BloodHorse news editor Byron King presents his Derby Dozen with a review of leading contenders for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve May 3 at Churchill Downs.

King’s latest rankings reflect the latest doings at Churchill Downs as contenders ship in and begin training over the dirt track, with the post-position draw for Derby 151 set for Saturday, April 26.

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. Sovereignty

The Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes winner and Curlin Florida Derby Presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms at Xalapa runner-up arrived at Churchill Downs last week from Payson Park Training Center in Florida and recorded his penultimate workout before the May 3 Kentucky Derby by breezing five furlongs in 1:00.60 April 19 beneath the twin spires. This was an encouraging solo move, punctuated by him galloping out another furlong in :12.20. He is comfortable training and racing at Churchill Downs. Recall that he rolled by five lengths over Tiztastic and Sandman in the Street Sense Stakes last fall in his only local racing appearance.

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2. Journalism

With all Derby participants required to be on the grounds a week before the run for the roses, many of the out-of-town horses are headed to Kentucky this week, including Journalism. This follows a Saturday workout at Santa Anita Park in which he outbreezed his workmate, the maiden claiming winner Feel the Magic, with a half-mile in :47. He opened up on the gallop out, not a surprise from a colt with such high class and stamina. Perfect in four routes, three of them graded stakes, he is between 5-2 and 7-2 odds in overseas wagering in antepost (future book) wagering on the Kentucky Derby.

(Note: Baeza, runner-up to Journalism in the Santa Anita Derby, is inching closer to making the 20-horse field, though he is not yet in the race. He will make the final Derby Dozen rankings next week if he secures a spot in the body of the field or appears likely to draw into the race as an also-eligible.)

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3. Tappan Street

Exciting morning drills at Payson Park – as well as a runner-up finish in the Holy Bull Stakes that followed a maiden win at Gulfstream Park – pointed to a strong performance in the Florida Derby, and he outran Sovereignty by 1 ¼ lengths. He has maintained his edge in his subsequent training, outworking hard-ridden maiden winner Rapture in a 1:01.40 breeze April 18 at Payson Park. His final breeze is scheduled to come at Churchill Downs. One would expect him to maintain his form, though he is less of a certainty to do so than Sovereignty, who already has a five-length graded stakes victory over the local surface.

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4. Sandman

Few horses look more likely to appreciate the Derby’s 1 ¼-mile distance than Sandman, who was strongest at the finish of the 1 1/8-mile Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park in scoring by 2 ½ lengths over Publisher. This was despite Sandman drifting out late after putting away most of his competition. If he can get as smooth a journey in the Kentucky Derby as he got in the Arkansas Derby, he will stand a strong chance, but he will need some breaks to fall his way. Jockey Jose Ortiz will have to follow others offering bids and avoid running wide. Sandman trails three others due to being 1-for-5 in stakes races.

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5. Luxor Café

American racing fans may be somewhat unfamiliar with Luxor Café, who is on a four-race win streak in Japan after two initial losses, but most will recognize his pedigree. Besides being by American Pharoah, the 2015 Triple Crown winner, he is out of the More Than Ready mare Mary’s Follies. She won the 2009 Mrs. Revere Stakes on the grass at Churchill Downs before greater acclaim as a broodmare. Mary’s Follies produced Grade 3 winner Night Prowler and champions Regal Glory and Café Pharoah. Night Prowler and Regal Glory excelled on turf, but Café Pharaoh, like Luxor Café, flourished on dirt.

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6. Burnham Square 

Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. may have been the difference-maker aboard Mystik Dan in their narrow victory in the 2024 Kentucky Derby. His urging to send that runner up the fence on the second turn allowed Mystik Dan to save more ground than those 3-year-olds close behind him at the finish. Can we expect another such ride from Hernandez this year on Burnham Square? Probably not. Burnham Square, despite his accomplishments as the Holy Bull Stakes and Toyota Blue Grass Stakes winner, is less of a quick-accelerating type. He tends to race wide and gradually picks off horses.

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7. Coal Battle

Which horse might be able to take advantage of a ground-saving trip if he lands a starting position on the inside or middle of the field when post positions are drawn April 26? Perhaps Coal Battle. A nimble sort, this fast-accelerating colt looks like the type that might be able to hit some holes quicker than others. Coal Battle has picked up the pace in his recent workouts, breezing a half-mile in :47.80 at Churchill Downs April 22. Louisiana-based Juan Vargas rides Coal Battle in the Derby, as he has in seven of the colt’s eight lifetime starts, including four stakes victories.

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8. Grande

Rather than give Grande his final workout at Churchill Downs, Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, a two-time Derby winner, is scheduled to breeze the Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by Resorts World Casino runner-up April 25 at Keeneland. The atmosphere there is more relaxed than at Churchill, and Pletcher has experienced success by working horses there and then shipping elsewhere. Recall that Fierceness won the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita Park after breezing at Keeneland. Riding Grande in the Derby is Hall of Famer John Velazquez, who officially has three wins in the run for the roses – a tally that does not count the Bob Baffert-trained Medina Spirit, who crossed the wire first in 2021 but was disqualified for a medication infraction.

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9. Chunk of Gold  

The runner-up to Tiztastic in the Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby, he has since been training over the all-weather track at Turfway Park, the principal training base for trainer Ethan West. A half-mile move there in :49.40 Saturday was accomplished easily, and keep in mind this is a 3-year-old who is faster on dirt than on all-weather. By far his quickest races came when he was twice second in Derby preps at Fair Grounds this winter and spring. A $2,500 purchase as a yearling, he is one of the Cinderella stories of this year’s Derby.

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10. Citizen Bull

Would not be surprised to see last year’s champion juvenile male shed blinkers in the Derby. He worked without the equipment Saturday at Santa Anita Park, and he reeled in an outclassed workmate to breeze six furlongs in 1:11.80. His six-time Derby-winning trainer, Bob Baffert, seems to be experimenting with giving Citizen Bull some morning experience from off the pace. He also wants him fitter for this race than when fourth in the Santa Anita Derby. The latter race marked his first start in two months, and he appeared to regress when another horse ran with him early, preventing him from getting his usual position on the lead.

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11. Tiztastic

Ninth in last week’s Derby Dozen, Tiztastic dips two spots in the rankings after being outworked by his stablemate Publisher in a :59.60 five-furlong breeze at Churchill Saturday. These two were more of an equal match in a joint breeze at the same distance in 1:00.80 a week earlier. Based on what they have done in the afternoon, Tiztastic’s overall accomplishments are greater than those of Publisher, who, despite his much-improved runner-up finish in the Arkansas Derby, is still a maiden after seven starts. In Tiztastic’s top achievement, he won the 1 3/16-mile Louisiana Derby.

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12. American Promise

Ahead of shipping American Promise from Arkansas to Kentucky, four-time Derby winner D. Wayne Lukas gave this colt a demanding seven-furlong gate workout at Oaklawn Park meant to leave American Promise engaged from the opening strides in the run for the roses. Putting away his workmate after swift early fractions, American Promise felt his rider’s crop on multiple occasions over the final three furlongs before completing seven-eighths in 1:25.20. His best races, highlighted by his track record-setting victory in the Virginia Derby, have come when he has been 1-2 after the first quarter-mile.