Guess the Kentucky Derby contenders from their baby pictures

May 04, 2016 Kellie Reilly/Brisnet.com

There’s a reason that baby animal photos are wildly popular — the combination of cuteness, and varying degrees of fuzziness and playfulness, are just about irresistible.

As you can see from a selection of this year’s Kentucky Derby (G1) contenders as foals, so are baby Thoroughbreds.

Just for fun, we’ll list them without their names and give you the chance to guess their identities. The answers are only a click (or hover) away, via the link to their “Tales from the Crib” stories.

This colt “learned everything very quickly.”

“He was the baby that tried to get everyone else into trouble.”

He has “always been the perfect gentleman.”

“He was bright and inquisitive as a young horse.”

“He had his own opinion about life.” 

This little guy is a tricky one because he’s no longer chestnut!

“He kind of always lived in his brother’s shadow a little bit.” 

“He always looked like a tough warrior.”

“He was great at photobombing all the other foals in the field.”

“Not roguish, but always full of himself, very full of himself, as a colt.”

“He was very exploring” and “very independent.”

Here are some other Derby hopefuls as yearlings

“He would overreact sometimes.”

“We'd say it in a Jamaica tone, as he was pretty chill and confident.”

“He was just drop-dead gorgeous.”

This youngster was “one of those that always wanted to please.”

And a couple as 2-year-olds before they left for the racetrack.

“He’s a very cool horse that I think is knocking on the door for great things.”

“I've never seen a foal that big in all my life.”

Also see the “Tales from the Crib” for Suddenbreakingnews, My Man Sam, and Danzing Candy.

Photo credits, in order of appearance: Ashford Stud, Sally Farnsworth/WinStar Farm, Clearsky Farms, WinStar Farm, Bev Grovert, Mathea Kelley, Laura Donnell, Kara McDermott, Rachel Holden, Mathea Kelley, Blackstone Farm, Matt Wooley/EquiSport Photos, Kimberly McCormack, Kim Poulin, Keeneland/Photos by Z, Todd Quast.