Since early December, a speedy light gray colt named Hansen has been at Gulfstream Park preparing for a series of races that his trainer Mike Maker hopes will lead to the Kentucky Derby on May 5.

Hansen, the 2-year-old champion for 2011, will start on that road Sunday in the $400,000 Holy Bull Stakes. The Grade 3 stakes is a mile around one turn and has six entrants.

It is a prep for Gulfstream’s other two rich annual stakes for 3-year-olds.

The $400,000 Fountain of Youth (Grade 2) will be at 1 1/16 miles on Feb. 26, and the $1 million Florida Derby (Grade 1) will be 1 1/8 miles on March 31.

“It depends on what happens in the first one,” Maker said of Hansen. “But he is here and would not have to travel, so we could go in all three.”

Hansen is unbeaten in three races, leading almost the entire route each time. He ended his season on Nov. 5 when he beat Union Rags by a head in the 1 1/16-mile Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (Grade 1) at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. — the site of the Kentucky Derby.

On Jan. 12, Hansen was announced as the winner of the 2011 Eclipse Award as Champion 2-year-old Male. He beat Union Rags 194-52 in voting by racing industry officials and racing writers.

Union Rags, trained by Michael Matz, probably will make his first 2012 start in the Fountain of Youth. He was unbeaten in three career starts before the Breeders’ Cup.

A rematch could come in the Fountain of Youth.

In the Breeders’ Cup race, Union Rags drifted out badly in the stretch run but was still almost able to catch Hansen.

“He [Hansen] set a fast pace and showed that he will not quit,” Maker said.

Pulpit, the grand sire of Hansen, was best at distances of 1 1/16 miles or shorter. That breeding and Hansen’s style of taking an early lead have led to questions about how he might handle 1 1/8-mile races and the Kentucky Derby at 1 1/4 miles.

“I believe he will handle it,” Maker said. “He will let us know.”

Hansen is named for his breeder and principal owner Kendall Hansen, a physician who lives in Kentucky. He owns the horse in a partnership with Sky Chai Racing.

Ramon Dominquez rode Hansen in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and has the mount in the Holy Bull on Sunday.

Fort Loudon, who swept last year’s three-race Florida Stallion Stakes series at Calder Casino & Race Course, will make his first 2012 start in the Holy Bull. Rajiv Maragh will ride for trainer Stanley Gold.

Algorithms and Consortium will make their stakes debuts and race at their longest distance yet in the Holy Bull, and My Adonis and Silver Max complete the Holy Bull field.