Led by two-year-old champion Forte, a total of 369 three-year-olds were made eligible to compete in this year's Triple Crown series during the early nomination phase, which closed Saturday, Jan. 28.
Each of the 369 horses from the 2020 foal crop were made eligible through a $600 payment to compete in any leg of the Triple Crown series. The 2023 Triple Crown opens Saturday, May 6 with the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, followed by the Preakness at Pimlico on May 20 and the Belmont Stakes on June 10.
The total early nominations rose by 18.2 percent or 57 horses from last year's total of 312. The nominees include a record 37 horses based in Japan, 16 more than last year's previous record of 21, and two fillies in the shape of Hoosier Philly and Julia Shining.
FULL LIST OF TRIPLE CROWN NOMINATIONS
Three-time G1 winner Forte, owned by Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable and campaigned by Todd Pletcher, won last year's Hopeful Stakes, Breeders' Futurity and Breeders' Cup Juvenile. The son of Violence is one of 36 horses nominated by Pletcher to this year's Triple Crown.
A total of 52 stakes winners nominated to the Triple Crown, among them Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Victoria Road, trained in Ireland by Aidan O’Brien.
Spendthrift Farm had 19 horses nominated to the Triple Crown that they are sole owners or involved in a partnership. They also bred two nominees.
Brad Cox led all trainers with 38 horses nominated to the Triple Crown including recent Lecomte Stakes winner Instant Coffee. Pletcher was next with 36 nominees followed by Steve Asmussen (13), Kenny McPeek (13), Chad Brown (12) and Hideyuki Mori (12).
Horses not currently assigned a trainer or horses under the care of any trainer suspended from competing in the 2023 Kentucky Derby have their trainer listed as ‘TBD’.
There are 29 such horses among the 369 nominations, the majority currently trained by six-time Derby winner Bob Baffert, who is barred from having runners at Churchill Downs until early July as a result of the positive post-race test on Medina Spirit, disqualified after passing the post first in the 2021 Kentucky Derby.
Baffert trainees on the list are headed by Arabian Knight, prominent in ante-post betting with European bookmakers after a sensational seasonal debut at Oaklawn Park last month in the G3 Southwest Stakes.
For the Kentucky Derby, horses under the care of any suspended trainer or affiliates may be transferred to a non-suspended trainer and become eligible for earning Road to the Kentucky Derby points on a forward-looking basis so long as the transfer is complete by Feb. 28.
Triple Crown nominees by the numbers
$3,550,000 Highest public auction purchase – Hejazi (2022 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale).
$1,595,150 Highest earnings of an individual horse nominated (Forte). The other top earners (as of Feb. 3): Cave Rock ($748,000), Victoria Road (IRE) ($663,779), Dura Erede (JPN) ($633,186) and Private Creed ($618,913).
$3,000 Lowest public auction purchase – Accident (2021 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale).
285 Number of Kentucky-bred horses. Other states represented are Florida (19), New York (19), California (5), Maryland (3), Pennsylvania (3), Oklahoma (2) and Texas (1).
161 Number of registered Bay horses. Other registered colors are Dark Bay or Brown (93), Chestnut (74), Gray or Roan (39), Brown (1), Gray (1).
125 Number of trainers that nominated horses to the Triple Crown.
39 Horses who were foaled after Kentucky Derby Day [May 6].
32 Horses foaled outside the United States. Other countries are Japan (24), Ireland (4), Canada (3) and Great Britain (1).
17 Horses produced by sire Into Mischief. He's followed by Curlin (15), Good Magic (14) and Justify (14).
2 Fillies nominated. They are Hoosier Philly and Julia Shining
Three-year-olds that were not nominated to the Triple Crown during the early nomination phase can pay a late payment of $6,000 through Monday, March 27. Payments must be made at the time of nomination on www.thetriplecrown.com or by calling (502) 638-3825.
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).
Kentucky Derby betting (UK bookmakers Bet365): 9 Arabian Knight, 10 Forte, 16 Cave Rock, Faustin, Newgate, Rocket Can, 20 Extra Anejo, Practical Move, Tapit Trice, 25 bar.
• Visit the Kentucky Derby website and the Churchill Downs website
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