Early Look: Meet the 22 candidates for Kentucky Derby

It's early. It'll change. But for now, Horse Racing Nation has compiled 22 probable or possible contenders for the 2022 Kentucky Derby.

You can click here to read about the chances for each of them (and others) to make it to the Churchill Downs starting gate.

Meanwhile, here's an early look at the 22, in order of their HRN ranking.

Taiba. The Gun Runner colt, a $1.7 million purchase as a 2-year-old, made a splash in March when he won his debut by 7 1/2 lengths. He then was transferred from Bob Baffert to Tim Yakteen, who thought the Santa Anita Derby (G1) might be a bit stiff for his second start. Owner Amr Zedan disagreed, and Taiba overtook stablemate Messier to win by 2 1/4 lengths in his only chance to pick up Kentucky Derby qualifying points.

Epicenter. After losing by a head in the Lecomte (G3), he came back to lead at every call in the Risen Star (G2) and then came from off the pace to win the Louisiana Derby (G2). The Steve Asmussen trainee worked Sunday at Churchill Downs, breezing 5 furlongs in 1:01.00.

Cyberknife. Another Gun Runner colt, he returned from a sixth-place finish in the Lecomte to win a Fair Grounds allowance at 1 1/16 miles for trainer Brad Cox. Then it was on to the Arkansas Derby (G1), where he threw his rider in the post parade but went on to win over Barber Road by 2 3/4 lengths.

Zandon. His last-to-first win in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) was his first win in three tries since breaking his maiden on debut last October. But in those other two starts, he lost by a nose to Mo Donegal in the Remsen (G2) and was third behind Epicenter and Smile Happy in the Risen Star.

Messier. Another former Baffert trainee, he was first or second in each of his first five starts, with a 15-length win in the Robert B. Lewis (G3). The slight second choice in the Santa Anita Derby, he put away front-running favorite Forbidden Kingdom on the second turn after pressing the pace but could not hold off Taiba in the final 200 yards.

Simplification. Trained by Antonio Sano and owned by pinhooker Tami Bobo, he earned his way into the Kentucky Derby with a dominating win in the Fountain of Youth (G2) and then held on for third in the Florida Derby (G1). Sano's only other Kentucky Derby start with with Gunnerva, who finished seventh in 2017.

White Abarrio. With four wins in five starts – notably the Holy Bull (G3) and Florida Derby in his only starts this year – Saffie Joseph Jr. has his second Kentucky Derby starter. (The other was Ny Traffic in 2020.) Joseph also broke Todd Pletcher's 18-year claim on the Gulfstream training title, despite a "bad, bad virus" in January that sideline 45 or 50 of his horses.

Zozos. The second of three Cox colts on this list, the son of Munnings won his first two starts – both this year – and then finished second in the Louisiana Derby. He's at Churchill Downs now and breezed 4 furlongs on Friday in 48.0 seconds.

Mo Donegal. His win by a neck in the Wood Memorial (G2) isn't the only bright spot on his resume. This Uncle Mo colt trained by Todd Pletcher narrowly missed a second-place finish in the Holy Bull and won the Remson over Zandon. Overall, he has three wins in five starts.

Early Voting. Chad Brown's lone appearance on this list is a Gun Runner colt who won the Withers (G3) easily before getting caught late in the Wood Memorial. In his only other start, he broke his maiden on first try in December.

Un Ojo. The one-eyed Laoban colt pulled off a shocker in winning the Rebel (G2) at 75-1. He then could manage only an eighth-place finish for trainer Ricky Courville. Un Ojo also has a second-place finish in the Withers to his credit.

Charge It. This Tapit colt trained by Pletcher gained interest when he broke his maiden by 8 1/2 lengths in February after barely losing to Volcanic in his debut. He then was second in the Florida Derby, but "if he could have just run straight that last 100 yards, he was going to be right there,” Pletcher said.

Smile Happy. Expectations were high for the Runhappy colt when he entered 2022 with a 2-for-2 record and a win in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2). Trained by Kenny McPeek, he finished second as the favorite in the Risen Star, then was runner-up again in the Blue Grass.

Crown Pride. This Japan-bred colt became eligible for the Kentucky Derby with a tough win in the UAE Derby (G2). He was 2-for-2 as a juvenile in Japan, and he finished sixth in his only other race this year, the Hyacinth, in February.

Morello. Another Asmussen colt, he made people pay attention when his win in the Withers (G3) brought his record to 3-for-3. The buzz might have faded when he was sixth as the favorite in the Wood Memorial, but he hit the gate at the start and got off to a slow start.

Barber Road. Trained by John Ortiz, he's here by virtue of finishing second-third-second in the Southwest (G3), Rebel and Arkansas Derby. He has two wins in eight career starts, both of them last fall.

Slow Down Andy. He showed promise with a win over Messier in the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) but then was sixth in the Risen Star. Trainer Doug O'Neill added blinkers, and he went on to win the Sunland Park Derby (G3) to gain a chance to wear roses on May 7.

Tiz The Bomb. A second possibility for McPeek, he closed 2021 by rallying to finish second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. Then he started this year with a start in the Holy Bull, where he finished seventh in his first start on dirt since breaking his maiden. Synthetic might be more to his liking, as he then won the John Battaglia Memorial and Jeff Ruby (G3) at Turfway.

Summer Is Tomorrow. After he finished second in the UAE Derby, trainer Bhupat Seemar said the Kentucky Derby would be a consideration although the colt had not been nominated to the Triple Crown. But he is nominated now, and he has clinched a spot in the gate.

Tawny Port. Cox's third candidate is a son of Pioneerof the Nile who broke his maiden on first try in December. After winning a Turfway allowance, he was fifth in the Risen Star and then second in the Jeff Ruby.

In Due Time. Kelly Breen's colt joined the competition with a second-place finish in the Fountain of Youth (G2). Absent from the major point qualifiers, his last chance to make it to the Derby comes Saturday in the Lexington (G3) at Keeneland.

Bye Bye Bobby. He hasn't won since breaking his maiden in November, but he picked up points with a second-place finish in the Sunland Park Derby and also needs a win in the Lexington to give trainer Todd Fincher his first shot at a Kentucky Derby starter.