Essential Quality tops 326 nominated to the Triple Crown

Essential Quality, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner and champion 2-year-old male of 2020, heads 326 3-year-olds announced Thursday as nominations to this year’s Triple Crown, a list that includes Breeders’ Cup winners Vequist and Fire At Will, too.

Vequist, who won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies to be named the Eclipse Award winner in her division, is one of 13 fillies nominated to the Triple Crown. Fire At Will won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.

The 326 nominees is the smallest number at this stage since 1995, when 317 were early nominees. There were 347 nominated at this stage last year.

Essential Quality is one of 14 horses nominated by Brad Cox, last year’s Eclipse Award-winning trainer who is seeking his first Kentucky Derby win with a roster that also includes Caddo River and Mandaloun. Essential Quality, 3 for 3 at age 2, is scheduled to make his 3-year-old debut Feb. 15 in the Southwest at Oaklawn Park.

:: KENTUCKY DERBY 2021: Point standings, prep schedule, news, and more

Todd Pletcher, a two-time winner of the Derby, leads trainers with 45 horses nominated. Bob Baffert, who has won the Derby a record-equaling six times, is next with 23, one more than Steve Asmussen, who is seeking his first Derby.

Godolphin, which bred and owns Essential Quality, leads all owners with 11 nominations, followed by Calumet Farm with 10.

Into Mischief, who sired last year’s Derby winner, Authentic, tops all sires with 20 nominees, followed by Curlin and Uncle Mo with 14 each.

The Triple Crown, run out of order last year owing to the coronavirus pandemic, is scheduled to be held this year in its usual order and at its usual distances, with the Derby at 1 1/4 miles on May 1 at Churchill Downs, the Preakness at 1 3/16 miles on May 15 at Pimlico, and finally the Belmont Stakes at 1 1/2 miles on June 5 at Belmont Park.

The Triple Crown has been swept 13 times, most recently by Justify in 2018 and American Pharoah, whose 2015 sweep was the first since Affirmed in 1978.

The 326 announced as nominees on Thursday by Churchill Downs were made eligible to the series for a payment of $600 that was due Jan. 23. Those not nominated at this stage can be made eligible by March 29, but the price rises to $6,000. Severe procrastinators can pay $200,000 at entry time of the Derby to make a horse eligible for all three races.

Prominent names not nominated include Reinvestment Risk, runner-up last year in both the Hopeful and Champagne, and Ten for Ten, runner-up in both the Nashua and Remsen. Neither has worked this year.u