Champion Shanghai Bobby Leads Large Pletcher Team Among 369 Horses Nominated to 2013 Triple Crown Series

Feb 02, 2013 John Asher

The early nomination period for the three races in the American Triple Crown has concluded with 369 3-year-old Thoroughbreds based in the United States and abroad eligible to bid for a rare sweep of the series of classic races that includes the $2 million-guaranteed Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I), the $1 million Preakness (GI) and the $1 million Belmont Stakes (GI).

UPDATE: Brisnet.com is working to upload free past performances of all Triple Crown-nominated horses (check back later this afternoon) via:

http://www.brisnet.com/edgeped/2013tcnompps.pdf

The roster of nominees is headed by Starlight Racing, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith’s Shanghai Bobby, the 2-year-old champion of 2012 and winner of the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI) who suffered his first career setback in his 2013 debut in the recent Holy Bull Stakes (GIII) at Gulfstream Park.  Shanghai Bobby is trained by Todd Pletcher, who has won a pair of Triple Crown races and leads all trainers with 29 nominees to the 2013 series.
Pletcher, whose Triple Crown wins include the 2010 Kentucky Derby with Super Saver and the 2007 Belmont Stakes with the filly Rags to Riches, has a powerhouse team of nominees for the spring classics that also includes Black Rock Thoroughbreds LLP’s Violence, winner of the CashCall Futurity (GI) at Hollywood Park and Belmont Park’s Nashua (GIII); Repole Stable’s Overanalyze, winner of the Remsen (GII) and Belmont Futurity (GII); Stonestreet Stables LLC’s star filly Dreaming of Julia, winner of the Frizette (GI); and potential stars that include WinStar Farm LLC’s Revolutionary, WinStar and Twin Creeks Racing Stable LLC’s Delhomme and Let’s Go Stable’s Verrazano, who was an impressive winner in his lone start.
The 2013 Triple Crown series opens on Saturday, May 4 with the 139th running of the 1 ¼-mile Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.  The 138th Preakness, the 1 3/16-mile second jewel, is set for Saturday, May 18 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md.  The 145th running of the Belmont Stakes, its 1 ½-mile final leg, is scheduled for Saturday, June 8 at Belmont Park, in Elmont, N.Y.
   
This year’s total of early nominees to the Triple Crown races is down from the 398 horses made eligible during the early phase in 2012.  Twenty more horses were added to the 2012 roster during the Triple Crown’s late nomination phase, which lifted the final total to 418. 
   
The deadline for early nominations was Jan. 26 and required a fee of $600 for each nominated 3-year-old.  The late nomination period, which requires the payment of a $6,000 fee with each nominee, is underway and will run through Saturday, March 23 at 11:59 p.m. (all times Eastern).  Information is available at www.TheTripleCrown.com.
Other accomplished 2013 Triple Crown nominees include John Oxley’s Uncaptured, winner of the Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) and Iroquois (GIII) at Churchill Downs; Trilogy Stable and Laurie Plesa’s Itsmyluckyday, who defeated Shanghai Bobby in the Holy Bull after winning the Gulfstream Park Derby in his previous outing; He’s Had Enough, the runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile owned by Reddam Racing LLC and trained by Doug O’Neill, the team that sent I’ll Have Another to victories in the 2012 Kentucky Derby and Preakness; Goldencents, the O’Neill-trained winner of the Delta Jackpot (GIII) and Sham (GIII) owned by a partnership that includes W C Racing, Dave Kenney and RAP Racing, a stable headed by University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino; Bluegrass Hall LLC’s Oxbow, winner of the Lecomte (GIII) at Fair Grounds for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who is tied with training legend Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons with a record 13 victories in Triple Crown events; and Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, an eight-time winner of Triple Crown races, has a team of nominees headed by Gary and Mary West’s  Power Broker, winner of the Frontrunner (GI) at Santa Anita and potential stars that include the West-owned Flashback and  Tabor, Magnier and Smith’s War Academy.
