BloodHorse news editor Byron King presents his weekly Derby Dozen for 2026, with a look at his leading contenders for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve on May 2.
The Equibase leaderboard saw a significant shakeup last weekend following a loaded Valentine’s Day card at Fair Grounds and Sunday’s program at Sunland Park, both of which featured key Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve and Kentucky Oaks preps.
This feature provides a capsule look at three horses who are heating up on the Triple Crown trail and three horses whose chances for the 2026 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve are not as strong as they previously were. In the third edition of this blog for the 2026 run for the roses, the focus is on what has changed since the previous edition on Feb. 10.
Each week, members of the national media vote on the nation's top contenders on the Triple Crown trail in the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Top Thoroughbred Poll.
The names carry the gravity of history, racehorses such as Artful, Tanya, Frizette, Jean Beraud, and Burgomaster along with historic venues like Saratoga Race Course and Belmont Park.
