The Churchill Downs Road to the Kentucky Derby series ups the ante this weekend, as the Risen Star Stakes is the first leg of the series awarding 50 points to the winner.

As the top prep races approach for the Kentucky Derby on May 3 at Churchill Downs, we take a look at 20 of the top horses on the trail.

The Risen Star Stakes features the return of the highly-touted East Avenue and Jonathan's Way, but Robert Criscola's horse racing betting picks believe 30-1 shot Chunk of Gold is a must-use in the exotics.

The field also includes Jonathan's Way , who won the Iroquois Stakes (G3) at the one-turn mile distance in September at Churchill Downs then finished seventh in the Juvenile and second in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) going 1 1/16 miles Nov. 30 at Churchill Downs .

Churchill Downs reports record nominations for this year's Triple Crown races, with most of the increase coming from Japan.

The Road to the Kentucky Derby continues with the Championship Series races offering the most points and interest to horse racing fans. Kentucky Derby Championship Series prep race schedule, tracker,