When it comes to pleasure and drama, the 2024 Triple Crown season was a smashing success.
It began with the pageantry of the 150th Kentucky Derby Introduced by Woodford Reserve, the place coach Ken McPeek despatched out Mystik Dan to report an 18.61-1 upset in an sensational end that noticed the highest three horses every separated by a nostril. The victory stuffed out McPeek’s résumé, giving him a win in every Triple Crown race and capped a wonderful weekend through which he received each the Kentucky Derby and the Longines Kentucky Oaks with Thorpedo Anna.
Two weeks later, beloved 88-year-old coach D. Wayne Lukas received the Preakness Stakes for two,570 house owners when MyRacehorse’s Seize the Gray captured the center jewel of the Triple Crown at odds of 9.80-1, the sixth betting alternative in an eight-horse discipline.
Lastly, the 5 weeks culminated with the splendor of the Belmont Stakes Introduced by NYRA Bets held at racing’s upstate New York oasis, Saratoga Race Course for the primary time.
Not a foul spring in any respect.
Aside from figuring out a clear-cut chief of the 3-year-old male division. As soon as once more, the Triple Crown got here up empty on that entrance, as 17.70-1 longshot Dornoch accomplished a sequence of upsets with a Belmont victory.
For a sixth straight 12 months, three totally different horses received the trio of Triple Crown races, leaving the chase for the division championship a muddled mess.
Who’s the chief? Who is aware of?
“It’s fairly wide-open. Nobody has taken clear management (of the division) at this level,” mentioned coach Todd Pletcher, who despatched out Repole Secure and St. Elias Secure’s Mindframe to a runner-up end to Dornoch within the $2 million Belmont. “I wouldn’t put anybody atop it now. It’s a waste of time until you win the Triple Crown. The voters are inclined to neglect all the pieces that occurred earlier than October and November.”
In a single regard, Mystik Dan might need a tenuous lead together with his run for the roses win and a second within the Preakness. He was eighth within the Belmont, as the one horse to run in all three legs of the Triple Crown, and McPeek famous he had mucus checking in at 2 on a scale of 1-5 on June 9.
“It was nothing main. He’s superb,” the coach mentioned. “It wasn’t an excuse for the way in which he ran.”
McPeek mentioned Mystik Dan would stay at Saratoga and level towards the observe’s signature Travers Stakes on Aug. 24 that after once more looms as the most important summer season showdown for the highest 3-year-olds.
“He deserves a break. He ran exhausting all winter and spring. We’ll give him a pleasant break and level him to the Travers,” McPeek mentioned.
As proud as McPeek could also be of the accomplishments by the son of Goldencents, he is aware of the division championship might be decided at a later date.
“The title might be determined later within the 12 months and it will likely be selected the racetrack,” he mentioned. “Our aim goes to be the Travers, Pennsylvania Derby, and hopefully the (Longines) Breeders’ Cup Traditional.”
McPeek mentioned DK Horse Acorn Stakes winner Thorpedo Anna would additionally keep on the Spa and practice towards a begin within the July 20 Teaching Membership American Oaks. The three-year-old daughter of Quick Anna adopted up her Oaks triumph with a decisive 5 ½-length rating within the Acorn regardless of shedding her entrance proper shoe.
“She got here out of the Acorn in good order. Her foot was slightly tender after the race however we bought the shoe again on the subsequent morning,” McPeek mentioned. “She is probably going going to remain within the filly division. I’ll nominate her to the Travers nevertheless it’s unlikely I’ll run her. If she will proceed to run like she has in opposition to fillies, it would give her fairly a résumé.”
For coach Danny Gargan, the enjoyment of his preliminary basic and Grade 1 victory by way of Dornoch’s victory within the Belmont had but to put on off a day later.
“It’s thrilling,” he mentioned. “We’re actual comfortable the way in which he got here again. We are going to simply go from right here to the subsequent race and we’ll attempt to determine that out over the subsequent couple of weeks.”
After the complete brother to 2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage joined his older brother as a basic winner, Gargan talked about coaching as much as the Travers. However Sunday, he listed the July 20 NYRA Bets Haskell Invitational Stakes at Monmouth Park and the July 27 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga as doable choices for the son of Good Magic earlier than the Mid-Summer time Derby.
“We are going to play it by ear and see what we predict,” Gargan mentioned. “We’re simply making an attempt to get pleasure from ourselves and see how the subsequent week goes.”
An unbelievable weekend for Gargan took a good sweeter flip Sunday when he received the $400,000 Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs with Society Man, a Good Magic gelding who was 16th within the Kentucky Derby.
Pletcher mentioned his trio of Belmont starters, Mindframe, Antiquarian (fifth), and Protecting (sixth), all exited the mile-and-a-quarter take a look at superb, although plans for all three are unsure.
Mindframe turned in a robust efficiency within the Belmont, shedding by a half-length whereas racing for simply the third time and competing in a stakes for the primary time.
“He confirmed he belonged. I assumed he did, nevertheless it was asking a number of him in his third begin. He was nearly capable of pull it off however the lack of expertise and seasoning harm him a bit. It was an excellent effort,” Pletcher mentioned.
With Repole stablemate Fierceness, the champion 2-year-old male of 2023, focusing on the Haskell, Mindframe is prone to stay at Saratoga and level towards the Travers. There might be an opportunity that he’ll prep within the Jim Dandy, although proprietor Mike Repole talked about the July 19 Curlin Stakes on the Spa for 3-year-olds who’ve but to win a stakes as one other risk for the calmly raced colt.
“He has a world of expertise,” Repole mentioned concerning the Maryland-bred son of Structure.
Coach Chad Brown mentioned Sierra Leone, who completed third because the 1.70-1 favourite within the Belmont, got here out of the race superb however he had not selected a subsequent race for the son of Gun Runner.
Brad Cox, coach of Catching Freedom, who was fourth within the Kentucky Derby, third within the Preakness and skipped the Belmont, mentioned Saturday the Structure colt was doing properly and might be pointed towards both the Haskell or the Jim Dandy/Travers.