Kentucky Derby 2012: Looking at the Top 20

Over the last four months, three-year-old racehorses have been pointing to the biggest race in America, the Kentucky Derby.

While many horses have attempted to run their way into a stall in the starting gate at Churchill Downs, only 20 horses have made it.

With the final preps fading into the distance and the Kentucky Derby less than two weeks away, the core field has been set.

Some of those 20 horses won't be seen in the gate on May 5, but each of the top 20 have worked hard to feature high in the earnings list.

So without further ado, here are the top 20 three-year-old colts that hope to make their way onto the Churchill Down track the first Saturday in May.

No. 20: El Padrino

El Padrino is one of two horses trainer Todd Pletcher is hoping to run in the Kentucky Derby and after weeks of waiting, it's clear that the colt now controls his own destiny.

The G2 Risen Star Stakes winner is a fan favorite and even with his fourth place finish in the G1 Florida Derby, the Pulpit son will still have many fans at Churchill.

The downside to El Padrino is that he only has one stakes win, finishing third and fourth in his other two stakes attempts. However, his Florida Derby loss did come to horses such as Take Charge Indy and Union Rags.

Let's Go Stable was created in 2006 and co-owner Bryan Sullivan quit his job at the Clinton Group in 2007 to focus on running the venture. The stable is a family affair as co-owner Kevin Scatuorchio is Sullivan's brother-in-law.

In addition, the men's father James Scatuorchio won an Eclipse Award and Breeders' Cup in 2007 with turf champion English Channel.

No. 19: Mark Valeski

Larry Jones returns to the Derby for the first time since 2009 with Mark Valeski.

The Proud Citizen colt was last seen finishing second to longshot Hero of Order in the G2 Louisiana Derby, but it was later discovered that he lost a shoe in the race.

He will be ridden by Rosie Napravnik, who finished ninth with Pants on Fire last year. She was on Mark Valeski during his last two races, finishing with two seconds in two graded stakes.

The bay's downfall may be that he hasn't won a stakes race, finishing second in both of his two graded-stakes attempts.

However, he does have experience in bigger fields; his two attempts have had 11- and 13-horse fields respectively.

The owner is Airdrie Stud's Brereton C. Jones, a past governor of Kentucky. He  was also a founding member of the Kentucky Equine Education Project, which promotes the state's equine industry.

Jones' work in the industry earned him the 2008 Warner L. Jones Jr. Horseman of the Year Award.

No. 18: Rousing Sermon

Another product of the G2 Louisiana Derby, Rousing Sermon has a record of four graded stakes races in the past five months, with four additional ungraded stakes since last August.

However, the colt is still missing that elusive graded-stakes win, coming within a neck of it in the G1 CashCall Futurity in December.

The colt is trained by Jerry Hollendorfer and didn't leave California until his Louisiana Derby attempt.

Mike Smith was the jockey for the colt in that attempt, but he has been named on Bodemeister, giving the Rousing Sermon ride to Jose Lezcano, a three-time Derby rider.

No. 17: Went the Day Well

Trainer Graham Motion and owner Team Valor Racing International team up to bring yet another G3 Spiral Stakes winner to the Kentucky Derby.

The two won the Spiral last year with Animal Kingdom before winning the Kentucky Derby by 2 3/4 lengths.

Went the Day Well is following the same path to the Derby as last year's winner, including a rainy work two weeks before the big day. He looks to have last year's Derby winning jockey Johnny Velazquez up as well.

The Proud Citizen colt is one-for-one in stakes competition, only breaking his maiden exactly three weeks before the Spiral.

It is worth noting that Animal Kingdom did nearly the same thing last year, only winning his maiden in November as a two-year-old before running in an Allowance race (and finishing second)—exactly three weeks before his Spiral victory.

However, unlike Animal Kingdom, Went the Day Well has experience on the dirt.

No. 16: Done Talking

Done Talking's Kentucky Derby ticket was stamped in the G3 Illinois Derby on April 7.

The Broken Vow colt's only other somewhat notable stakes finish was in the G2 Remsen Stakes where he finished fourth, one spot behind No. 20 El Padrino.

Done Talking's path to the Derby can somewhat relate to 2002 Kentucky Derby winner War Emblem, who also struggled in stakes before his Illinois Derby win.

However, the big black's win was six lengths better than this year's winner.

No. 15: Trinniberg

Perhaps the best three-year-old sprinter of this year's crop, Trinniberg is being pointed towards the Kentucky Derby. The owner cites Secret Circle's injury and scratch from Derby consideration as a reason his colt is running in the race. 

