Sensible suggestions for revision of the Kentucky Derby qualifying
process take a beating when there is a nonsensical winner such as Mine
That Bird.
For more than 20 years, money earned in graded races has determined
the 20 horses in the starting gate on the first Saturday in May.
Occasionally, that fails — Eddington and Rock Hard Ten, both third in
prestigious prep races, were excluded from the 2003 Derby because they
didn’t have the necessary bankroll.
In reaction to such exclusions and in anticipation of skewed purses to come, well thought out alternatives have been offered.
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