BloodHorse news editor Byron King presents his latest Derby Dozen for 2022, with a look at his leading contenders for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve on May 7.

There were three qualifying points preps for the Kentucky Derby last weekend: the Curlin Florida Derby Presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms at Xalapa, the Arkansas Derby, and the Jeff Ruby Steaks. Three more are scheduled for Saturday, April 9: the Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by Resorts World Casino, the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes, and the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby.

Check out America's Best Racing's Triple Crown page to keep up to date with stories and statistics on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

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1. Epicenter 

Video distributed on social media showed him with an energetic gallop over the Churchill Downs surface April 4, suggesting he exited the Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby in fine fettle. Perhaps this is the year North America's winningest trainer Steve Asmussen breaks through with an elusive Kentucky Derby victory. He's come close before, with two seconds and two thirds in 23 starts. Epicenter has all the ingredients of a top Derby contender.

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2. Zandon 

With just 14 qualifying points toward the Derby, he needs to add to his tally in the April 9 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland. A win (100 points) or a second (40) safely puts him in the Derby, while a third (20) could leave him on the bubble. After tough trips when second in the Remsen Stakes and third in the Risen Star Stakes Presented by Lamarque Ford, I’m eager to see what he can do with racing luck.

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3. Messier 

After a stiff in-company drill March 27, he had more of a maintenance breeze April 2 at Santa Anita Park, covering a solo five furlongs in 1:00 2/5. A matchup with Forbidden Kingdom is on deck in the April 9 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby. Messier previously defeated that speedster when they met in the Bob Hope Stakes last fall at Del Mar after the latter established blazing splits. The Santa Anita Derby will mark the first start for trainer Tim Yakteen, who subs for suspended Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.

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4. Smile Happy 

Though he lost for the first time in the Risen Star, his runner-up finish was encouraging. Topped by the production of victorious Epicenter, the form from the race has held up. I’m anticipating improvement from Smile Happy in his second race off the bench at age 3. Two other Kenny McPeek-trained 3-year-olds – Tiz the Bomb and to a lesser extent Rattle N Roll – have taken steps forward since their sophomore debuts. Smile Happy goes next in the Blue Grass at Keeneland, where he scored on debut last fall.

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5. White Abarrio 

He heads to Louisville having won the Curlin Florida Derby Presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa, the prep race that has produced the most winners (24) in Kentucky Derby history. Unlike in the Holy Bull Stakes, when he pressed the pace outside before powering to victory, he needed to come from farther behind in the Florida Derby after racing in fifth. His closing eighth (:14.09) and 1 1/8-mile final time (1:50.64) were on the slow side, though he still earned a 99 Equibase Speed Figure.

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6. Simplification 

The Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes victor merits praise for sticking around for third in the Florida Derby. Between Classic Causeway and Pappacap early, he seemed to grow a little keen – and that proved costly when a part of contesting fractions of :47.24 and 1:10.68. Classic Causeway was first to throw in the towel, fading to 11^th (and resulting in his Derby Dozen departure), and Pappacap yielded to be fourth. This colt was gritty to only lose by 2 ¼ lengths.

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7. Charge It 

Quite a performance from this 3-year-old to run second in the Florida Derby in just his third start, though his inexperience showed. Off a beat slowly after hitting the side of the starting gate, he ended up stalking the leaders and then drifted in down the stretch when rallying. That noted, he was outpaced by White Abarrio when that rival made his decisive winning move on the second turn. With just three starts under his belt and still green, this colt can't afford any miscues in the Derby.

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8. Forbidden Kingdom

Though this frontrunner was much the best in the San Felipe Stakes, his stock dips this week in the Dozen due to three off-the-board finishes from San Felipe returnees. San Felipe runner-up Doppelganger ran fourth in the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park; fifth-place finisher Cabo Spirit ran sixth in the Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park; and seventh-place finish Worse Read Sanchez finished fifth in an allowance optional claimer at Santa Anita Park.

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9. Mo Donegal 

Appearing likely to finish off the board when stuck in neutral in the Feb. 5 Holy Bull, he eventually kicked into gear over the short stretch to grab third behind White Abarrio and slow-starting Simplification, two of the elite 3-year-olds in Florida this winter. Now Mo Donegal heads to Aqueduct for the 1 1/8-mile Wood Memorial Presented by Resorts World Casino on April 9, where he will square off against graded stakes winners Morello and Early Voting.

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10. Cyberknife

An early backstretch move in the Arkansas Derby to go from fourth to second shed him from traffic, though it likely contributed to relatively slow splits from him over the final portion of the 1 1/8-mile race. Like White Abarrio in the Florida Derby, he didn't run particularly quick, timed in 1:50.42. An hour earlier at Oaklawn Park, Yuugiri ran 1 1/16 miles in the Fantasy Stakes in a quicker-for-the-distance 1:43.65.

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11. Crown Pride

This Japanese runner's form is similar to that of Lani  prior to his ninth-place finish in the 2016 Kentucky Derby. Like that runner, Crown Pride won the UAE Derby Sponsored by Mubadala in Dubai after finishing unplaced in the Hyacinth Stakes in Tokyo. Where they differ is in pedigree and style. Lani was an American-bred that ran from well off the pace, while Crown Pride has Japanese bloodlines and is much more tactical. He quickly positioned himself just off the leaders after a squeeze at the start of the UAE Derby.

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12. Zozos 

For a horse making just his third start and first in a stakes in the Louisiana Derby, it didn't show in his performance. He busted out to set the tempo, took pressure from the more seasoned Pioneer of Medina, and held on well for second to Epicenter, who was timed in a track record 1:54.38 for 1 3/16 miles. This developing colt needs another forward move to close the gap on Epicenter and handle a deeper field in the Derby.