Hoffa's Union Among Four Late Triple Crown Nominations

Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable, Christopher Dunn, Rose Petal Stable, and Foard Wilgis' recent private purchase Hoffa's Union, a 15 1/2-length maiden winner at Laurel Park who will be entered in the $750,000 Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G2) April 6 at Aqueduct Racetrack, tops a group of four Thoroughbreds made eligible April 1 to compete in the 2019 Triple Crown with a late $6,000 nomination payment.

With four late nominations during the Jan. 27-April 1 phase (pending late mail), there are 366 horses eligible to participate in the Triple Crown's three-race series: the $3 million Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), the $1.5 million Preakness Stakes (G1), and the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes (G1). There were 362 early nominees at $600 per horse.

Two of the three other late Triple Crown nominees will also be entered in Saturday's Wood Memorial: Michael Dubb, Coyle Boys Stable, and Bethlehem Stables' recent maiden winner Grumps Little Tots and Michael and Jeff Fazio's Private Terms Stakes runner-up Joevia. 

Another late nomination to the Triple Crown is Robert Donaldson's Spun to Run, a 7 1/4-length optional-claiming allowance winner at Parx Racing.

The 2019 Triple Crown series opens May 4 with the 145th running of the 1 1/4-mile Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. The 144th Preakness, the 1 3/16-mile second jewel, is set for May 18 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. The 151st running of the Belmont Stakes, its 1 1/2-mile final leg, is scheduled for June 8 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Three-year-olds not nominated to the Triple Crown during either the early or late nomination phases have a final opportunity to become eligible for the races through payment of a supplemental nomination fee due at the time of each race's entry: the Kentucky Derby ($200,000), Preakness Stakes ($150,000) and Belmont Stakes ($50,000). Supplemental nominees for the Kentucky Derby are treated the same as original nominees. If one or more supplemental nominees possess sufficient Road to the Kentucky Derby points to qualify for the Derby field, they will be allowed to start over original nominees with lesser qualifications.