Churchill Downs has formed a partnership with the Japan Racing Association that will allow more Japanese racehorses to qualify to run in America's most famous race, the Kentucky Derby. As part of the agreement, two races run at Tokyo Racecourse, the "Cattleya Sho" and the "Hyacinth," will be added to the 35 races in which horses can score points to run in the race held the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. A position in the 20-horse starting gate will be awarded to the horse that wins the most points in these two races. Since 2013, Churchill Downs has used a points system to determine which horses will get a space in the starting gate of the Derby. Prior to the agreement with the JRA, only one non-U.S. race, the UAE Derby in Dubai, was part of the points system. Lani, a Japan-based racehorse, won the UAE Derby this year and went on to finish third in the Kentucky Derby in May. "Horse racing in Japan annually features some of the top horses in the world," said Churchill Downs Senior Dir of Communications Darren Rogers. "It is tremendously popular there and this past year we saw increased interest in the Triple Crown though Lani's participation."