Bluegrass Hall LLC and the Wests each nominated seven horses to the Triple Crown to lead in total nominations by owners, either alone or in partnership.  Darley Stable was next with six nominees. Charles Fipke, Alex and John Lieblong, Oxley, Kaleem Shah Inc., West Point Thoroughbreds and WinStar Farm nominated five horses each.
Immediately behind Pletcher among trainers was Baffert, who trains 23 early nominees to the Triple Crown races.  Ken McPeek and Nick Zito are next with 13 nominees, while Mark Casse and Lukas each nominated 11 3-year-olds.
The leading breeders of 2013 Triple Crown nominees, either alone or in partnership, are Darley and Edward P. Evans, each of whom bred seven of the Triple Crown-eligible horses.  Close behind are Ken & Sarah Ramsey and William S. Farish with six nominees, and Diamond A. Racing Corp. and Fipke each bred five nominees.
Nine nominated horses are based outside of North America, including four that hail from the stable of Ireland’s Dermot Weld, who saddled Go and Go to win 1990 Belmont Stakes.  Irish training king Aidan O’Brien trains a pair of nominees.
Dreaming of Julia is joined by Spendthrift Farm’s Beholder, winner of the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) and America’s champion 2-year-old filly of 2012, among seven female nominees to the Triple Crown. 
The overall total of 369 Triple Crown nominees includes 325 colts. Along with the seven fillies, the remaining nominees include 28 geldings and nine ridglings. 
The United States was the birthplace of an overwhelming majority of nominated horses with 352 bred in the U.S. and 263 of those – 71.3 percent of that group – were born in Kentucky.  Seventeen nominees were bred outside of U.S. borders, with Canada accounting for 11 of those.
The Kentucky Derby field has been limited to 20 starters since 1975 and the horses that enter the starting gate for this year’s running will be determined for the first time by points earned in the new “Road to the Kentucky Derby” eligibility system.  The field for the Preakness is limited to 14 starters, while the Belmont Stakes permits a maximum field of 16 horses.
 
A sweep of the three Triple Crown races – one of the most difficult feats in all of sports – has been accomplished on only 11 occasions.  The roster of Triple Crown winners includes 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) and Affirmed (1978).  
It has been 34 years since the most recent Triple Crown sweep by Affirmed in 1978 – the longest stretch without a Triple Crown in the history of the series.  The previous record was the 25-year gap between the 1948 Triple Crown earned by Citation and Secretariat’s record-shattering three-race sweep in 1973.
The 2012 Kentucky Derby and Preakness wins by I’ll Have Another made the son of Flower Alley the 51st horse to take two of the three Triple Crown races.  But the Doug O’Neill-trained colt was denied his Triple Crown bid when he was withdrawn from consideration for the Belmont Stakes after he was injured in the days before that contest. Chadds Ford Stable’s Union Rags, who finished seventh in the Kentucky Derby, scored a narrow victory in the Belmont Stakes to conclude the 2012 Triple Crown series.
Horses that are not nominated in either the early or late nomination phases have a final opportunity to become eligible for Triple Crown competition through a supplemental nomination. That process involves the payment of a hefty fee, due at the time of entry for the Kentucky Derby, Preakness or Belmont Stakes, that makes the horse eligible to run in the remaining races of the Triple Crown series.  A supplemental nomination made at the time of entry for the Kentucky Derby requires a fee of $200,000, and the fee drops $100,000 if paid prior to either the Preakness or the Belmont Stakes.

