2025 Triple Crown Early Nominations Feature 373 of World's Top 3-Year-Old Thoroughbreds

Feb 04, 2025

Free Brisnet Triple Crown Past Performances

 

A total of 373 three-year-old Thoroughbreds, led by Champion Two-Year-Old Male Citizen Bull, were made eligible to this year’s Triple Crown series with a $600 early nomination payment that was due Jan. 27.

 

This year’s total represents a 7.8% increase from last year’s 346 early nominations. A record 69 Japan-based horses, trained by 33 different conditioners, were nominated, which shattered last year’s record of 47.

 

Sixty of the nominees have already won stakes races, including the top 10 point leaders on the Road to the Kentucky Derby: Citizen Bull, Speed King, Coal Battle, Burnham Square, Disco Time, Captain Cook, Built, Gaming, Getaway Car and Jonathan’s Way. The list also includes Grade I winners Chancer McPatrick and East Avenue.

 

The nominations feature several of the sport’s top conditioners, led by Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, who has 32 horses nominated. Other leading trainers include Bob Baffert (21), Brad Cox (14), Chad Brown (13) and Kenny McPeek (12).

 

The Triple Crown will begin with the 151st running of the $5 million Kentucky Derby (GI) on Saturday, May 3 over 1 ¼ miles at Churchill Downs. The series continues with the $2 million Preakness Stakes (GI) at 1 3/16 miles on Saturday, May 17 at Pimlico Race Course, and concludes with the $2 million Belmont Stakes (GI) at Saratoga Race Course over 1 ¼ miles on Saturday, June 7.

 

Early Triple Crown Nominees by the Numbers:

$4,000,000 – Highest-priced public auction purchase: (22) Beholder (2023 Fasig-Tipton August Sale)
$1,421,000 – Highest lifetime earnings: Citizen Bull
268 – Kentucky-bred nominees, the most of any state or country. Others: Japan (54), Florida (14), New York (11), Maryland (9), Louisiana (4), Pennsylvania (3), Ontario (2), Virginia (2), California (1), France (1), Iowa (1), Ireland (1), Ohio (1) and West Virginia (1).
181 – Bay-colored horses. Other colors: Dark bay/brown (89), chestnut (69), gray/roan (30), gray (4).
146 – Trainers with horses nominated to the Triple Crown.
60 – Stakes winners nominated.
32 – Horses nominated from trainer Todd Pletcher’s barn, followed by Bob Baffert (21), Brad Cox (14), Chad Brown (13) and Kenny McPeek (12).
21 – Horses sired by Into Mischief, the most of any stallion. Others: Not This Time (14), Nyquist (13), Constitution (11), Curlin (11), Gun Runner (11) and Uncle Mo (11).
20 – Geldings nominated.
7 – Fillies nominated: Beauty Reigns (trainer Bill Mott), Mistress (JPN) (Yoshito Yahagi), Necessity (Norm Casse), Promised Gene (JPN) (Yuki Uehara), Queen’s Chocolat (JPN) (Koichi Shintani), Velvet Devil (Mike Tomlinson) and Vilja Lied (JPN) (Masayuki Nishimura).
3 – Ridglings nominated.
May 29, 2022 – Latest foal among nominees: Gunmetal.
Jan. 8, 2022 – Earliest foal among nominees: Promised Gene (JPN).
Three-year-olds not nominated during the early phase can still join the Triple Crown trail by making a late payment of $6,000 by Monday, April 7, at www.thetriplecrown.com.

 

Thirteen horses have swept the Triple Crown: Sir Barton (1919), Gallant Fox (1930), Omaha (1935), War Admiral (1937), Whirlaway (1941), Count Fleet (1943), Assault (1946), Citation (1948), Secretariat (1973), Seattle Slew (1977), Affirmed (1978), American Pharoah (2015) and Justify (2018).

 

2025 Early Triple Crown Nominees (in alphabetical order):

 

 

(22)Beholder

(22)Dayfa

(22)How My Heart Works

(22)Motion Emotion

(22)Nonna Mia

A. P. Kid

Admiral Dennis

Adventurist

Aftermath (IRE)

American Beyond

American Promise

Amjaad

Ananias

Ashley's Archer

Ask At Bat

Ask Stein (JPN)

Attack Now

Authentic Gallop

Aviator Gui

Baby Max

Baeza

Baker Hayfield

Barnes

Barricade

Batard (JPN)

Be Real

Bear Claw Necklace

Beauty Reigns

Berber Compass (JPN)

Big Boat

Bob Mo

Bon Temps

Bracket Buster

Brightline Bullet

Brodeur

Brooklyn Dance (JPN)

Brother Tony

Brummell

Built

Bullard

Bulldoze

Burnham Square

Burning Glory

Caldera

California Burrito

Calling Card

Camp Hale

Canal Beagle (JPN)

Candytown

Canuto

Capitol Hill

Captain Cook

Cash the Money

Caspian Wind

C'estbon Cadessert (JPN)

Chancer McPatrick

Chappelle

Chase a Dream

Chief Liam

Chunk of Gold

Cipher

Citizen Bull

Classic of Course

Classicist

Clay King (JPN)

Clever Again

Clock Tower

Coal Battle

Coche Deli (JPN)

Coco Cool

Coming in Hot

Complex Agenda

Contribution

Cornhuskerchris

Cornucopian

Cosmo Storm (JPN)

Crab Daddy

Crisis Manager

Cromwell

Crudo

Crystal Pearl

Curvino

Cut the Dust

Cyclone State

Daishin Link (JPN)

Danon Figo (JPN)

Danon Vestal (JPN)

