BloodHorse news editor Byron King presents his latest Derby Dozen Presented by Spendthrift, with a look at his leading contenders for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve on May 6.

Last Saturday, the final three prep races which each offered 200 points to the top five finishers were held: the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, the Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by Resorts World Casino at Aqueduct, and the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby at Santa Anita Park. This upcoming Saturday, the final qualifying points race in the Road to the Kentucky Derby series will be held at Keeneland. The Stonestreet Lexington Stakes offers 40 points to the top five finishers, distributed on a 20-8-6-4-2 scale.

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. Forte 

Though Tapit Trice scored style points for his victory in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes, Forte, the Curlin Florida Derby Presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms at Xalapa winner, clings to the top spot in the Derby Dozen rankings, owing to his body of work and professionalism. Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, a two-time Kentucky Derby winner, brings a strong hand into this year’s Run for the Roses, training three top contenders in Forte, Tapit Trice, and Kingsbarns, all $1 million prep winners. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., bidding for his first Derby, can only hope for a better draw this year with Forte than what he caught in 2021-22, when Pletcher trainees Known Agenda and Mo Donegal each drew the disadvantageous inside post.

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2. Tapit Trice 

The initial quarter-mile of the Blue Grass somewhat mirrored this colt’s Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby victory when he was off slowly and climbed early behind kickback. But once Luis Saez was able to angle him from the rail to the outside midway on the first turn at Keeneland, the gray quickly advanced on the leaders and outkicked a quality foe in Verifying. He gained a head into that rival in a final eighth timed in :12.40 to complete 1 1/8 miles in 1:50 over a track that produced relatively slow times. He looks tailor-made for the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets – sons of Tapit have excelled in that race – and is a close No. 2 behind Forte in the Derby Dozen rankings.

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3. Angel of Empire 

The Derby preps contested this month all had tight finishes except one: the April 1 Arkansas Derby, a race this contender took by 4 ¼ lengths. That sticks out relative to Forte winning the Florida Derby by a length, and Tapit Trice, Practical Move, and Lord Miles taking the Blue Grass, Runhappy Santa Anita Derby, and Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by Resorts World Casino in photo finishes. He and Derby favorite Forte have faced a common foe this year in Rocket Can, whom Forte defeated by 4 ½ lengths when Rocket Can was second in the Fountain of Youth Stakes. Angel of Empire was 4 ¾ lengths ahead of Rocket Can when the latter was fourth in the Arkansas Derby.

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4. Practical Move 

In gamely winning the 1 1/8-mile Santa Anita Derby, he showed an ability to stay a trip beyond the most effective distance of his sire, Practical Joke, whose best races came around one turn from seven furlongs to a mile. Mandarin Hero and Skinner both loomed with threatening rallies but he was able to fend them off, lasting by a nose over the former, with the latter another half-length back. Practical Move again broke a step slowly, but quickly recovered, and then was able to slip up the fence – just as he had in stalking triumphs in the San Felipe Stakes and 2022 Los Alamitos Futurity. He moved a bit early from off the pace in the Santa Anita Derby, which perhaps contributed to his looking a little weary late.

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5. Two Phil’s  

After this colt won the Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park in a fast time, trainer Larry Rivelli took him back to his base at Hawthorne, where on April 9 Two Phil’s worked a half-mile in :49.60. If he’s successful in the first leg of the Triple Crown, he would not be the first Derby winner this century to spend early April in Chicago. War Emblem  won the 2002 Illinois Derby at now-shuttered Sportsman’s Park, was sold privately to The Thoroughbred Corp. and turned over to trainer Bob Baffert, and then wired the Derby field. This versatile colt is a graded stakes winner over the Churchill Downs strip and this year was second in the Lecomte Stakes and third in the Risen Star Stakes Presented by Lamarque Lincoln and Lamarque Crescent City Ford.

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6. Verifying 

Ninth in last week’s Dozen, he rises following his close second to Tapit Trice in the Blue Grass. He seemed to have a trip advantage over that rival – placed in a sweet, pace-pressing position – and could not repel his bid. Verifying kicked down the stretch, but was simply outfinished by a rival with a more powerful punch. Note there was a 5 ¾ -length margin back to the third-place finisher, Grade 1 winner Blazing Sevens.

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7. Kingsbarns

Following his frontrunning win in the Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby, he returned to Todd Pletcher’s South Florida training base, Palm Beach Downs, where he worked a half-mile April 7 in :49.74. His tactical speed has allowed him to partially make his own luck in three starts, all victories, rating behind quick fractions in his first two victories and then taking command early in a paceless Louisiana Derby. Without much speed seemingly in this year’s Derby, this versatility should give him an opportunity to work out another favorable trip.

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8. Derma Sotogake

Japan’s top Derby hope led from start to finish in the UAE Derby Sponsored by Atlantis the Royal at Meydan Racecourse, posting the fastest time (1:55.91) in the race over 1,900 meters (about 1 3/16 miles) since the classy Mendelssohn ran the distance in 1:55.19 in 2018. Since 2000, 18 UAE Derby participants have contested the Derby without finishing better than fifth, but with the apparent pace void in this year’s race, this colt could be a threat to shake loose. Even his third in the Saudi Derby, a start before the UAE Derby, was a quality effort after he was left at the break.

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9. Confidence Game

The Rebel Stakes winner is on site at Churchill Downs, where he worked five furlongs in 1:00.40 under regular rider James Graham April 8. He easily dispatched a workmate and continued with a spirited gallop-out. This was a good-looking move and by far his most serious drill since he took the Feb. 25 Rebel at Oaklawn Park over a sloppy track. That race took more out of him than other starts, and on April 12, trainer Keith Desormeaux said he would his colt fresh into the Derby. 

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10. Skinner 

His form is reminiscent of the John Shirreffs-trained Giacomo, the 2005 Derby winner, in that he has just a single victory but has a late-running style that could be more effective over the long Churchill Downs stretch than over speed-favoring tracks in Southern California. Skinner ran a better race in the Santa Anita Derby than Giacomo did, finishing third compared to Giacomo’s fourth. Skinner also ran an attractive 104 Equibase Speed Figure despite a wide trip. Needs to pick up one spot to make the 20-horse Derby lineup after this past weekend’s races, though with defections fairly common, the expectation is he will get in.

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11. Mage 

He is talented, but his limited experience keeps him near the bottom of the list. He is prone to breaking slowly, and that is a difficult thing to overcome in any race, let alone in the 20-horse Kentucky Derby. His tardy beginning also may have led to an early move from behind in the Florida Derby that caused him to grow a bit weary late, seemingly allowing Forte to run him down in the closing strides. Still, he ran within a length of the Derby favorite, no easy feat.

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12. Hit Show

Though he lost the Wood Memorial, he ranks as the top Derby hopeful that raced in New York this winter and spring. His nose loss in a roughly contested Wood was a solid effort from post 12, plus he emphatically won the Withers Stakes earlier in the year. He has twice run well at 1 1/8 miles and has improved his speed figures with every start. He will need continued development to close the gap on the favorites, having a career-best 99 ESF in the Wood compared to figures from the main contenders in the 100s.