A total of 367 top three-year-old Thoroughbred horses worldwide have qualified for the 2026 Triple Crown Series during the early nomination period, which closed on Monday, January 26th. This year’s early entries come from around the globe and feature standout winners such as Father Add, Golden Tempo, Intrepid, Litmus Test, Napoleon Solo, Neary, and Paladin, along with several competitors who have already shown promise on the road to the Kentucky Derby, presented by Woodford Reserve.
Leading the trainers is Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher with 31 nominees, followed by Bob Baffert with 23, Chad Brown with 22, Brad Cox with 21, and Daisuke Takayanagi with 14. Among the international contenders, Japan contributes 37 horses, highlighted by Godolphin’s Pyromancer, winner of the All Japan Two-Year-Old Race.
The 2026 Triple Crown kicks off on Saturday, May 2nd with the 152nd running of the $5 million Grade 1 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. The series continues with the 1 3/16-mile, $2 million Grade 1 Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park on Saturday, May 16, before concluding with the 1 1/4-mile, $2 million Grade 1 Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday, June 6. Last year, there were 373 early nominees plus five late entrants.
Here are some key statistics from this year’s early nominations:
- 281 horses were bred in Kentucky, the highest number from a single state. Others represent Japan (37), New York (11), Florida (10), California (7), Pennsylvania (5), Ireland (3), Maryland (3), Virginia (3), Indiana (2), Ontario (2), United Kingdom (1), Louisiana (1), Minnesota (1), and New Jersey (1).
- 171 nominees are deer-colored, with other coat colors including Dark Bay/Brown (84), Chestnut (68), Grey/Roan (42), and Gray (3).
- 127 trainers have horses nominated in the series.
- 55 horses have won stakes races, including 19 major stakes winners.
- Todd Pletcher leads with 31 nominated horses, followed by Bob Baffert (23), Chad Brown (22), Brad Cox (21), and Daisuke Takayanagi (14).
- Stallion Not This Time tops the sire list with 16 nominees, followed closely by Gun Runner (15), Into Mischief (14), Nyquist (14), Constitution (13), and Maxfield (12).
- There are 11 nominated fillies, including Bella Ballerina (trained by Brendan Walsh), Belle of the Barn (Caio Calamori), Counting Stars (Mark Casse), and several from Daisuke Takayanagi’s barn.
- The earliest foal among the nominees is Starship, born on January 1, 2023.
- The youngest foal is Silver Prince, born on May 24, 2023.
Horses not nominated early can still join the Triple Crown trail by paying a $6,000 late nomination fee by Monday, April 6th through www.thetriplecrown.com.
To date, thirteen horses have completed the ultimate achievement of sweeping 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).
This article was first published by Paulick Report on February 3, 2026, and appeared in their News section.
Fan Take: This early list of Triple Crown contenders offers an exciting glimpse into the future stars of horse racing, promising thrilling competition across the landmark spring races. For fans, it signals fresh talent and potential legends in the making, highlighting the ongoing vitality and global appeal of the sport.
