The $500,000 Los Alamitos Futurity has been added to the list of races that comprise the 2014-15 “Road to the Kentucky Derby”. The series of 35 select races – 19 “Prep Season” races and 16 “Championship Series” races were announced by press release and will determine which horses qualify to the 141st running of the $2 million guaranteed Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 2, 2015.

The 1 1/16-mile Los Alamitos Futurity, a race formerly known as the Hollywood/CashCall Futurity at the now closed Betfair Hollywood Park, will be run for the first time at Los Alamitos Race Course on Saturday, Dec. 20. Los Al is the home base for 2014 Kentucky Derby winner California Chrome. The race has produced six Kentucky Derby winners during its run at Hollywood Park.

“The robust commitments by the team at Los Alamitos suggest a strong desire to be included in our series, and we’re confident the race is likely to attract aspiring and compelling Derby prospects,” said Churchill Downs Racetrack President Kevin Flanery. “We’re delighted to welcome the Los Alamitos Futurity to the Kentucky Derby ‘Prep Season.’”

Points awarded to the Top 4 finishers in the Los Alamitos Futurity will be 10-4-2-1 as part of the “Prep Season” that showcases foundation-building races over a minimum of one mile between September and mid-February. It commences Sept. 6 at the home of the Derby with the $100,000 Iroquois over 1 1/16 miles.

The 16 significant events that comprise the “Kentucky Derby Championship Series” during the 10-week run-up to the first Saturday in May remain unchanged from a year ago.

This is the third consecutive year that Churchill Downs Racetrack will use a sliding scale of points awarded to the Top 4 finishers in choice races to determine preference for its 20-horse Derby field. At least 20 horses have entered the 1 ¼-mile classic for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds every year since 2004, and 14 of the last 16 years.

In the first two years of the point system, the horses that topped the leaderboard with 150 points each won the Kentucky Derby were Stuart S. Janney III/Phipps Stable’s Orb in 2013 and Steve Coburn/Perry Martin’s California Chrome in 2014.

2014-15 ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY

Date Race Racetrack Distance 1st (Points) 2nd (Points) 3rd (Points) 4th (Points)

Kentucky Derby Prep Season (19 races)

Date Race Racetrack Distance 1st (Points) 2nd (Points) 3rd (Points) 4th (Points)

Sept. 6 Iroquois Churchill Downs 1 1/16 Miles (10) (4) (2) (1)
Sept. 27 FrontRunner Santa Anita 1 1/16 Miles (10) (4) (2) (1)
Oct. 4 Champagne Belmont Park 1 Mile (10) (4) (2) (1)
Oct. 4 Breeders’ Futurity Keeneland 1 1/16 Miles (10) (4) (2) (1)
Oct. 5 Grey Woodbine 1 1/16 Miles (S) (10) (4) (2) (1)
Nov. 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Santa Anita 1 1/16 Miles (10) (4) (2) (1)
Nov. 22 Delta Downs Jackpot Delta Downs 1 1/16 Miles (10) (4) (2) (1)
*Nov. 29 Remsen Aqueduct 1 1/8 Miles (10) (4) (2) (1)
Nov. 29 Kentucky Jockey Club Churchill Downs 1 1/16 Miles (10) (4) (2) (1)
+Dec. 20 Los Alamitos Futurity Los Alamitos 1 1/16 Miles (10) (4) (2) (1)
*Jan. 3 Jerome Aqueduct 1 Mile 70 Yards (10) (4) (2) (1)
*Jan. 10 Sham Santa Anita 1 Mile (10) (4) (2) (1)
*Jan. 17 Lecomte Fair Grounds 1 Mile 70 Yards (10) (4) (2) (1)
Jan. 19 Smarty Jones Oaklawn Park 1 Mile (10) (4) (2) (1)
Jan. 24 Holy Bull Gulfstream Park 1 1/16 Miles (10) (4) (2) (1)
*Jan. 31 Withers Aqueduct 1 1/16 Miles (10) (4) (2) (1)
*Feb. 7 Robert B. Lewis Santa Anita 1 1/16 Miles (10) (4) (2) (1)
*Feb. 14 El Camino Real Derby Golden Gate 1 1/8 Miles (S) (10) (4) (2) (1)
Feb. 16 Southwest Oaklawn Park 1 1/16 Miles (10) (4) (2) (1)

Kentucky Derby Championship Series (16 races)

Date Race Racetrack Distance 1st (Points) 2nd (Points) 3rd (Points) 4th (Points)

Feb. 21 Fountain of Youth Gulfstream Park 1 1/16 Miles (50) (20) (10) (5)
*Feb. 21 Risen Star Fair Grounds 1 1/16 Miles (50) (20) (10) (5)
*Feb. 28 Gotham Aqueduct 1 1/16 Miles (50) (20) (10) (5)
*March 7 San Felipe Santa Anita 1 1/16 Miles (50) (20) (10) (5)
*March 7 Tampa Bay Derby Tampa Bay Downs 1 1/16 Miles (50) (20) (10) (5)
March 14 Rebel Oaklawn Park 1 1/16 Miles (50) (20) (10) (5)
*March 21 Spiral Turfway Park 1 1/8 Miles (S) (50) (20) (10) (5)
March 22 Sunland Derby Sunland Park 1 1/8 Miles (50) (20) (10) (5)
March 28 UAE Derby Meydan Racecourse 1 3/16 Miles (S) (100) (40) (20) (10)
March 28 Florida Derby Gulfstream Park 1 1/8 Miles (100) (40) (20) (10)
*March 28 Louisiana Derby Fair Grounds 1 1/8 Miles (100) (40) (20) (10)
*April 4 Wood Memorial Aqueduct 1 1/8 Miles (100) (40) (20) (10)
*April 4 Santa Anita Derby Santa Anita 1 1/8 Miles (100) (40) (20) (10)
*April 11 Blue Grass Keeneland 1 1/8 Miles (100) (40) (20) (10)
April 11 Arkansas Derby Oaklawn Park 1 1/8 Miles (100) (40) (20) (10)
*April 18 Lexington Keeneland 1 1/16 Miles (10) (4) (2) (1)
2014-15 Road to the Kentucky Derby Changes

+ New Race Included in Series.

* Race dates and distances to be announced by host track; date based on previous year’s placement.