Horse Racing's Triple Crown Series Has 397 Nominations!

January 21^st marked the deadline for nominating a three-year-old thoroughbred for the 2012 TripleCrown, which includes the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes. A total of 397 horses were nominated, for a fee of $600 each, and that number is an increase of 33 from the 2011 totals. You can find a complete list of the early nominees, here, at Louisville’s Courier-Journal website.

Is the increase in nominations a sign that horse racing is making a recovery along with the economy in general, or a sign that there is a marked increase in the quality of the class of eligible thoroughbreds? Perhaps it’s a little bit of both. The economy does seem to be making a tick upwards as unemployment numbers are dropping and some numbers from the car manufacturers show improvement. It may be a reflection of what happened during last year’s Triple Crown races, as the three winners of the Kentucky Derby (Animal Kingdom), the Preakness (Shackleford), and the Belmont (Ruler On Ice) had only previously won maiden races, giving owners and trainers a more optimistic view on the horses they are preparing. At any rate, the more contenders there are, the more likely we will see a strong field this spring, and ChurchillDowns vice-president of racing communications, John Asher, is encouraged by the increase in nominations; "When you have good news in the sales, like we had, and the nominations rising ... it's not a reason for a huge party but it is a reason to feel good about our business and think we might be heading up." [1]

As usual, the highest profile trainers lead the list of nominations. Todd Pletcher has 32 horses entered, including recent HolyBullStakes winner Algorithms. Bob Baffert has 21 horses nominated, while Nick Zito and 2011 earnings runner-up trainer, Steve Asmussen, each have 15 horses entered. The toast of the two-year-old males at the Eclipse Awards, Hansen, is among the nominated, as are other notable, high profile horses such as Union Rags, Creative Cause, Discreet Dancer, and Liaison. Among the nominations are six fillies, but notably absent is the unbeaten My Miss Aurelia, who has been slowed by a shin injury. She could be headed towards the Kentucky Oaks, with the Breeders’ Cup as her ultimate goal. The field could get a bit more crowded as there is one more deadline on March 24^th, when the nomination fee goes up to $6000.

It’s around this time of the year, with the Super Bowl behind sports fans, that people start looking to the spring and what that brings; baseball and horse racing. If you are planning on going to a once in a lifetime event like the Kentucky Derby or opening day at Fenway Park, be sure to contact local, reputableticket and ticketpackageproviders to ensure yourself a first class experience. If the 2012 Super Bowl was any indication, we are in for a great spring and summer. Just take note of the increase in Triple Crown nominations and realize that there could be something special brewing in the world of thoroughbred racing. Turn your back on old man winter this spring and treat yourself to a great time at a racetrack or ballpark!

External Source

[1] http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/04/3410112/increase-in-triple-crown-nominees.html