2013 TRIPLE CROWN EARLY NOMINATIONS (369)
-A-
A Certain Saturday (g)
Abraham
Admiral Kitten
Afonso de Sousa
Air Squadron
Airfoil
Aleander
Allocate (g)
Almost English
Always Curious
Always in a Tiz
Amarish (g)
Amerigo Vespucci
Appealing Tale
Archer Hill
Avare (r)
Avie's Quality
-B-
Back Off Buddy
Balance of Power (g)
Balance the Books
Bambazonki
Battled
Beholder (f)
Belvin
Bench Press
Bern Identity
Best of Birdstone
Best Play
Bethel
Betweenhereandcool
Big Lute
Bold Challenger
Bold Dance
Boundless Heart
Bradester
Brass Pear
Bred to Boss
Brokered
Brown Almighty
Bye Bye Bernie
-C-
Can't Catch Me Now (g)
Capo Bastone
Carried Interest
Carson's Crown
Carving
Caviar Dreams (g)
Celebrator
Celestial Cruiser
Cerro (IRE)
Cervaro (r)
Champion Boy
Channel Isle
Charismatic Pulpit
Charming Kitten
China Prince (g)
Circle Unbroken
Clawback
Clearly Now
Coastal Breeze
Code West (r)
Coin Broker
Colburn
Corinthian Order
County Lineman
Crop Report
Cumberland Chief
Curly Top
-D-
Dead Easy
Declan's Warrior
Declassify
Del Mar Sunset
Delhomme
Demonic
Den's Legacy
Dewey Square
Dipsy Drew
Dirty Swagg (r)
Distiller
Distinctiv Passion
Divine Ambition
Doc Cebu
Doherty (g)
Dorsett
Downtown
Dreaming of Julia (f)
Dry Summer (r)
Duke of the City
Dyker Beach
Dynamic Sky
Dynamic Strike
-E-
Earned Indulgence
Edge of Reality
El Duro
Elmutahid
Elnaawi
Empire Star
Equus Prime
Escapefromreality (g)
Eton Blue
Exchange Partners
-F-
Falling Sky
Far Rockaway
Fear the Kitten
Fevernthefunkhouse
Fiddler Blue
Fire Flight
Flashback
Flashy Gray (f)
Flying Bird
Footbridge
For Greater Glory
Force Multiplier
Fordubai
Forever Thing
Forgotten Rules (IRE)
Fortify
Forty Tales
Frac Daddy
Freedom Child (r)
Fury Kapcori
-G-
Gamekeeper
Giant's Time
Glowing Ember
Golden Lad
Golden Soul
Goldencents
Gombey Dancer
Gorgui
Govenor Charlie
Gray Meteor
Ground Transport
Gunderman
Gusar
-H-
Happyisoutback
Hard to Name
Hardrock Eleven (g)
Harrythenavigator
Hear the Ghost (g)
Heat Press
Heaven's Runway
He's Had Enough
He's So Fine
High Five Again
Honorable Dillon
Honorable Guest
-I-
Illusion Confusion
I'm Boundtoscore
Imperial Concorde (IRE)
Imperial Fortune
Incognito
Indy's Illusion
Ino Thepath
Inspired Hero (r)
Integrity
Intrepid Citizen
Irsaal
Itsmyluckyday
Ive Struck a Nerve
-J-
J K's Mischief (f)
Jack Milton
Jagger M
James Jingle
Java's War
Joelito
Joshua's Comprise
Just Win Baby
-K-
Kamchatka
Kid Twist
Kings Giant
Know More
Kochees
-L-
Leaving Trax
Ledokol
Lemon Drop Dream
Lexis Hero
Liberal Spin
Lightning Stone
Lines of Battle
Little Distorted
Little Jerry
Long River
Looking Cool
Luckystrykes Me
-M-
Mac the Man
Majestic Hussar
Major Affair (g)
Make The News (IRE)
Maleeh
Malibu High
Malibu Master
Manando
Masaru
Master Appeal
Mentor Cane
Merit Man
Micromanage
Midas Dancer
Midnight Taboo
Midnite Poppa
Mineworks
Misdeed
Mom's Song (r)
Moon Back More
Moro Tap
Morocco
