Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher frequently tops the list of most horses nominated to the Triple Crown series, the Kentucky Derby (G1), the Preakness Stakes (G1), and the Belmont Stakes (G1).
Usually, fellow Hall of Famer Bob Baffert is right behind, along with future Hall of Famers Brad Cox and Chad Brown.
This year’s Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs on May 2 is no exception: Pletcher nominees totaled 31, Baffert had 23, Brown 22, and Cox 21. That was in early February, when 367 3-year-olds were nominated. Combined, the fearsome foursome had 25% of all nominees.
Six weeks before the 152nd Derby and with nine of the 36 Road to the Kentucky Derby point-qualifiers remaining, Pletcher and Baffert are well positioned with a slew of strong contenders.
Heading into Saturday’s Virginia Derby, Pletcher and Baffert each have a colt with enough points to make the field and a bunch of others on the verge of qualifying in the final Derby prep races.
Potente won the San Felipe Stakes (G2) for Baffert last weekend and totals 50 Derby points, putting him at No. 7 on the Derby leaderboard. Baffert sends out Buetane (6 Derby points) in the Virginia Derby, which awards 50-25-15-10-5 points to the top five finishers.
Baffert, a six-time Derby winner, also trains Litmus Test (34 points, No. 17 on the leaderboard). He’s a possible starter in the Arkansas Derby (G1) on March 28, a race that carries 100-50-25-15-10 qualifying points.
Class President moved near the head of the Derby pack with his win in the Rebel Stakes (G2) for No. 4 on the leaderboard, with a next start likely in the Arkansas Derby.
Pletcher won the Holy Bull Stakes (G3) with Nearly, who has 20 Derby points and is No. 19 on the leaderboard, but he’s already considered one of the leading Kentucky Derby contenders. He runs next in the Florida Derby (G1), which offers 100-50-25-15-10. He’ll need to finish first or second, but he’ll be the betting favorite.
Pletcher, a two-time Kentucky Derby winner, sends out two horses in the Virginia Derby, Grittiness and Epic Desire, to take on Buetane. Either would qualify for the Derby with a win.
Even though some of their early contenders have dropped off the Derby trail for one reason or another, both trainers have plenty of ammunition ready in their stables in these final Derby preps.
Baffert’s other contenders include Brant with 14 points and Blacksmith with 5 points, both possibles for the Santa Anita Derby (G1) on April 4 (100-50-25-15-10 points to the first five finishers) and Cherokee Nation (3 points).
Pletcher’s next wave includes Sam F. Davis Stakes winner Renegade with 25 points and likely Arkansas Derby-bound Courting (2 points), purchased for $5 million, and might get another chance to make the Derby field.
If this doesn’t sound like much, consider the promising colts sidelined for various reasons: Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) winner and 2-year-old champion Ted Noffey and Iroquois Stakes winner Spice Runner for Pletcher; Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3) winner Plutarch and Desert Gate for Baffert.
These two have plenty of fillies on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks as well. In fact, Baffert has the likely favorite in Explora, who has 95 points off victories in the Oak Leaf Stakes (G2), the Santa Ynez Stakes, and the Honeybee Stakes (G3). He also trains Forced Entry, the recent winner of the Santa Ysabel Stakes (G3), to move to No. 5 on the Oaks leaderboard with 50 points.
In Saturday’s Virginia Oaks, Baffert sends out the 6-5 favorite Bottle of Rouge, the Sunland Park Oaks winner with 20 points and No. 20 on the leaderboard.
Pletcher has a pair of fillies in the Virginia Oaks, longshots Kadabra and Baffle, but his top filly so far is She Be Smooth, recent winner of the Davona Dale Stakes (G2) and No. 4 on the leaderboard. Among his other Oaks contenders are Suncoast Stakes winner Zany with 30 points (and also nominated for the Triple Crown races), Imperative, and Coffee Connection.
One of Pletcher’s early Oaks contenders, Spinaway Stakes (G1) and Alcibiades Stakes (G1) winner Tommy Jo is no longer on the Oaks trail.
Pletcher leads all trainers with 65 Derby starters. He has two wins: Always Dreaming (2017) and Super Saver (2010).
Baffert is third with 35 starters, with a record-equaling six victories, three seconds, and two thirds (plus a first-place finish with Medina Spirit in 2021, but the horse was disqualified for an overage of a race-day medication).
Pletcher started five horses in a single Derby two times and four horses four times. Baffert started three horses in a single Derby three times. Starting multiple horses doesn’t always turn up a winner. Of all those multiple horses, only one, Super Saver for Pletcher in 2010, wound up in the winner’s circle with the blanket of roses.
Richard Rosenblatt is an award-winning journalist and former Associated Press Horse Racing Editor. Currently, he serves as the news editor at US Racing, overseeing exclusive content from contributors worldwide.
