NEWS
Triple Crown nominations fall
for second consecutive year
Posted: Sunday, February 07, 2010 12:02 AM
LOOKIN AT LUCKY
Benoit & Associates photo
by Jeff Lowe
Nominations for the 2010 Triple Crown series tumbled for the second year in a row and reached the lowest total since 2005.
The early nomination period closed on January 16 with 366 nominees, down 35 horses from 401 in 2009 and 84 horses from a peak of 450 in ‘07.
Since 1987, the only year with a lower total was in 2005, when the crop reduced by mare reproductive loss syndrome had 358 nominees.
The three-year-olds of 2010 represent a North American crop of 37,191 live foals, which was down 2.2% from 38,045 foals of 2006. Excluding 11 horses bred in Europe, the percentage of nominated horses for 2010 is 0.94%, compared with 1.01% in ’09.
“With the economy and everything the way that it is, I think the number turned out pretty good,” said Don Richardson, senior vice president of racing for Churchill Downs Inc. “All we can do is ask.”
Todd Pletcher returned to his familiar position as the leading trainer by nominations with 20. Pletcher accounted for the most nominations five years in a row until 2009, when Steve Asmussen had 25 nominees compared with Pletcher’s 20. Asmussen has six this year, which reflects a major decline for one of his top clients, Zayat Stables.
Zayat Stables more than doubled the next leading owner with 22 nominees in 2009. Ahmed Zayat’s operation filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on February 3 and has only two Triple Crown nominations for 2010.
This year’s leader is Thoroughbred Legends Racing Stable, the partnership overseen by Olin Gentry that was the top new buyer at yearling auctions in 2009. Thoroughbred Legends nominated 12 horses, including recent Santa Anita Park allowance winners Tiny Woods and The Program.
Bob Baffert trains both colts and accounts for 11 other nominees in a deep group led by champion two-year-old male Lookin At Lucky.
To view the complete list of Triple Crown nominees, click here.
For a searchable database of Triple Crown nominees, click here.
Jeff Lowe is staff writer for Thoroughbred Times