While it's probable that the colt will be the rabbit, Trinniberg is now working in company in the hopes of getting him to rate.

After the Derby, it's a fair bet that the colt will be seen in some shorter stakes races.

No. 14: Prospective

From polo to racing, No. 14 Prospective's owner John C. Oxley was inducted into the Polo Hall of Fame last year.

Oxley is still heavily involved in the polo scene but on the first Saturday in May, he'll be involved in attempting to win a blanket of roses.

Prospective's last Derby prep was a sixth in the G1 Blue Grass Stakes, but his win in the G2 Tampa Bay Derby makes him an interesting horse for the Kentucky Derby.

The colt is also the winner of last year's G3 Grey Stakes at Woodbine and the ungraded Pasco Stakes in January.

No. 13: Alpha

While Alpha has had moments where he's shown shades of Quality Road's antics in the gate, the colt has really matured this year, turning into a horse that impressed in the G1 Wood Memorial—even in defeat.

The Bernardini colt's only bad race came in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile when he reared in the gate before the start.

He only has one graded stakes win to his name—the G3 Withers Stakes—but he has finished second in two grade one events.

Alpha is battle tested, fighting with Gemologist in the G1 Wood Memorial before falling a neck short of victory in which may be his most memorial race to date.

No. 12: Liaison

A horse that proved to be much more impressive as a two-year-old, Liaison hasn't hit the board in his three starts this year after winning the G1 CashCall Futurity in 2011.

The Bob Baffert-trained colt's first race of the year was a disaster, with the jockey coming unseated after he clipped heels.

Liaison seems to have lost his edge against the tough crop in California and it looks like he may be even more outclassed during the Derby unless Baffert has a trick hidden up his sleeve.

No. 11: Daddy Nose Best

Daddy Nose Best has been keeping a lower profile in the stakes races this year, winning two Grade 3 races at Sunland Park and Golden Gate.

The Scat Daddy colt has been the victim of multiple jockeys switching rides.

Julien Leparoux rode the horse in most of his starts but has opted for Union Rags.

Then Mike Smith, who had been named on the horse for the Derby, moved to Bodemeister.

The colt has been to Churchill Downs three times and raced on the dirt twice, finishing second and seventh respectively in two maiden races.

His last trip to the track was in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf where he finished sixth.

The horse has improved since his Breeders' Cup, however, and may be a sleeper when it comes to the big one.

No. 10: I'll Have Another

A surprise winner of the G2 Robert B. Lewis Stakes in February, I'll Have Another came back in April to beat Creative Cause by a nose in the G1 Santa Anita Derby.

The son of Flower Alley is trained by Doug O'Neill of Lava Man fame and the famous gelding will be ponying the colt in the Derby.

I'll Have Another is not named after a desire for more beverages, but for owner Paul Reddam's love for cookies.

No. 9: Bodemeister

If anyone knows anything about Bob Baffert, it's his love for his youngest son Bode. So it's of little surprise that his best three-year-old is named for the young Baffert.

Bodemeister only has four starts, not hitting the track until January 16. The colt broke his maiden by 9 1/4 lengths in February and was thrown straight into stakes company, running in the G2 San Felipe Stakes and finishing second by only 3/4 of a length to Creative Cause.

The horse's last start was in the G1 Arkansas Derby, where he put on an impressive front-running performance to win the race by 9 1/2 lengths.

Mike Smith left Daddy Nose Best for the ride on Bodemeister and if his performance in the Arkansas Derby is any indication, Smith made the right call.

The biggest fault against the Empire Maker colt is his lack of experience as he only had four races going into the Derby.

No. 8: Take Charge Indy

If any horse is bred for the Kentucky Derby distance, it may be Take Charge Indy.

He is by Belmont winner A.P. Indy and out of the multiple graded-stakes winning Dehere mare Take Charge Lady.

Take Charge Indy pulled an upset in the G1 Florida Derby, winning from the lead in a race Union Rags was favored in.

The colt isn't any stranger to Churchill Downs, finishing fifth behind some of the biggest favorites for the Derby in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. He also finished second in the G3 Arlington-Washington Futurity last September.

No. 7: Sabercat

Sabercat was a little suspect when it came to whether he belonged in the Derby for some time this year, but he made a better case for himself in the G1 Arkansas Derby when he finished third to 91/2-length winner Bodemeister.

Also in front of the horse was Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint victor Secret Circle, who had proven he was the real deal during Oaklawn's meet.

