Essential Quality Tops Early Triple Crown Nominations
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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Led by 2-year-old male champion and two-time grade 1 winner Essential Quality, a total of 326 3-year-old Thoroughbreds were made eligible to compete in this year's Triple Crown during the early nomination phase, which closed Jan. 23.
Each of the 326 horses from the 2018 foal crop were made eligible through a $600 payment to compete in any leg of the Triple Crown series. The 2021 Triple Crown is scheduled to return to its traditional calendar dates in 2021, beginning Saturday, May 1 with the 147th running of the 1 1/4-mile Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.
Total nominations were down by 21 horses compared with last year's 347 during the early stage, a decline of 6.1%.
Full List of 2021 Early Triple Crown Nominees
The 146th Preakness, the series' 1 3/16-mile second jewel, is set for Saturday, May 15 at Pimlico Race Course (G1) in Baltimore, Md. The 153rd running of the Belmont Stakes (G1), the series' 1 1/2-mile final leg, is scheduled for Saturday, June 5 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.
Assuming the races stay on schedule, it will mark the shortest year-to-year turnaround in the series' history as the 2020 Triple Crown races didn't wrap up until the Preakness concluded on the first Saturday in October. The tracks shifted the schedule of the races last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Godolphin's Essential Quality is scheduled to make his 3-year-old debut in the $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) Feb. 15 at Oaklawn Park, according to his trainer Brad Cox. The champion is one of 14 horses Cox nominated to this year's Triple Crown series.
Past Performances for 2021 Early Triple Crown Nominees
Trainer Todd Pletcher led all conditioners with 45 horses nominated to the Triple Crown followed by Bob Baffert (23), Steve Asmussen (22), and Chad Brown (18).
Godolphin led all individual owners with 11 horses nominated followed by Brad Kelley's Calumet Farm with 10.
Todd Pletcher in his office at Palm Beach Downs
Overall, 42 stakes winners were nominated to the Triple Crown. Among them are Brooklyn Strong, Caddo River, Capo Kane, Fire At Will, Get Her Number, Greatest Honour, Jackie's Warrior, Keepmeinmind, Life Is Good, Medina Spirit, Midnight Bourbon, Senor Buscador, Sittin On Go, and Spielberg.
Caddo River wins the Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn Park
Into Mischief , the sire of 2020 Kentucky Derby winner Authentic , is the leading sire with 20 offspring nominated. He's followed in number by Curlin (14), Uncle Mo (14), and Constitution (13).
Thirteen fillies were nominated, among them champion 2-year-old filly and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) winner Vequist and Darley Alcibiades Stakes (G1) winner Simply Ravishing.
The nominees include 265 Kentucky-bred horses. Other states represented are California (5), Florida (14), Illinois (1), Louisiana (2), Maryland (1), New Jersey (1), New York (17), Pennsylvania (2), Virginia (1), Washington (2), and West Virginia (1). Fourteen of the nominees were foaled outside of the United States. Other countries represented are Canada (7), Ireland (4), and Japan (3). There are 5 nominees based in Japan, including Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun winner Alain Barows and Cattelya Sho winner Lemon Pop.
The highest price paid at public auction is between Conquer the World, a $1.5 million graduate of the 2019 edition of The Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton's selected sale of yearlings in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and Golden Whim, who was purchased for the same amount from the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Conquer the World in the ring at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale
Horses not nominated during the early phase can be made eligible until Monday, March 29 with a $6,000 payment. Any horse not nominated during the early or late phases can become Triple Crown eligible through payment of a supplemental nomination fee due at the time of entry for each Triple Crown race: the Kentucky Derby ($200,000), Preakness ($100,000), 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).