Triple Crown Nominations
2026 Late Triple Crown Nominations
Right to Party, owned by Chester Bowman and second in the Wood Memorial on April 4, was made one of five late Triple Crown nominees through a late $6,000 payment due April 7.
The other late nominees, pending late mail, are:
- Bourbon Dream (Cypress Creek Equine and Ad Noir);
- Let’s Go Lando (Eagle Up Stables, London Reid Thoroughbreds and Non Stop Stable);
- Taj Mahal (SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Bashor Racing, Determined Stables, Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital and Catherine Donovan); and
- Volendam (Resolute Racing).
Those five bring to 372 the number of 3-year-olds eligible for the Triple Crown series. Horses not nominated to the Triple Crown can be supplemented for $200,000 to become eligible for all three races, or $50,000 for the Kentucky Derby only. After the Derby, supplemental nominations are $150,000 for eligibility to the Preakness and Belmont Stakes or $50,000 for the Belmont only.
2026 Early Triple Crown Nominations
2026 Early Triple Crown Nominations PPs Courtesy of Equibase
2026 Triple Crown Nominations By The Numbers
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Deadlines and Cost for the 2026 Triple Crown
Deadline for early nominations to the Triple Crown:
Jan. 26, 2026. There is a brief delay between the nomination deadline and release of nominations.
Cost of early nomination to the Triple Crown: $600
Payments must accompany the nomination and can only be made online at
www.thetriplecrown.com, according to a Churchill Downs release. However, thetriplecrown.com says you may download, fill out and mail the nomination in this
PDF Nomination Form
and you must include payment with the nomination form.
Deadline for late nominations to the Triple Crown:
April 6, 2026
Cost of late nomination to the Triple Crown: $6,000
Payment must be made with the nomination.
Complete nominations terms and conditions are
here.
For more information, contact these representatives at Triple Crown host tracks (information per thetriplecrown.com):
Churchill Downs
Kelly Danner, [email protected], (502) 638-3825
Pimlico
Racing Secretary Jillian Sofarelli at (800) 638-1859 or [email protected].
Belmont Park
Harry Wright (504) 919-9901, [email protected]
Supplemental nomination fee for the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes: Before the Kentucky Derby, the cost is $200,000 for those not early- or late-nominated to the Triple Crown, to be paid at the time of entry to the Kentucky Derby. The cost of supplementing to only the Kentucky Derby is $50,000. After the running of the Kentucky Derby, the supplemental fee to nominate to the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes is $150,000 or $50,000 to nominate only to the Belmont Stakes. If a supplementary fee is refunded due to the exclusion of a horse from a race, then the nomination of such horse for any subsequent race(s) shall also be invalidated. Supplemental fees not refunded are added to the appropriate purse. Again, refer to the terms and conditions here for more specific and official information.
Fees to enter and start in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes: In the Kentucky Derby, there is an entry fee of $25,000 and a starting fee of an additional $25,000. A minimum $500 jockey mount fee will apply to starters that finish beyond third place. For the Preakness, the cost is $15,000 to enter and another $15,000 to start. For the Belmont Stakes, the cost is $15,000 to enter and another $15,000 to start.
Maximum starters: CDRT, in its sole and absolute discretion, may set the number of starters up to a maximum of twenty (20) and the number of horses that are also-eligible to start up to a maximum of four (4).
Purse: The minimum guaranteed purse for the Kentucky Derby is $5,000,000.
Complete terms and conditions for Triple Crown: Click here.
Deadline for Stabling: All Kentucky Derby starters and Also Eligible Horses must be stabled at Churchill Downs by 11:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Saturday, April 25, 2026.