Three Diamonds' Field Pass Offered at Keeneland January

The Wycoff family's Three Diamonds Farm had a seriously good year in 2020, finishing the season ranked fifth nationally among owners by purse earnings ($3,869,111) while notching 51 victories. Scoring three of the farm's six graded stakes wins on the year was Field Pass, a throw-back 3-year-old of 2020 who won five of 10 starts (all in stakes company), earning $450,143.

Despite being one of the stars of the stable, Field Pass is part of the Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale and will sell Jan. 13 as Hip 1182, offered by Bluewater Sales. Three Diamonds can't be accused of culling.

"I have 60 horses in training and it's the time of year when we always part with a few," said Three Diamonds' Kirk Wycoff. "We try to keep some at all levels; some stakes horses, some allowance-level horses, and some 2- and 3-year-olds that haven't started. We sell some accomplished horses and some claiming horses. He fit the bill."

Field Pass was bred in Maryland by Mark Brown Grier. The colt is a son of Lemon Drop Kid , who was recently pensioned by Lane's End. A $37,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern Fall Yearling sale purchase, Field Pass won one of six starts at 2 and last year won Gulfstream Park's Dania Beach Stakes on turf and the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) at Turfway Park to start his 2020 run. He later added Churchill Downs' Audobon Stakes on turf in June, Keeneland's Kentucky Utilities Transylvania Stakes (G3T) in July, and Woodbine's Ontario Derby (G3) in November, while also placing in a pair of grade 2 efforts. In his last start Field Pass was fourth, beaten 1 1/4 lengths, Dec. 26 in Santa Anita Park's Mathis Brothers Mile Stakes (G2T).

"We love the horse. Being by Lemon Drop Kid, his best days are probably ahead of him, and going a mile and a quarter … a mile and a half," Wycoff said. "He's got a great frame, and he's put on weight. He'll be a bigger 4-year-old than he is now.

"He's certainly not here to be given away," Wycoff said. "Maybe someone will want him a little more than we do.

"This is a business-like operation and our plan is usually to buy racehorses that cost $50,000-150,000 and then when the horse gets to be worth more than $250,000 or $300,000, which this guy is clearly worth more, then it's better off if somebody with much deeper pockets takes the risk."

The Three Diamonds Farm operation is a dynamic one, with Wycoff buying and selling all the time.

"We like yearlings and 2-year-olds. We don't breed very many horses," Wycoff said. "I'm at Keeneland now looking at short yearlings and racemares. We bought seven yearlings at Fasig-Tipton last year and five horses at Keeneland November. It's a business where you always have to restock, and we try to find the exceptional horse."

Field Pass was part of an exceptional year for Three Diamonds Farm, as they also won the Bowling Green Stakes (G2T) with Cross Border, and Fire At Will won the Pilgrim Stakes (G2T) and the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Presented by Coolmore America (G1T).

"We had a great year … unfortunately purses were down 20%," Wycoff said with a laugh. "We're not complaining … we like winning races."

Wycoff noted Field Pass has been at Meg and Mike Levy's Bluewater Farm since his last start at Santa Anita and it is where Three Diamonds Farm horses go for a lay-up. He reported Fire At Will had been the farm for 45 days and now is at Gulfstream Park with trainer Mike Maker.