The son of Bluegrass Cat had a G3 win as a two-year-old, winning the Delta Downs Jackpot in addition to the ungraded Garden State Stakes. His win in the Delta Downs Jackpot guaranteed him a spot in the Derby with a $600,000 purse going to the race winner.

Sabercat is a family affair as he is owned by the mother/son team of Joan and Ron Winchell of Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC. The duo are continuing a racing tradition started by the late Verne H. Winchell—Joan's husband and Ron's father—who died in 2002 at 87.

No. 6: Gemologist

What a difference a month makes.

In March, Gemologist was sitting outside the Kentucky Derby looking in, but with a win in the G1 Wood Memorial, the colt secured himself a spot in the race.

Gemologist is the only colt coming into the Derby undefeated, going five-for-five in his career, including two graded stakes wins.

The colt is extremely talented, only letting another horse get within a length of him once in his career. That came in the gutsy stretch battle with Alpha in the Wood.

Like the 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver, trainer Todd Pletcher and owner Winstar Farm team up to race this son of Tiznow.

While the two horses don't have much else in common, they both won the G2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes as two-year-olds.

No. 5: Creative Cause

Creative Cause has been the standout horse of California, finishing on the board in all of his career starts.

The colt won the G2 San Felipe Stakes in March before finishing a nail-biting second against I'll Have Another in his last out.

While Union Rags and Hansen are often the point of focus when talking about the Breeders' Cup Juvenile last year, Creative Cause finished only a length behind the two in third.

Creative Cause is bred to go long with dam Dream of Summer being a multiple graded-stakes winner, including the G1 Apple Blossom.

No. 4: Dullahan

Dullahan's family is familiar with the Kentucky Derby on both sides. Dullahan's grandsire Unbridled's Song finished fifth in the race and Dullahan's half-brother Mine That Bird was the 2009 surprise winner of the race.

While Mind That Bird went off at high odds, it's doubtful the price will be quite as generous for Dullahan.

The big chestnut is a two time G1 winner, winning last year's Dixiana Breeders' Futurity and this year's Blue Grass Stakes, in addition to finishing fourth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

The colt is talented on multiple surfaces, hitting the board in turf and dirt races and winning both his starts on Keeneland's all-weather track.

The big question seems to be if he is just a Keeneland freak or if he can repeat his performances on other tracks.

He does have one thing on his side, however. In the Blue Grass Stakes, he beat Hansen by 1 1/4 lengths in their last start before the Derby.

No. 3: Union Rags

Fan-darling Union Rags came in with a built-in fan base when he showed up on the track in the barn of Barbaro trainer Michael Matz.

However, Union Rags has done a good job stepping out of Barbaro's shadow, winning all but two of his stakes appearances.

The colt finished second to Hansen in one of the most exciting Breeders' Cup races last year.

He also ran into bad luck in his last start, the Florida Derby, but his closing strides were exciting to watch and teased fans with the prospect of him loving more distance.

Union Rags will no doubt be one of the favorites on May 5 but most of it will be due to his success on the track and not the carryover from being in "Barbaro's Barn."

No. 2: Daddy Long Legs

In keeping up with the Breeders' Cup Juvenile theme, Daddy Long Legs is No. 2 on our earnings list.

The colt finished 12th in the race at Churchill Downs but he comes into Kentucky as the winner of the G2 U.A.E. Derby during the Dubai World Cup race day.

Daddy Long Legs is owned by the Coolmore racing group and he follows a familiar path for trainer Aidan O'Brien, who trained last year's U.A.E Derby second-place finisher Master of Hounds.

O'Brien was rewarded with a fifth-place finish in the Derby from Master of Hounds, but he is aiming to better that this year.

The chestnut is by hot sire Scat Daddy, who won both the G2 Fountain of Youth Stakes and G1 Florida Derby in 2007, before finishing 18th in the Derby and retiring.

Daddy Long Legs' dam Dreamy Maiden also had success on the dirt, winning two ungraded stakes, including the mile-long Likely Exchange Stakes.

No. 1: Hansen

Hansen isn't going into the Kentucky Derby undefeated but the gray bullet has shown more maturity this year, rating behind horses in the G3 Gotham Stakes.

Hansen has only been out of the winner's circle in two races, both with weird circumstances that had wound him up before or during the race.

However, the horse's temperament may be his undoing in the 20-horse field. The Kentucky Derby rarely has anything go right for its participants and this may mess up the horse's run.

Distance is the question for Hansen, but if he can rate during the Derby, he may be able to pull of a surprise front-running victory.