Dapper Moon

Day and Age

Dear Chairman

Del Avar

Dettori

Diamond Eyed Jack

Disco Time

Disruptor

Donut God

Dragon (JPN)

Dragon Taylor

Dragon Welds

Dreaminblue

East Avenue

Ecoro Azel

Ecoro Sieg

Ecoro Svar

Enterdadragon

Exuberant Mischief

Ferocious

Filoso

Final Gambit

First Resort

Flood Zone

Flyin Private

Flying Mohawk

Fomo Joe

Fully Volatile

Gaming

Garamond

Gate to Wire

Gateskeeper

Gaura Thunder (JPN)

Gearing Up

Georgia Magic

Getaway Car

Ghostrick

Giocoso

Givememythememusic

Global Steve

Go Go Takashi (JPN)

Goal Oriented

God Espada (JPN)

Golden Afternoon

Golden Cloud

Gosger

Got'm Cot'm

Gran Giorno (JPN)

Grand Oracle

Grande

Grande Plage (JPN)

Grayscale

Gun Runner Charlie

Gunmetal

Guns Loaded

Hands of Time

Handsome Pants

Happy Man (JPN)

Hard as Life

Harlow

Heartwind

He's Not Joking

Highgarden

Hill Road

Honor the Bull

Hope's Alive

Hug (JPN)

Hymn

Hypnus

Icemaker

Incentive Pay

Indy Rags

Innately Good

Innovator

Iron Man Cal

Iron Sharpens Iron

Isambard Brunel

Isana (JPN)

It's Hammertime

Itsmybirthday

Janadriyah (JPN)

Jimmy's Dailys

John Hancock

Jonathan's Way

Journalism

Juris Doctor

Just Classic

Kalahari Dreams

Kalamatianos (JPN)

Kale's Angel

Keep It Easy

Kick It In

Kinetic Control

King Squall (JPN)

Lake Stripes (JPN)

Last Man Standing

Legitimate

Lionel

Logi Rickey (JPN)

Lord Chevalier (JPN)

Lord Labyrinth (JPN)

Lordship

Lotta Spirit Here

Lured Away

Luxor Cafe

Madaket Road

Magic Red

Magnitude

Maitre D

Majorca

Majority Opinion

Makes Sense

Mama Tried

Market Timing

Marshal

Maruvy

Maximum Promise

Maximus

McCorvey

McKinsense

Megalodon

Meisho Hachiro (JPN)

Melchior (JPN)

Mellencamp

Meritorious

Mistress (JPN)

Mo Plex

Mo Quality

Mobetterthangood

Modus Bestia

Mokara Mars (JPN)

Monet's Magic

Mount Kilimanjaro (FR)

Mount Vernon (JPN)

Mr. Mendelslew

Multiverse

Mutaz

Nanyo Powerful (JPN)

Natural Rise (JPN)

Naughty Rascal

Necessity

Neoequos

No Escape

Noble Confessor

Normandy Coast

Olive Green (JPN)

Omaha Omaha

On the Move (JPN)

One Man Team

Only in America

Onrush

Optical

Owen Almighty

Oy Gevald

Pascaline

Passion Rules

Patch Adams

Pay Billy

Pitkin

Poster

Poulsen

Power From Above

Power Play

Praetor

Prayer

Pretty Capable

Prime Power

Privman

Promised Gene (JPN)

Publisher

Quantum Wave (JPN)

Queen's Chocolat (JPN)

R Heisman

Radauti

Ranger Battalion

Rank

Rapture

Rated by Merit

Reggie Runs Rogue

Remember Big Jim

Render Judgment

Rhino (JPN)

Ripped

River Thames

Rodriguez

Roger Roger

Romanesque

Rossiniana

Rothko

Sacred Thunder

Sacrosanct

Saif Al Sahra

San Saba

Sand Devil

Sandman

Scarecrow

Scipio

Scorching

Seattle Road

Septarian

Shan

Shangrala Road

Shepherd

Shihono Perfetto (JPN)

Shin Believe

Shin Forever

Shootersgottashoot

Showcase

Sierra Silver

Smart Seeker (JPN)

Smoken Boy

Smoken Wicked

Smooth Cruisein

Snookie Bear

Sock It to Me

Sol Naciente (JPN)

Sole Lute

Solid Left

Sonic Skidaddle

Sonic Step (JPN)

Sorcerer's Silver

Souper Times

Sovereignty

Special Session

Speed King

Speedstorm

Stargell

Start Mo Up

Statesman

Steeze

Stiglets

Street Mo

Strummin

Studlydoright

Summer Night (JPN)

Summer Vibes

Summit Ridge

Super Cruise

Superpower

Surfside Moon

Surgical Precision

T O Elvis

Taisei Current (JPN)

Taisei Dorado (JPN)

Take Charge Tom

Takeru Hurlock (JPN)

Tamino

Tap Into This

Tappan Street

Tempus Prime

Tenacious Leader

Test Score

The Last Straw

The Warden

Thought Control

Thunder Road (JPN)

Tiger Twenty Four

Timely Decision

Tip Top Thomas

Tiz Secure

Tiztastic

Tjuta (JPN)

Tony Eclipse

Touchy

Treaty of Rome

Turn and Count

Tux

U Devil You

Uncaged

Uncle Jim

Valentinian

Vamos Carlitos

Varney

Vassimo

Velvet Devil

Very Bold

Vilja Lied (JPN)

Voldemort

Waco

Walking in Memphis

Weaponized

What Me Worry

Wise Decision

Wonder Rhythm (JPN)

Yamanin Bouclier (JPN)

Yinzer