A long way to the First Saturday in May, but this is a rosy start: three West Point colts made the list for the Thoroughbred Daily News’ initial Top 12 for the Kentucky Derby.

T. D. Thornton compiled the rankings released this week, with Sandman checking in at #2, Keep It Easy at #10 and Bullard at #12.

Sandman, an impressive allowance winner in December at Oaklawn Park, is scheduled to make his 3-year-old debut in the $1-million Southwest Stakes (G3) on Saturday at Oaklawn Park.

Keep It Easy, winner of the Ed Brown Stakes in November at Churchill Downs, will head for a stretch-out in distance at Gulfstream Park in either the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes on February 1 or the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) on March 1.

Additional distance will also be in the cards for Bullard, who aced the Grade 3 Bob Hope Stakes at Del Mar in November and is coming off a third-place finish last weekend in the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita.