rewards class steppers who haven’t been asked to run in a graded race yet. Check the morning line, watch the works at Belmont, and pay attention to trainer patterns out of the Aqueduct winter meet.
Tampa Bay Derby (Tampa Bay Downs) — March 8
Running the same day as the Gotham, the Tampa Bay Derby is the headline event at Tampa Bay Downs and one of the more underrated preps on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. A mile and a sixteenth on a fast, speed-favoring oval — it awards 50 qualifying points to the winner and has a history of producing solid Derby horses at double-digit odds.
Why It Matters
Tampa often draws horses from the Florida shipper pipeline — lightly raced, physically maturing 3-year-olds who haven’t been overworked. The track plays fair, and the race frequently produces a winner who blossoms further in April and May.
Betting Angle
Speed holds at Tampa. Horses with clean early fractions and a stalking trip tend to outperform. If you see a trainer like Todd Pletcher or Bill Mott point a lightly raced horse to this spot, that’s worth noting. Value is consistently findable here — the sharp money tends to cluster in Kentucky and New York.
The Rebel Stakes (Oaklawn Park) — March 15
Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas is one of the great winter racing circuits, and the Rebel Stakes is its first major Derby prep of the spring. It runs in two divisions when warranted, at a mile and a sixteenth, and awards 50 points to each divisional winner.
Why It Matters
The Rebel is a talent-rich race because Oaklawn attracts a lot of horses from Texas, the Midwest, and the Southern states who haven’t been racing in the glare of Churchill Downs buzz. The Arkansas Derby (April) is the next step for most of these horses — so the Rebel tells you a lot about who is ready to run big in that race and who might be a live longshot in Louisville.
Betting Angle
Oaklawn plays fast and has a slight speed bias on a dry track. Watch for horses that rate just off the pace and close strongly. The track rewards horses with a turn of foot in the final furlong — if you see a horse who has been saving ground and getting better with each race, the Rebel is a good spot to get behind them at a fair price.
Follow the Derby Trail at MyWinners
Every race in this article streams live at our Connecticut locations. Our East Haven, Stamford, and Windsor Locks spots carry full past performances, live simulcast feeds, and the kind of race-day energy that makes watching a prep stakes actually feel like an event.
Betting the Road to the Kentucky Derby at MyWinners means you’re betting pari-mutuel through our licensed, secure platform — backed by Fanatics Sportsbook and built for Connecticut bettors who take their racing seriously.
Here’s what you get at any MyWinners location:
Live simulcast of all major prep races, including the Gotham, Tampa Bay Derby, and Rebel
Full-card past performances and race-day programs
Expert staff who know the Derby trail and can help you build your bets
A comfortable, TV-packed environment where you can follow multiple tracks at once
March Preps at a Glance
Three races define the month. The Gotham Stakes runs at Aqueduct on March 8 and awards 50 points to the winner — a one-mile, one-turn test that rewards sharp, forward-moving horses. On the same day, the Tampa Bay Derby goes at Tampa Bay Downs, also worth 50 points, over a mile and a sixteenth on a fast oval that consistently produces live Derby horses at generous odds. Then on March 15, the Rebel Stakes closes out the month at Oaklawn Park — another 50-point race, run over a mile and a sixteenth in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and the race that sets up the Arkansas Derby pipeline heading into April.
Ready to Follow the Derby Trail?
March is when the Derby picture starts taking shape. The horses winning these preps are the ones you’ll be talking about come the first Saturday in May — and right now, before the chalk hardens and the odds compress, is the best time to get behind them.
Place bets at app.mywinners.com, or download the MyWinners: Racing & Sports app on iOS here or Android here.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Kentucky Derby prep races in March 2026?
The main Kentucky Derby prep races in March 2026 are the Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct (March 8), the Tampa Bay Derby at Tampa Bay Downs (March 8), and the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park (March 15). Each awards 50 qualifying points to the winner on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.
How does the Kentucky Derby points system work?
Horses earn qualifying points through a series of graded stakes races leading up to the Derby. Most preps award points on a 10-4-2-1 scale, but the major preps in March and April award 50-20-10-5 or more. The 20 horses with the highest point totals at the close of qualifications earn a starting spot at Churchill Downs.
Where can I watch Kentucky Derby prep races in Connecticut?
You can watch every Kentucky Derby prep race live at MyWinners locations in East Haven, Stamford, and Windsor Locks. All three spots carry full simulcast coverage, past performances, and race-day programs — plus a betting counter to back your picks on the spot.
Can I bet on Kentucky Derby prep races online in Connecticut?
Yes. MyWinners, powered by Fanatics Sportsbook, lets you bet pari-mutuel horse racing including all major Derby preps through a licensed, secure platform built for Connecticut bettors. You can bet the Gotham, Tampa Bay Derby, Rebel Stakes, and every race on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.
Which Kentucky Derby prep race is the best betting opportunity in March?
The Tampa Bay Derby consistently offers the best value for bettors. It draws lightly raced horses from the Florida shipper pipeline, the sharp money tends to focus on New York and Kentucky races, and double-digit winners show up more often here than at higher-profile preps. The Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn is a close second for finding live longshots.