Mountain Eagle (g)
Mr Blackthorn
Mr Palmer
Mudflats (g)
My Name Is Michael
Mylute
Mythical Wings
Mywayorthecauseway
-N-
Nevada
Night Warden
Noble Laureate
Noble Tune
Normandy Invasion
Northern Lion
Norumbega
Now and Then
-O-
Officer Alex
Offlee Fast
Oistin's Town
Omega Star (g)
Onlinepoker (g)
Only in America
Orb
Order of Magnitude
Ore Pass
Overanalyze
Oxbow
-P-
Palace Malice
Palm Island
Park City
Pataky Kid
Perfect Set
Perfect Title
Perilous Times
Persuasive Paul
Plenty Elusive
Portmonarch (IRE)
Power Broker
Powerful
Prado Cat
Prince Telemachus
Princess of Sylmar (f)
Private Access
Profound
Protocol
Proud Strike
Pure Loyalty
Purple Egg (g)
Pyrite Mountain
Python
-Q-
Qualify
Quinzieme Monarque
Quiros
-R-
Really Sharp
Rebel Spy
Red Wings
Res Judicata
Resolute Response (IRE)
Revolutionary
River Rocks
Rossmoyne
Royal Art
Ruble
Rydilluc
-S-
Saint Prado
Saint Vigeur
Saticoy
Saturdayatbernies
Sayler's Creek
Seeking an Empire
Segovia
Shakin It Up
Shaler (r)
Shanghai Bobby
Shenandoah
Siete de Oros (g)
Silent Admirer
Silver Day (g)
Silver Tongued
Sir Fire Foot
Sir Pulpit
Sir Searsucker
Sky Captain
Sky Commander
Song to You
Speak Logistics
Spirit of Dixie
Spring Venture (f)
Sr. Quisqueyano
Standup Paddle
Steel Dust Dancer
Storm Power
Stormdriver
Street Battle
Street Spice
Sugar Business (g)
Summer Exclusive
Super Ninety Nine
Supreme Commander
Syndicated
-T-
Taken by the Storm
Tapulous
Taran Taran
Tenango (g)
Tenkiller Kid
Tesseron
Texas Bling
The Candidate
The Man Himself
Third Choice
Thunder's Rollin'
Titan Dune
Title Contender
Titletown Five
Tiz a Minister
Tiz Fitting
Tiz Now My Choice
Tiz the Truth
To the Stars
Torchrunner (g)
Tortola
Town Extension
Track Rocker
Trade Rumor (g)
Transparent
Treasury Bill
Tree of Life (g)
Trinni Heart
Triple Cross (g)
Trumpeter Swan
Tulira Castle
Twin Engine
Twining Hearts
-U-
Unbridled Giant
Uncaptured
Unlimited Budget (f)
Uptown Anthem (g)
-V-
Valid
Value Trap
Vegas No Show
Verrazano
Violence
Volatile Markets
Vyjack (g)
-W-
Wabbajack
War Academy
War Dancer
War Shaman (g)
War Tide
Way Best
Weekend Hideaway
Weewinnin
West Hills Giant
Whiskey Bravo
Whiskey Romeo
Whitfield
Wild Billum
Wildcat Moon
Will Take Charge
Winning Cause
Won'tualwayswonder
-Z-
Zaikov
Zee Bros
Zeewat
(g) = gelding
(r) = ridgling
(f) = filly
2013 TRIPLE CROWN – TOP MONEY EARNERS
Shanghai Bobby -- $1,767,000
Beholder (f) -- $1,245,000
Goldencents -- $782,000
Bern Identity -- $628,000
Violence -- $543,000
Dreaming of Julia (f) -- $537,000
Uncaptured -- $510,837
He’s Had Enough -- $448,000
Itsmyluckyday -- $425,600
Overanalyze -- $344,381
Balance the Books -- $326,000
Noble Tune -- $321,000
Spring Venture (f) -- $316,821
Merit Man -- $292,000
Capo Bastone -- $288,000
Den’s Legacy -- $281,350
Fortify -- $268,000
Dynamic Sky -- $248,115
Tiz a Minister -- $246,780
Power Broker -- $242,600
Texas Bling -- $239,483
