367 Early Triple Crown Nominations Announced; Pletcher Tops Trainers With 31

A deep and globally diverse crop of sophomores is now on the Triple Crown radar after an early nomination push that yielded 367 entries. The list, released by Churchill Downs on Feb. 3, confirms Todd Pletcher as the dominant trainer by count with 31 nominees and highlights an international footprint that includes 37 Japan-based horses.

“A total of 367 3-year-old thoroughbreds became eligible during the early nomination phase, which closed on Jan. 26. The list was released Tuesday (Feb. 3) by Churchill Downs, home of the Derby.” That breadth is reflected in the mix of established graded stakes winners and longshot prospects. “This year's early nominees span the globe and include several horses that have already made an impact on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, led by graded stakes winners Further Ado, Golden Tempo, Intrepido, Litmus Test, Napoleon Solo, Nearly, and Paladin.”

Pletcher’s roster includes Nearly, the Holy Bull Stakes (G3) winner, plus Class President, Courting, Epic Desire, Grittiness, Renegade and the filly Zany. Bob Baffert is next with 23 nominees, followed by Chad Brown with 22, Brad Cox with 21 and Japan-based Daisuke Takayanagi with 14. In total, 127 trainers have horses on the early list, and the nominees include 55 stakes winners and 19 graded stakes winners, signaling a substantive group already proven in stakes company.

The nominations also underscore bloodstock trends that will influence betting and breeding talk. Not This Time leads sires with 16 nominees, Gun Runner has 15, and both Into Mischief and Nyquist account for 14 apiece. Coat color and foal data underline the industry's minutiae for breeders and handicappers: 171 bays, 84 dark bay or brown, 68 chestnuts, 42 gray/roan and 3 grays; the earliest foal on the list is Star Ship (JPN), foaled Jan. 1, 2023, while the youngest is Silver Prince, foaled May 24, 2023.

Owners paid $600 to make horses eligible during the early window; late nominations remain possible through April 6 for a $6,000 fee. The Triple Crown schedule and venues are set: the Kentucky Derby (G1) will run May 2 at Churchill Downs for a $5 million purse, the Preakness (G1) runs May 16 at Laurel Park for $2 million and the Belmont Stakes (G1) will take place June 6 at Saratoga Race Course for $2 million, with the Preakness and Belmont moved from their customary tracks because of reconstruction projects.

The list includes 11 fillies, several Japan-trained runners and notable international entries such as Godolphin’s Pyromancer, winner of the Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun. Partial nomination excerpts show a wide economic spectrum among nominees, from Sigfrid (Todd Pletcher, Not This Time) listed with $0 earnings to Argos (Nyquist) at $297,018 and Stark Contrast (Caravaggio) at $342,800.

What comes next is a sprint toward the Derby trail: preps, points and workouts will winnow 367 names into a 20-horse starting gate. Owners, trainers and bettors will be watching morning lines and prep performances closely as pedigrees and early form begin to separate contenders from hopefuls.