Kentucky Derby: Black Onyx among 13 late nominees to Triple Crown

Black Onyx, who all but secured a spot in the starting lineup for the Kentucky Derby with his victory Saturday in Turfway Park’s Grade 3 Spiral Stakes, was among 13 late nominations received by Saturday night’s deadline for the 2013 Triple Crown series.

The new additions mean a total of 382 3-year-olds are now eligible for the Triple Crown, which also includes the Preakness and Belmont Stakes. Last year, 20 horses were made late nominees to the Triple Crown, increasing that year’s roster of eligible participants to 418.

Among the other prominent 3-year-olds whose connections paid $6,000 by Saturday’s deadline to make their horses eligible for the Triple Crown are Giant Finish, third in the Spiral; Undrafted, who finished third in Gulfstream Park’s Grade 3 Swale Stakes; Departing, the recent winner of the Texas Heritage Stakes at Sam Houston; and Are You Kidding Me and Narvaez, who are scheduled to run Saturday in the $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park.

[ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays]

Trainer Kelly Breen already has announced his intention to start Black Onyx, who defeated Uncaptured by 1 1/2 lengths in the Spiral, in the Kentucky Derby. Black Onyx’s owner, Sam Herzberg, made the $6,000 late-nomination payment prior to Saturday night’s deadline.

The other late Triple Crown nominees are Brazilian Court, trained by Mike Maker, Erik the Red (Linda Rice), Hip Four Sixtynine (Bobby Barnett), Infinite Magic (Graham Motion), Storm Fighter (Bruce Headley), Sunbean (Al Stall Jr.), and Wings of Fortune (Maker).

They all are eligible to become the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978. The current stretch of 35 years without a Triple Crown winner is the longest in history.

Horses who weren’t made eligible for the Triple Crown during the early- or late-nomination periods still can run in the races through the supplemental-nomination process.

Their connections would have to pay a supplemental-nomination fee of $200,000 for the Kentucky Derby or $100,000 for the Preakness or Belmont Stakes at the time of entry. However, preference is given to original nominees if those races overfill.