Road to Kentucky Handicapping Contest

Canterbury Park’s most popular handicapping contest returns for 2025!

Follow the top 3-year-olds on the Road to the 151st Kentucky Derby.

Prize money awarded in each of 16 contests held Saturdays, January 18 through Derby Day, May 3.
Overall prize  money awarded for the best cumulative scores.

Each week the entire card from a feature track will be used for the contest. Bonus races will be Derby Prep races. Players select one horse in each contest race and earn points based on a mythical $20 WPS wager. Bonus races are double points and the Kentucky Derby is triple points.

Weekly Prizes
1st= $200 + grand prize entry
2nd= $150 + grand prize entry
3rd= $100 + grand prize entry
4th=$50
5th= $25

Complete Rules

Results

Results are official at noon on the Friday following each contest.  Any scoring disputes can be emailed to tpoppler@canterburypark.com  .

SCHEDULE CHANGE:    APRIL 26 CONTEST WILL NOW BE GULFSTREAM PARK

DATE

FEATURE TRACK

BONUS RACES

WINNERS

January 18

FAIR GROUNDS

Lecomte - FG

Duane Povlitzki 1341 pts $200 + Contest Entry
Al Rivers 1289 pts $150 + Contest Entry
Al Carrick 1284 pts $100 + Contest Entry
Tom Cahill 1249 pts $50
Jerry Lane 1181 pts $12.50
Ron Lane 1181 pts $12.50

January 25

OAKLAWN

Southwest - OP

Kari Frangos 1997 pts $200 + Contest Entry
Adam Meyer 1732 pts $150 + Contest Entry
Heidi Piche 1615 pts $100 + Contest Entry
Rick Grangroth 1593 pts $50
Shane Boegeman 1571 pts $25

February 1

GULFSTREAM PARK

Holy Bull - GP
Robert Lewis – SA
Withers-AQU


Steve Laurent 1896 pts $200 + Contest Entry

Chris Larsen 1801 pts  $150 + Contest Entry

Jerry Paquin 1721 pts  $100 + Contest Entry
Jim Butler 1599 pts  $50
Gary Alvig 1543 pts $25

February 8

TAMPA BAY DOWNS

Sam F. Davis - TAM


Greg Dunning 1644 pts $200 + Contest Entry

Adam Meyer 1328 pts  $15 + Contest Entry

Halleck Peterson 1326 pts  $100 + Contest Entry
Patrick Quinn 1321 pts  $50
Michael Tindall 1262 pts $25

February 15

FAIR GROUNDS

Risen Star - FG

Tom Burns 2964 pts $200 + Contest Entry

Steve Capistrant 2762 pts  $150 + Contest Entry

Bruce Meyer 2586 pts  $100 + Contest Entry
Bruce Holden 2504 pts  $50
Joshua Taarud 1828 pts $25

February 23

OAKLAWN

Rebel Stakes - OP

Walt Krueger 1712 pts $200 + Contest Entry

Peter Milinkovich 1642 pts $150 + Contest Entry

Mark Genosky 1566 pts $100 + Contest Entry

Ray Hassan 1526 pts $37.50

Dave Zamora 1526 pts $3.75

March 1

GULFSTREAM

Fountain of Youth – GP
Gotham – AQU
San Felipe – SA

Al Rivers 2499 pts $200 + Contest Entry

Lawrence Lindberg 1943 pts $150 + Contest Entry

Cliff Oldre 1933 pts $100 + Contest Entry

David Zitzmann 1861 pts $50

Steven P Johnson 1849 pts $25

March 8

TAMPA BAY DOWNS

Tampa Bay Derby-TAM 1

Kevin Farrell 1605 pts $200 + Contest Entry

Steven P Johnson 1551 pts $150 + Contest Entry

Gary Alvig 1479 pts $100 + Contest Entry

Chris Humbert 1445 pts $50 Jeff Nelson 1401 pts $25

March 15

COLONIAL DOWNS

Virginia Derby - COL

Marietta Carpenter 1319 pts $200 + Contest Entry

Fred Williams 1283 pts $150 + Contest Entry

Traci Scott pts $100 + Contest Entry

Terry Severson 1145 pts $50

Kevin Johnson 1132 pts $25

March 22

FAIR GROUNDS

Louisiana Derby – FG
Jeff Ruby Steaks – TP

Doug Plehal 2656.4 pts $200 + Contest Entry

Rita Molnar 2344.6 pts $150 + Contest Entry

Saundra Larson 2050.4 pts $100 + Contest Entry

Doug Herman 1907.4 pts $50

Tim Neis 1879.4 pts $25

March 29

GULFSTREAM

Florida Derby – GP
Arkansas Derby – OP

Mike Gaulrapp 2039 pts $200 + Contest Entry

Tim Truwe 1888 pts $150 + Contest Entry

Heather Grevelis 1882 pts $100 + Contest Entry

Tim B Johnson 1878 pts $50

Jim Butler 1758 pts $25


April 5

SANTA ANITA

Santa Anita Derby – SA
Wood Memorial – AQU
Blue Grass – KEE

April 12

KEENELAND

Lexington - KEE


April 19

OAKLAWN

No Bonus Race

April 26

GULFSTREAM

No Bonus Race


May 3

CHURCHILL DOWNS

Kentucky Derby - CD


This contest is free to enter however minimum tracked pari-mutuel play using MVP Rewards card is required for full prize payout: $30 in pari-mutuel wagers each contest day for weekly prizes and  $480 in pari-mutuel wagers for all contest days combined for overall prizes. Minimum play must be made using MVP Rewards card. Cancelled wagers are not considered valid for minimum wager determination. Should a weekly or overall winner not meet minimum wagering requirements, 10 percent of the cash prize will be awarded.

Overall Prize Schedule

Award

1st 

$1,000 + Grand Prize Entry

2nd

$600 + Grand Prize Entry

3rd  

$500 + Grand Prize Entry

4th  

$400 + Grand Prize Entry

5th   

$350 + Grand Prize Entry

6th   

$250 + Grand Prize Entry

7th  

$200 + Grand Prize Entry

8th

$100 + Grand Prize Entry

9th

$75

10th-20th

$50

21st-30th

$25

Each player’s three lowest daily scores will be subtracted from their accumulated score to determine the final grand total that will be used to determine final standings.

Friday entry allowed:
Available during Club Level Mutuels hours.

Grand Prize Contest: Top two players will receive a Dog Days of Summer contest entry valued at $550. Winners determined by contest held May 31.
Entry to Grand prize Contest will be awarded ONLY to: top three players of each 16 weekly contests and the top eight players in accumulated point totals.
Grand Prize Contest rules.