(Sovereignty romps in the Street Sense Stakes at Churchill Downs / All Photos by Coady Media)

It is that time of year.

Time to get excited. Time to rev up. Time to pay attention. Time to start gearing up for that magical “First Saturday in May.” Time to get your handicapping big-boy and big-girl pants on.

And, time to start narrowing in on your top picks for the greatest horse race in history — The Kentucky Derby.

Going into this Saturday’s G2 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park, we are launching our first “Top 20 List” for this year’s 151st running of the “Greatest 2-Minutes in Sports.” And, as luck would have it, our top selection will make his 2025 debut this Saturday in that very race.

Our top pick in our initial look into this year’s race is none other than Sovereignty, a 3-year-old son of the great stallion Into Mischief and the same one who broke his maiden in the G3 Street Sense Stakes at Churchill Downs last October.

Not only did the beautiful bay get his first win ever against more accomplished and more seasoned horses in the Street Sense, Sovereignty did so after a horrendous start and only after coming from last and zooming to first in an amazing sweep of slow to fast.

It was amazing to watch.

It is amazing to relive.

And, it is amazing to think how good this guy can become.

We may get a look at that this Saturday in the Holy Bull, when Sovereignty will make his fourth career start. He started last summer at Saratoga with a 4th place finish and followed that up with at Aqueduct in September. But it will be the huge move in October that has us all excited; wanting and wishing for more; hoping for the best. Which just may be to come.

Here’s a glimpse at our Top 20. The full chart, with comments, will be added as a separate link on our home page later today. We hope you follow along. We hope you develop your own Top 20 List. We hope you can root and cheer.

After all, this is our favorite time of year.

151st Kentucky Derby Rankings
Horse Sire Trainer Jockey
Sovereignty Into Mischief Bill Mott Junior Alvarado
John Hancock Constitution Brad Cox Flavien Prat
Journalism Curlin Michael McCarthy Umberto Rispoli
Citizen Bull Into Mischief Bob Baffert Martin Garcia
Disco Time Not This Time Brad Cox Florent Geroux
Coal Battle Coal Front Lonnie Briley Juan Vargas
Bullard Gun Runner Michael McCarthy Umberto Rispoli
Tappan Street Into Mischief Brad Cox Luis Saez
Gate to Wire Munnings Todd Pletcher Dylan Davis
Aviator Gui Uncle Mo Chad Brown Manny Franco
Burnham Square Liam’s Map Ian Wilkes Edgar Zayas
Caldera Liam’s Map D. Wayne Lukas Rafael Bejarano
Sandman Tapit Mark Casse Cristian Torres
Built Hard Spun Wayne Catalano Luis Saez
Getaway Car Curlin Bob Baffert Juan Hernandez
Jonathan’s Way Vekoma Philip Bauer Joel Rosario
Chancer McPatrick McKinzie Chad Brown Flavien Prat
Poster Munnings Eoin Harty Antonio Gallardo
First Resort Uncle Mo Eoin Harty Luis Saez
Burning Glory Into Mischief Bill Mott Tyler Gaffalione

(The full chart — with comments on each horse — will be added to the home page later today)