A Run for the Roses: 15 Possible Contenders for the Kentucky Derby 2022

Smarty Jones and Sham are among the horses who made it to the list of finalists for the 2022 Run for The Roses.

There are potential contenders for the 148th edition of the Kentucky Derby. Pappacap is the most valuable horse in the Derby points rankings. He finished second in Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and American Pharoah. His next race is in Lecomte on January 22.

Epicenter won his maiden in his second appearance in a $120,000 competition at Churchill Downs. He returned six weeks later to take and win the Gun Runner Stakes at Fair Grounds by over six lengths.

Corniche won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. He is not accruing Derby”s points.

The Forbidden Kingdom won the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita last Saturday. He received a Beyer Speed Figure of 94. The budding star is shaping up to be a major contender from the West Coast for the year. Another McPeek product, the Munnings colt, stepped into the limelight by dominating the Smarty Jones at Oaklawn. Distorted Humor has been unable to win after breaking his maiden on debuting at Saratoga. Bourbon Heist received one Kentucky Derby point by finishing fourth in the Iroquois. Red Knobs came in third in a race at Churchill Downs. Classic Causeway will be pointed towards the Holy Bull (G3) on February 5 at Gulfstream Park.

Tiz the Bomb won his first race on the dirt at Ellis Park. He has been the 10-1 second choice in the latest Kentucky Derby Future Wager.

Slow Down Andy beat Messier in the stretch to win the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity on December 11.

Rattle N Roll broke his maiden at Churchill Downs in September and destroyed a 13-horse field in the Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland two weeks later. He missed the breeders' Cup Juvenile at Gulfstream Park due to a slight ailment, but he reappeared at the Kentucky Derby later that month.