A total of 312 3-year-old Thoroughbreds were made eligible to compete in this year's Triple Crown series when the early nomination phase closed Jan. 29.
Each of the horses from the 2019 foal crop was nominated through a $600 payment to compete in any of the Triple Crown races: the 148th running of the $3 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (Grade I) on May 7 at Churchill Downs (1 ¼ miles); 147th running of the $1.5 million Preakness (GI) on May 21 at Pimlico Race Course (1 3/16 miles); and 154th running of the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes (GI) on June 11 at Belmont Park (1 ½ miles).
The number of early nominations slipped 4.3% or 14 horses from last year's total of 326.
The group is led by Grade I winners Corniche (Breeders Cup Juvenile and American Pharoah), Echo Zulu (Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, Frizette and Spinaway), Jack Christopher (Champagne), Pinehurst (Del Mar Futurity) and Rattle N Roll (Breeders' Futurity).
Echo Zulu is one of six fillies that was made eligible.
The nominees also include a record 21 horses based in Japan along with two based in Europe and one from Dubai.
Todd Pletcher led all trainers with 42 horses nominated to the Triple Crown and was followed by Brad Cox (26), Chad Brown (23), Steve Asmussen (20) and Bob Baffert (18). The latter is suspended by Churchill Downs Incorporated from competing in the 2022 Kentucky Derby.
Anthony Manganaro's Siena Farm is involved in partnerships with 24 horses – 12 with the SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Robert E. Masterson, Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital LLC, Catherine M. Donovan, Golconda Stable and Stonestreet Stables LLC conglomerate and another dozen in partnership with WinStar Farm and others – to lead all owners.
Gun Runner led all sires with 16 Triple Crown nominations followed by Into Mischief (14), Quality Road (12) and Tapit (11).
There are 250 Kentucky-breds, which represents 80.1% of the nominees. Other states and countries represented are Japan (17), New York (14), Florida (13), Pennsylvania (4), California (3), Canada (3), Ireland (3), Louisiana (2), Maryland (2) and Illinois (1).
Horses not nominated during the early phase can be made eligible online at www.TheTripleCrown.com with a $6,000 late payment due by Monday, March 28. There were nine late nominations last year.
Any horse not nominated during the early or late nomination phases can become eligible through a supplemental nomination payment due at the time of entry: Kentucky Derby ($200,000), Preakness ($150,000) and Belmont ($50,000).
Thirteen horses have swept the Triple Crown series: Sir Barton (1919), Gallant Fox (1930), Omaha (1935), War Admiral (1937), Whirlaway (1941), Count Fleet (1943), Assault (1946), Citation (1948), Secretariat (1973), Seattle Slew (1977), Affirmed (1978), American Pharoah (2015) and Justify (2018).
EARLY TRIPLE CROWN NOMINATIONS AT A GLANCE
Earnings: Echo Zulu ($1,480,000), Corniche ($1,262,000), Tiz the Bomb ($620,341), Pappacap ($596,000), Newgrange ($552,000), Sekifu (JPN) ($445,881), Octane ($410,000), Dakota Gold ($385,000), Rattle N Roll ($379,460), Senbei ($364,857), Mackinnon ($333,860), Jack Christopher ($330,000), Pinehurst ($312,000), Make It Big ($303,828), Barber Road ($300,720), Kavod ($293,000), Messier ($285,600), Secret Oath ($285,167), Smile Happy ($284,810), Shipsational ($278,750) and Wit ($252,000)
Grade I Winners: Corniche (Breeders Cup Juvenile and American Pharoah), Echo Zulu (Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, Frizette and Spinaway), Jack Christopher (Champagne), Pinehurst (Del Mar Futurity) and Rattle N Roll (Breeders' Futurity)
Grade II Winners: Forbidden Kingdom (San Vicente), High Oak (Saratoga Special), Mo Donegal (Remsen), Nest (Demoiselle), Pappacap (Best Pal), Slow Down Andy (Los Alamitos Futurity), Smile Happy (Kentucky Jockey Club) and Tiz the Bomb (Bourbon)
Grade III Winners: Call Me Midnight (Lecomte), Early Voting (Withers), God of Love (Grey), Grand Sonata (Kitten's Joy), Major General (Iroquois), Messier (Bob Hope and Robert B. Lewis), My Prankster (Swale), Newgrange (Southwest and Sham), Rockefeller (Nashua), Verbal (Cecil B. DeMille), White Abarrio (Holy Bull) and Wit (Sanford)
Trainers: Todd Pletcher (42), Brad Cox (26), Chad Brown (23), Steve Asmussen (20), Bob Baffert (18), Mark Casse (12), Saffie Joseph Jr. (8), Bill Mott (8), Richard Mandella (6), Graham Motion (6), Wayne Lukas (5), Kenny McPeek (5) and Dale Romans (5)
Owners: Siena Farm LLC (24), Madaket Stables LLC (16), SF Racing LLC (13), WinStar Farm LLC (13), Catherine M. Donovan (12), Golconda Stable (12), Robert E. Masterson (12), Jay A. Schoenfarber (12), Starlight Racing LLC (12), Waves Edge Capital LLC (12), Repole Stable (10), Klaravich Stables Inc. (9), Stonestreet Stables LLC (9), Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC (8), St. Elias Stable (8), Calumet Farm (7), West Point Thoroughbreds (6), Peter Brant/White Birch Farm (5), Albaugh Family Stables LLC (4), Gary Barber (4), Reeves Thoroughbred Racing (4), Gary and Mary West (4), Peachtree Stable (4) and Three Diamonds Farm (4)
Breeders: Calumet Farm (7), Don Alberto Corporation (6), Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings Inc. (6), Three Chimneys Farm LLC (6), WinStar Farm LLC (6), Spendthrift Farm LLC (5), Fred W. Hertrich III & John D. Fielding (4), International Equities Holding Inc. (4), Brereton C. Jones (4), Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (4) and Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC (4)
Sex: Colts (286), Geldings (19), Fillies (6) and Ridglings (1)
Fillies: Cairo Memories, Echo Zulu, Miss Everything, Miss Mattie B, Nest and Secret Oath
Sire: Gun Runner (16), Into Mischief (14), Quality Road (12), Tapit (11), Arrogate (9), Curlin (9), Nyquist (9), Uncle Mo (9), Street Sense (8), Classic Empire (7), Medaglia d'Oro (7), Speightstown (6), American Pharoah (5), Cairo Prince (5), Constitution (5), Hard Spun (5), Malibu Moon (5), Mastery (5), More Than Ready (5), Not This Time (5), Pioneerof the Nile (5) and Practical Joke (5)
State-Bred: Kentucky (250), New York (14), Florida (13), Pennsylvania (4), California (3), Louisiana (2), Maryland (2) and Illinois (1)
Foreign-Bred: Japan (17), Canada (3) and Ireland (3)
Color: Bay (129), Dark Bay or Brown (94), Chestnut (60) and Gray or Roan (29)
Based in Dubai: Island Falcon (IRE)
Based in Europe: Absolute Ruler and Enthrallment (IRE)
Based in Japan: Blitz Fang (JPN), Café Karma (JPN), Consigliere (JPN), Copano Nicholson (JPN), Crown Pride (JPN), Depasser (JPN), El Paso (JPN), Geraldo Barows (JPN), Hana Kiri, Ho O Roulette (JPN), Jasper Great, Ju Taro, Line of Soul (JPN), Mr White (JPN), Osteria (JPN), Pink Dia, Reiwa Homare (JPN), Sekifu (JPN), Seventh Letter (JPN), Space the Ripper (JPN) and Success Laurel (JPN)
See the complete list of nominees here.
