D.J. Stable's Tampa Bay Derby (Grade 2) winner Helium along with Chiefswood Stables' Gotham upset hero and likely Wood Memorial (G2) entrant Weyburn were among nine Thoroughbreds made eligible to compete in the 2021 Triple Crown with a $6,000 late payment that was due Monday.
With nine late nominees during the Jan. 23-March 29 late nomination phase (pending late mail), there are now 335 horses eligible to compete in the Triple Crown's three race series. The 2021 Triple Crown opens Saturday, May 1 with the 147th running of the 1 ¼-mile Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. The 146th Preakness, its 1 3/16-mile second jewel, is set for Saturday, May 15 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md. The 153rd running of the Belmont Stakes, the series' 1 ½-mile final leg, is scheduled for Saturday, June 5 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.
Other late Triple Crown nominees: Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum's UAE Derby (G2) runner-up Panadol; Reddam Racing's Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) third-place finisher Hockey Dad; Larry Katz' Turf Paradise Derby winner It's My House; Michael Dubb and Bethlehem Stables' three-time winner Maythehorsebwithu; Phillip Ward's stakes-placed Tiz Mandate; MyRacehorse.com, Medallion Racing, Parkland Thoroughbreds and Edward Kelly's European transfer Carrothers; and Clark M Cooper Family Trust, Mia Familia Racing Stable and Wade Jacobsen's two-time winner Back Ring Luck.
Any horse not nominated during the early or late phases can become Triple Crown eligible through a supplemental nomination payment due at the time of entry for each Triple Crown race: Kentucky Derby ($200,000), Preakness ($100,000), and Belmont ($50,000).
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