Ten new horses have joined Thoroughbred racing’s 2007 Triple Crown trail as late nominees to the three classics, setting an overall record of 460 nominees.
The Triple Crown run will begin with the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) at Churchill Downs and will be followed by the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) May 19 at Pimlico Race Course and conclude with the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) June 9.
The 10 latecomers, at a fee of $6,000, joined the 450 early nominees to blitz the record of 454 set during the 2003 Triple Crown season when eight late nominations were added to the early list of 446. The deadline for late nominations passed March 31 at midnight. The deadline for early nominations, at $600 each, was Jan. 20.
Heading the list of late nominees are CATMAN RUNNING, who won the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes at Turfway Park and passed the Lane’s End Stakes (gr. II) for the Illinois Derby (gr. II) April 7; COURT THE KING, who was fourth to BWANA BULL in the El Camino Real Derby (gr. III) and will test his skills in Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) April 7; ETUDE, winner of Laurel Park’s Private Terms Stakes March 24, and LOVE DUBAI, MEDICI CODE and REPTILIAN SMARTS, who will run in the Illinois Derby, Santa Anita Derby and Wood Memorial, respectively, April 7.
Joining that sextet as late nominees are DELIGHTFUL KISS, who finished third in the Tampa Bay Derby (gr. III), VOW TO GREATNESS, QUITE ACCEPTABLE, and CRISTOBAL.
Medici Code and Love Dubai have been racing in England and Cristobal in France.
Here’s the full list, with owner and trainer:
CATMAN RUNNING, Joe Harris and Eric R. Reed
VOW TO GREATNESS, Paul Knuckley and Randy Allen
DELIGHTFUL KISS, Hobeau Farms and Pete Anderson
ETUDE, Fitzhugh LLC (Robert Meyerhoff) and Richard W. Small
REPTILIAN SMARTS, Christopher J. Hall and Tim Ritvo
MEDICI CODE, Herrick Racing and Darrell Vienna
QUITE ACCEPTABLE, Silver Wing Stables and Shannon Ritter
CRISTOBAL (nominated from France), Edmund Gann and Jean-Claude Rouget
LOVE DUBAI, Ron Peltz and Mike Maker
COURT THE KING, Marta Racing Ventures and John Sadler