Photo: Skip Dickstein

Hansen (right) and Union Rags are among the 397 horses nominated to the Triple Crown.
Order This Photo

Headed by 2-year-old champion male Hansen, 397 horses were nominated to the Triple Crown series before the Jan. 21 early nomination deadline, representing a 9.1% increase over the 364 nominated during the early nominating period in 2011.

View a complete, sortable list of the nominees.

Brisnet is providing free online past performances of all the 2012 Triple Crown nominees in PDF format at http://www.brisnet.com/brisnet_promos/TC12noms.pdf.

An additional 13 horses added last year during the late nomination period brought the total number to 377.

The nomination makes a horse eligible to the three Triple Crown races, all grade I stakes restricted to 3-year-olds:
–138th running of the $2 million-guaranteed Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands at 1 1/4 miles at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. on Saturday, May 5;
– 137th running of the $1 million Preakness, which will be run at 1 3/16 miles at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md. on Saturday, May 19;
–144th running of the $1 million Belmont Stakes at 1 1/2 miles at New York’s Belmont Park on Saturday, June 9.

All three Triple Crown races will be televised by NBC Sports and are scheduled to be broadcast on radio by the Horse Racing Radio Network.

The cost to nominate before Jan. 21 was $600. A late nomination period that requires payment of a $6,000 nomination fee ends March 24.

For the first time, Churchill Downs has altered the conditions for the Derby and its filly counterpart, the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I), and will allow four also-eligibles for each race. If a horse or horses entered in either race is withdrawn from the time entries are taken until the official scratch time, the next horse on the also-eligible list will draw into the race.

The Kentucky Derby field has been limited to 20 starters since 1975, and accumulated earnings in graded stakes races along the “Road to the Triple Crown” have determined the field for the race since 1986. The field for the Preakness is limited to 14 starters, while the Belmont Stakes permits a maximum field of 16 horses.

In addition to being voted champion 2-year-old male for 2011, Dr. Kendall Hansen and Sky Chai Racing’s undefeated Hansen also shared top weight on the Experimental Free Handicap with Union Rags at 126 pounds. Among other top-rated males on the Experimental released by The Jockey Club Feb. 2, only Majestic City, who was co-weighted at 119 pounds, was not among the 391 males nominated prior to the early deadline.

In addition to Hansen, the early nominees include Chadds Ford Stable’s Union Rags, who suffered his only setback in four races when second to Hansen in the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (gr. I), and Starlight Racing’s Algorithms, who burst onto the road to the Triple Crown with an impressive five-length victory over Hansen in the Holy Bull (gr. III).

Among the six fillies nominated to the 2012 Triple Crown, none were among the top six rated fillies on the Experimental, which was topped by champion 2-year-old filly My Miss Aurelia, weighted at 124 pounds.

The filly nominees are On Fire Baby (co-weighted at 117 on the Experimental),  Reneesgotzip, Princess Arabella, Lady of Shamrock, Indian Magique, and Disposablepleasure.

Todd Pletcher, who was represented by his first Derby winner with Super Saver   in 2010, tops the trainer’s list of early nominees with 32, followed by three-time Derby winning trainer Bob Baffert with 21.

Among owners, Ahmed Zayat’s Zayat Stables tops the list with 13 early nominees, followed by Robert V. LaPenta with 10. WinStar Farm and Team Valor, the respective owners of Derby winners Super Saver and Animal Kingdom, each have nominated four to this year’s classics.

Read more: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/67304/triple-crown-nominations-soar#ixzz1lZhnyhoY

Photo: Benoit Photography

Game On Dude in the San Antonio Stakes.

Game On Dude may have caused his backers a bit of concern when he trailed the field in the San Antonio Stakes (gr. II) (VIDEO) after a tardy start, but it all worked out for the 3-10 favorite, who romped to victory at Santa Anita Feb. 5.

Joe Torre, the former Major League Baseball manager who is part of the ownership group Diamond Pride, led Game On Dude back to the winner’s circle after the big 5-year-old gelding defeated four rivals in the 1 1/8-mile San Antonio on Super Bowl Sunday. Game On Dude was making his first start since he nearly stole the Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I) last November at Churchill Downs at 14-1 odds before settling for second.

Chantal Sutherland rode Game On Dude to a 5 1/4-length victory over Uh Oh Bango in the San Antonio for trainer Bob Baffert. The final time was a strong 1:46.88 on a fast track.

Last year, Sutherland guided Game On Dude to a pair of grade I victories in the Santa Anita Handicap and the Goodwood Stakes before the dark bay son of Awesome Again   was defeated in the Breeders’ Cup by Drosselmeyer  . Game On Dude completed the year with a 3-3-1 record in eight starts with earnings of more than $1.9 million.

After winning the San Antonio, Baffert was non-committal on whether Game On Dude would next race in the $10 million Dubai World Cup (UAE-I) March 31 at Meydan Race Course. He said he would have to consult with the horse’s owners — Diamond Pride, the Lanni Family Trust, Mercedes Stable, and Bernard Schiappa — about the next step.

“We’ll have to sit down and see how he comes out of it (the race),” Baffert said. “He ran pretty hard today.”

Of course, Game On Dude may also stay home and defend his title in the March 3 Santa Anita Handicap, which he won last year by a nose in a dogfight of a finish with Setsuko.

Game On Dude registered the fourth graded stakes win of his career while running his overall mark to 6-4-1 in 15 starts. He has now banked $2,254,658.

Adena Springs bred Game On Dude, who is out of the Devil His Due mare Worldly Pleasure, in Kentucky.

The San Antonio was reduced to a field of five with the scratches of Tres Borrachos and Ashtar.

Game On Dude broke a beat slow from an inside post and was at the rear of the compact field briefly as Skipshot, on the far outside, went to the front just ahead of Gato Malo. Game On Dude soon advanced into third, then was second, as Skipshot clipped off an opening quarter mile in :23.09 and a half in quick :45.91. Game On Dude engaged Skipshot on the backstretch and took the lead before they reached the three-eighths pole in 1:09.12.

Game On Dude opened a clear advantage heading into the far turn as the San Pasqual Stakes (gr. II) winner Uh Oh Bango attempted to make a race of it. Ridden by Mike Smith, who was atop Drosselmeyer in the BC Classic, Uh Oh Bango drew to within a couple of lengths. But Game On Dude, given his head by Sutherland, responded to a couple of left-handed cracks of the whip in upper stretch to spurt away to an insurmountable advantage. He came home under steady handling while running the final eighth of a mile in 12.97 seconds.

“He just really didn’t break,” Sutherland said of Game On Dude’s start. “He has a habit of doing that. But fortunately for me, he ran amazing.”

Baffert added, “Chantal did a great job of not panicking. Once you get him into that high cruising speed, he’s so dangerous.”

Uh Oh Bango was a distant second for Smith, but he finished 12 1/4 lengths in front of his nearest competitor, Victory Pete, who was ridden by Martin Garcia. Skipshot and El Gato Malo trailed.

Game On Dude paid $2.60, $2.20, and $2.10 while topping a $5.40 exacta with Triple AAA Ranch homebred Uh Oh Bango, who returned $3 and $2.20. The show price on Victory Pete, who was switching from the turf for trainer Alexis Barba, was $3.

Read more: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/67320/game-on-dude-looks-super-in-san-antonio#ixzz1lZhMLkrP