Triple Crown nominations dip to 347

Just days before he is scheduled to make his first start at 3 after being named last year’s champion 2-year-old male, Storm the Court topped a list of 347 3-year-olds who were made early nominees to this year’s Triple Crown, it was announced Wednesday by Churchill Downs, host of the Kentucky Derby.

Storm the Court is scheduled to race on Sunday at Santa Anita in the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes, which will mark his first start since winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile three months ago.

All the currently top-ranked 3-year-olds are among the nominees, including such familiar names as graded stakes winners Authentic, Dennis’ Moment, Enforceable, Independence Hall, Thousand Words, and Tiz the Law.

Seven fillies are nominated, including Finite and Taraz.

:: Full list of early Triple Crown nominees

:: Career PPs of early Triple Crown nominees

Early nominations were due Jan. 25. At that point, it cost a mere $600 to be made eligible to the Kentucky Derby on May 2, Preakness Stakes on May 16, and Belmont Stakes on June 6. There is a second nomination period that ends March 30, but at that point it costs $6,000 to nominate, so earlier is better. No more than 10 have been added at that second stage each of the last six years.

Even if a horse is not nominated at either of those two points, there’s still the opportunity to be supplemented, but the price is steep -- $200,000 at entry time for the Derby, $150,000 prior to the Preakness, and $50,000 to just run in the Belmont.

The declining foal crop in North America continues to impact the nominations. The 347 early nominees is down 15 from last year’s 362 and marks the lowest total at this stage in 25 years, since 317 were nominated in 1995. By percentage of foal crop, however, this year compares favorably to 1995. The Jockey Club estimated 22,500 foals in 2017. The 1992 foal crop – which produced the 3-year-olds of 1995 -- totaled 38,438. The record number of early nominations is 450 in 2007, which followed a foal crop of 37,949 in 2004.

The Triple Crown has been swept 13 times, and one of the recent horses to accomplish that feat, American Pharoah, leads all stallions with 15 of his offspring nominated. Uncle Mo is next with 13.

Todd Pletcher, who has won the Derby twice, leads all trainers with 26 of his runners nominated. Steve Asmussen has 21 horses nominated, followed by Bob Baffert with 19.

Calumet Farm leads all owners with 13 of its horses nominated. Godolphin leads all breeders with nine of its foals nominated.

There are 35 runners based overseas who were nominated, including 20 from Japan, which benefits from the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby series that potentially carves out a spot in the Derby field for a horse based there. There also is a European Road to the Derby series that similarly offers a spot in the Derby field to a horse campaigned in Europe. Eleven runners based in Ireland are nominated, six trained by Aidan O’Brien, three by his son Joseph.