Derby News

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (March 29, 2006) -- For the third straight year, 14 horses have been made late nominees to the upcoming challenge to become the first winner of horse racing's coveted Triple Crown since Affirmed accomplished the rare three-race sweep in 1978. The 14 late nominations bring the 2006 nomination total to 440 3-year-old Thoroughbreds.

The late nominations, which were due by midnight, March 25 and were accompanied by a fee of $6,000 each, were added to the original list of 426 early nominations, which were logged by January 21 and accompanied by a fee of $600.

The total of 440 represents the fifth highest overall total since the institution in 1986 of Triple Crown Productions' common nominations procedure covering the Triple Crown races - the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes.

The Triple Crown run begins on May 6 with the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands at Churchill Downs. The Preakness will be run at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md. on May 20 and the Belmont Stakes is set for June 10 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

"This year's nominations total reaffirms the enthusiasm horsemen from around the world feel for these three classic races," said Edward P. Seigenfeld, executive vice president of Louisville-based Triple Crown Productions. "We cannot emphasize enough the importance of this challenge in the worldwide scheme of Thoroughbred racing. Reaching the Triple Crown plateau is the dream and goal of horsemen the world over and these nominations underscore once again those dreams and goals."

Most prominent among the latecomers are Cause to Believe, a multiple stakes winner from Northern California scheduled to run next in the Illinois Derby on April 8, and With a City, who earned his way into the Triple Crown picture with a stunning upset victory in the Grade II Lane's End Stakes on March 25.

Cause to Believe has posted six wins and three seconds in nine lifetime starts for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer and owners Peter Abruzzo and Peter Redekop.

With A City is one of two late nominees owned by Ron Peltz's Equirace.com and trained by Mike Maker. The other is Devilofarush, who is also set to run in the Illinois Derby.

Joining that trio on the late list are High Blues, expected to run in Saturday's Grade I Florida Derby for Dixiana Stables; Mister Triester, scheduled for the Illinois Derby for owner B. Wayne Hughes; and Team Valor's Oh So Awesome, who has been running in France and will continue to train there in preparation for the Belmont Stakes.

Other late nominees include Double Galore, owned and trained by Myung Kwan Cho; Briter Stable's Kellers Church Rd.; Mark Stanley's Malameeze, who finished third in the Lane's End; Bienstock and Winner Stable's Nob Hill Deelite; J. Paul Reddam and Aron Wellman's Sam's Ace; Frances Genter Williams' Sayhellotolarry; L.M. Nestadt and B. Kantor's Where's That Tiger; and Showing Up, an unbeaten colt owned by Lael Stables, which also owns major Triple Crown contender in Florida Derby-bound Barbaro. Showing Up has a strong Triple Crown connection in trainer Barclay Tagg, who saddled Funny Cide to win the Kentucky Derby and Preakness in 2003.

« Back To Derby News

Derby Info