Hall of Fame horse trainer Todd Pletcher has nominated 17 horses for the 2026 Triple Crown, signaling his intention to resume his prominent role in the series after a record 21-year streak of Kentucky Derby starters was broken in 2025 when Grande was scratched from the field, according to a report from Horse Racing Nation.
Pletcher, who has won the Kentucky Derby twice – with Super Saver in 2010 and Always Dreaming in 2017 – and the Belmont Stakes four times, including with filly Rags to Riches in 2007, currently holds the record for most Kentucky Derby starters with 65. He has been recognized eight times with an Eclipse Award as North America’s outstanding trainer, most recently in 2022, according to both Horse Racing Nation and a profile on Keeneland’s website.
Among Pletcher’s nominees is Ted Noffey, the reigning Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner, who has unfortunately been diagnosed with bruised condyles and will miss the Triple Crown season. Connections are now targeting a return to racing at Saratoga this summer, Horse Racing Nation reported. Renegade, winner of the Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, and Nearly, who captured the Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park, are also key contenders.
The nominations also include a mix of promising young horses and those still developing, with several having been purchased for upwards of a million dollars at Keeneland September Yearling Sales. Owners represented in the group include Spendthrift Farm, Repole Stable, and WinStar Farm.
Zany, a filly, is being pointed toward the Ashland Stakes at Keeneland, while Courting, the most expensive yearling in the group at $5 million, is entered in the Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds on February 14th. Several other nominees, including Jackson Hole and Class President, are preparing for races at Gulfstream Park, according to the report.
Pletcher attended the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program in the mid-1980s, according to information from the University of Arizona. He is currently the all-time leading money winner with nearly $500 million in career earnings, as reported by RTIP.
The trainer’s nominees also include Powershift, Scope, Make My Day, Halogen, Versailles Road, Spartacus, Chess Match, Mapped Flight, and Grittiness, all of whom are in varying stages of preparation for potential Triple Crown races.
