Dubai Sky Among Nine Late TC Nominees
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Nine more 3-year-olds were made eligible to the Triple Crown during the late nomination period that closed March 23. The fee for each horse was $6,000.
Among them are Three Chimneys Farm and Besilu Stable's Dubai Sky, who ran his win streak to four races in the Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati Spiral Stakes (gr. III) at Turfway Park March 21, and I Spent It, winner of the Saratoga Special (gr. II) last summer for the partnership of Alex and Joann Lieblong and Three Chimneys.
The early nomination phase closed Jan. 17 with 429 horses made eligible to the Triple Crown races at $600 each. The overall nomination total of 438 horses is the largest since a record 460 horses were nominated in 2007 and 2008.
The grade I races in the sequence are the May 2 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands at Churchill Downs, the May 16 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course, and the June 6 Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park.
Other late nominees are Gary Barber, Brous Stable, and Wachtel Stable's Gotham Stakes (gr. I) runner-up Tiz Shea D; Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Comfort; Starlight Racing's Two Weeks Off; Tom O'Grady's Bridget's Big Luvy, winner of the $100,000 Private Terms Stakes March 21; Lael Stables' Divining Rod, who was third in the Tampa Bay Derby (gr. II); Trilogy Stable and Laurie Plesa's undefeated Mr. Jordan, a two-time stakes winner in 2014; and Skychai Racing and Sand Dollar Stable's Pepper Roani, runner-up in the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes.
Three-year-olds not nominated for the Triple Crown series during the early or late nomination periods have one more opportunity to become eligible to compete in those races through the payment of a supplemental nomination fee.