LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A total of 346 3-year-olds have been made eligible to compete in this year’s Triple Crown series during the early nomination period.
Each of the horses was nominated through a $600 payment to compete in the Kentucky Derby on May 4, Preakness on May 18 and the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga on June 8.
The number of nominated horses was down by 23 from last year’s total of 369. They include a record 47 from Japan, 10 more than last year’s total of 37.
Fierceness, last year’s 2-year-old champion and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner, was one of 54 horses trained by Todd Pletcher to be nominated. The colt’s owner, Mike Repole, has 20 nominees, which leads all owners.
Bob Baffert and Brad Cox have 18 horses nominated each. Baffert’s horses are only eligible for the Preakness and Belmont because Churchill Downs Inc. extended his two-year ban to all of 2024.
For the Derby, horses under the care of any suspended trainer may be transferred to another trainer and become eligible to earn Derby qualifying points as long as the transfer was done by last week.
The owners of Baffert’s horses chose not to transfer their horses out of his care. The last two years his horses ran in the Derby under another trainer, but were not highly placed.
Horses that were not nominated to the Triple Crown series by the early deadline of Jan. 29 can make a late payment of $6,000 through April 1 to become eligible.
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