I’m Boundtoscore -- $226,325
Fury Kapcori -- $221,000
Honorable Guest -- $220,529
Oxbow -- $217,500
2013 TRIPLE CROWN – GRADE/GROUP I WINNERS (5)
Beholder (f) – Champion 2-Year-Old Female
Dreaming of Julia (f)
Power Broker
Shanghai Bobby – Champion 2-Year-Old Male
Violence
2013 TRIPLE CROWN – GRADE/GROUP II WINNERS (9)
Balance the Books
Bern Identity
I’m Boundtoscore
Know More
Overanalyze
Spring Venture (f)
Uncaptured
Unlimited Budget (f)
Vyjack
2013 TRIPLE CROWN – GRADE/GROUP III WINNERS (7)
Circle Unbroken
Den’s Legacy
Goldencents
Itsmyluckyday
Noble Tune
Oxbow
Pataky Kid
2013 TRIPLE CROWN – FILLIES
Beholder (f)
Dreaming of Julia (f)
Flashy Gray (f)
J K’s Mischief (f)
Princess of Sylmar (f)
Spring Venture (f)
Unlimited Budget (f)
2013 TRIPLE CROWN – BASED OUTSIDE NORTH AMERICA (9)
Afonso de Sousa
Forgotten Rules-IRE
Fortify
Imperial Concorde-IRE
Lines of Battle
Make The News-IRE
Portmonarch-IRE
Resolute Response-IRE
Street Battle
2013 TRIPLE CROWN – LEADING OWNERS
(By Number of Nominations; Includes Partnerships)
-7-
Bluegrass Hall LLC
Gary & Mary West
-6-
Darley Stable
-5-
Charles Fipke
Alex and John Lieblong
John Oxley
Kaleem Shah Inc.
West Point Thoroughbreds
WinStar Farm LLC
-4-
Robert S. Evans
George and Lori Hall
Klaravich Stables Inc. and William H. Lawrence
Robert LaPenta
Magdalena Racing
Mercedes Stables LLC
Jerry & Ann Moss
Repole Stable
Shadwell Stable
Derrick Smith
Michael Tabor
-3-
Gary Barber
Besilu Stables
Jerry Durant
Jerry Hollendorfer
Lothenbach Stables Inc.
Earle Mack
Mrs. John Magnier
Mike McCarty
Moyglare Stud Farm
Preston Stables LLC
Ken & Sarah Ramsey
RAP Racing (Rick Pitino)
Raut Racing
Red and Black Stable
Reddam Racing LLC
Silverton Hill LLC
Jim Tafel LLC
Team Valor International
Marylou Whitney Stables LLC
2013 TRIPLE CROWN – LEADING BREEDERS
(By Number of Nominations; Includes Partnerships)
-7-
Darley
Edward P. Evans
-6-
Ken & Sarah Ramsey
Willam S. Farish
-5-
Diamond A. Racing Corp.
Charles Fipke
-4-
Brereton Jones
WinStar Farm LLC
-3-
Adena Springs
Bluegrass Hall LLC
Claiborne Farm
Colts Neck Stables LLC
Robert S. Evans
Gainesway
Jerry & Ann Moss
Moyglare Stud Farm Ltd.
Siena Farms
Spendthrift Farm LLC
Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC
Whisper Hill Farm LLC
Marylou Whitney Stables LLC
Martin Wygod
2013 TRIPLE CROWN – LEADING TRAINERS
(By Number of Nominations)
-29-
Todd Pletcher
-23-
Bob Baffert
-13-
Ken McPeek
Nick Zito
-11-
Mark Casse
D. Wayne Lukas
-9-
Kiaran McLaughlin
-8-
Steve Asmussen
Doug O’Neill
-7-
Bill Mott
John Shirreffs
-6-
Chad Brown
Graham Motion
-5-
Mike Maker
Dale Romans
-4-
Kelly Breen
Mark Frostad
Steve Hobby
Jerry Hollendorfer
Eddie Kenneally
Michael Matz
John Sadler
Michael Stidham
Dermot Weld
-3-
Jeff Bonde
Craig Dollase
Gennadi Dorochenko
Tim Ice
Richard Mandella
Darrin Miller
Tim Schuh
Phil Serpe
John Terranova II
Rick Violette Jr.
