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

King’s latest list reflects the results of two qualifying points preps held last weekend and looks ahead a crucial March 1 on the Derby calendar where three more preps will be held.

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 top-ranked prospect due to his 1 ¼ -mile Kentucky Derby upside, he returns to action in the March 1 Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes, his first start since winning the Oct. 27 Street Sense Stakes by five lengths in his lone two-turn race. The conditions of the Fountain of Youth are not suited to a late runner such as he is, as 1 1/16-mile races at Gulfstream Park end at what is typically the sixteenth pole. This is a building block to a follow-up 1 1/8-mile start and then the May 3 run for the roses.

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2. Barnes

He was sharp, as usual, in a Feb. 23 breeze before the March 1 DK Horse San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita Park. He is favored over five rivals in a San Felipe that should prove telling about his route ability. His two wins in as many starts have come at 5 ½ furlongs and seven furlongs, with his race at the latter distance resulting in a 5 ½-length romp in the Jan. 4 San Vicente Stakes.

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3. Citizen Bull

The 2-year-old champion of last year sits out the San Felipe Stakes. He is safely in the Derby with 60 qualifying points and is awaiting a start in one of the final Derby preps. This colt returned as excellent as ever in winning the Feb. 1 Robert B. Lewis Stakes by 3 ¾ lengths. In a form validation, the third-place finisher from that race, Madaket Road – who finished six lengths behind Citizen Bull – was a quality second behind Coal Battle  in the Feb. 23 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park.

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4. Chancer McPatrick  

The Hopeful Stakes and Champagne Stakes winner of last year has been in a steady workout routine leading up to his scheduled return in the March 8 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby. The 1 1/16-mile Tampa Bay Derby will mark his first start since a sixth-place finish in the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Presented by TAA at Del Mar in his two-turn debut. The competition at Tampa Bay Downs will likely include the stakes-winning Owen Almighty and Brodeur, a winner of two straight.

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5. Burnham Square 

Trainer Ian Wilkes was pleased with this gelding’s final breeze before the Fountain of Youth in which the 3-year-old covered five furlongs Feb. 22 in 1:01.05 at Palm Meadows Training Center. The Holy Bull Stakes winner faces a quality lineup in Saturday’s 1 1/16-mile race. Besides Sovereignty, others with graded stakes ability include Gate to Wire, River Thames, and Keep It Easy – though all three are unraced around two turns.

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6. Coal Battle

The Rebel Stakes winner will likely race next in the March 29 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park, though trainer Lonnie Briley wants to monitor this stable star in the coming weeks before deciding. “I’m going to let him tell me because if I go to the Kentucky Derby with him, I don’t want to go with a tired horse,” he told Oaklawn Park publicity. Topping the Kentucky Derby leaderboard, he already has sufficient points (70). His Rebel Stakes victory improved his dirt record to 5-for-5 and resulted in a career-best 104 Equibase Speed Figure.

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7. Journalism

Co-owner Aron Wellman, president and founder of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, is excited about what this colt can do over the Derby’s classic distance. “We just can’t seem to get to the bottom of him,” he said on the “BloodHorse Monday” podcast. The colt’s first start as a 3-year-old comes in the San Felipe, where this stalker might be at a tactical disadvantage since the apparent pace horses are both Bob Baffert trainees. It stands to reason that their jockeys will seek to avoid an early tussle, desiring more of a slow or controlled tempo.

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8. Rodriguez

He was green in the Robert B. Lewis, falling back when intimidated between horses on the backstretch and then re-engaging on the second turn. His second-place finish – in which he finished 2 ¼ lengths ahead of subsequent Rebel runner-up Madaket Road – suggests a promising future. His front-running maiden win over next-out winner Baeza also leaps out of his past performances. With Juan Hernandez staying aboard Barnes in the San Felipe, picking up the ride is last year’s Eclipse Award-winning jockey, Flavien Prat.

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9. Sandman

In closing to grab third behind Coal Battle and Madaket Road in the Rebel, he never seemed a threat to win, making up ground with a belated rally. Sandman broke better than in the Southwest Stakes, where he finished second, and raced professionally but was slower to accelerate than Coal Battle when that one launched his winning second-turn bid. Sandman did keep churning late and galloped out with energy in a well-rated race.

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10. Built

This seasoned colt has already routed three times in stakes at Fair Grounds this winter and is set for another in the March 22 Louisiana Derby. Winner of the Gun Runner Stakes, he was then a close second in the Lecomte Stakes and a distant third in a quick Fasig-Tipton Risen Star Stakes. With Risen Star winner Magnitude sidelined due to injury, Built looks like one of the favorites for the Louisiana Derby, contested at the Preakness Stakes distance of 1 3/16 miles.

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11. Madaket Road

After racing from just off the pace in his first three starts, his connections changed tactics in the 1 1/16-mile Rebel, with Irad Ortiz Jr. sending him to a clear lead with quick opening splits of :22.47 and :45.72. He caught a breather late on the backstretch and early on the second turn before Coal Battle made his bid and ultimately passed him. Though Madaket Road yielded late to finish second, he was the only horse among the top four early leaders who finished in the front half of the field.

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12. Tappan Street

He has not generated the buzz of other horses in recent weeks, which can be attributed to him being out of action since his runner-up finish in the Feb. 1 Holy Bull Stakes. He sits out Saturday’s Fountain of Youth, which is not altogether surprising as Brad Cox likes to give his stakes horses space between starts. Look for this twice-started colt to benefit from his first route in the Holy Bull and take a step forward when he reappears.