Ian Wilkes
HALL OF FAME TRAINERS
2013 TRIPLE CROWN NOMINATIONS
Bob Baffert -- 23
Nick Zito -- 13
D. Wayne Lukas -- 11
Bill Mott -- 7
Jerry Hollendorfer -- 4
Richard Mandella -- 3
Neil Drysdale -- 2
Shug McGaughey III -- 2
Carl Nafzger -- 1
2013 TRIPLE CROWN – LEADING SIRES
(By Number of Nominations)
-14-
Tapit
-11-
Unbridled’s Song
-10-
Lion Heart
-9-
Medaglia d’Oro
Tiznow
-8-
Midnight Lute
Pulpit
-7-
Giant’s Causeway
-6-
Bernardini
Big Brown
Empire Maker
Harlan’s Holiday
Kitten’s Joy
Lemon Drop Kid
Malibu Moon
Street Cry-IRE
-5-
A.P. Indy
Bernstein
Curlin
Distorted Humor
Dixie Union
Hard Spun
Street Sense
War Pass
-4-
Candy Ride-ARG
Elusive Quality
Henrythenavigator
Majestic Warrior
More Than Ready
Pleasantly Perfect
Rock Hard Ten
Smart Strike
Speightstown
Street Boss
Tale of the Cat
-3-
Afleet Alex
Any Given Saturday
Birdstone
Bluegrass Cat
Broken Vow
E Dubai
Exchange Rate
Flatter
Fusaichi Pegasus
Henny Hughes
Into Mischief
Macho Uno
Mineshaft
Silent Name-JPN
Sky Mesa
Tiz Wonderful
War Front
2013 TRIPLE CROWN – GENDER
Colts -- 325 (88.1%)   
Geldings -- 28 (7.6%)
Ridglings -- 9 (2.4%)
Fillies -- 7 (1.9%)
TOTAL    369
2013 TRIPLE CROWN – FOAL DATES
January -- 28 (75.9%)
February -- 73 (19.8%)
March -- 118 (32.0%)
April -- 108 (29.3%)
May -- 41 (11.1%)
June -- 1 (0.3%)
Oldest: Storm Power (b. Jan. 10, 2010)
Youngest: Earned Indulgence (b. June 6, 2010)
2013 TRIPLE CROWN – COLOR
Bay -- 152 (41.2%)
Dark Bay/Brown -- 113 (30.6%)
Chestnut -- 70 (19.0%)
Gray/Roan -- 34 (9.2%)
TOTAL    369
2013 TRIPLE CROWN – BIRTHPLACE
(United States)
Kentucky -- 263 (71.3%)
Florida -- 29 (7.9%)
Pennsylvania -- 16 (4.3%)
New York -- 11 (3.0%)
California -- 10 (2.7%)
Virginia -- 7 (1.9%)
Maryland -- 4 (1.1%)
Louisiana -- 3 (0.8%)
Arkansas -- 1 (0.3%)
Illinois -- 1 (0.3%)
Indiana -- 1 (0.3%)
Michigan -- 1 (0.3%)
Minnesota -- 1 (0.3%)
Ohio -- 1 (0.3%)
Oklahoma -- 1 (0.3%)
Tennessee -- 1 (0.3%)
Texas -- 1 (0.3%)
TOTAL    352
2013 TRIPLE CROWN – BIRTHPLACE
(International)
Canada  -- 11 (3.0%)
Ireland -- 6 (1.6%)
TOTAL    17

-END-