The Road to the 2017 Three-Year-Old Male Championship

With the 2017 Triple Crown series complete, the race for the title of Three-Year-Old Male Champion could not possibly be more wide-open.  Remember that this year the only thing consistent about this high-profile division was that they were inconsistent. There were three different winners of the 2017 Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes and there were nine different horses that finished in the top three of those Triple Crown races. On the Derby Trail, it was rare for any horse to win two races in a row.

There are five or six horses that have a chance to sit atop the division in the end because this does not appear to be a year that another star like Arrogate will appear and become the dominant sophomore with exceptional performances in the second half of 2017.

The three-year-olds have limited opportunities to grab leadership in the division and a victory in any of these major races will be very significant.

•The nine-furlong Haskell (G1) will be run on July 30^th at Monmouth Park.

•The ten-furlong Travers (G1) is scheduled for August 26 at Saratoga and its prep race, the Jim Dandy (G2), is the day before the Haskell.

•The Pennsylvania Derby has achieved grade one status, which makes the mile and an eighth stake even more significant. The Parx signature event is slated for September 23.

•The Breeders’ Cup will be run at Del Mar on November 3 and 4. The Classic does not look like a spot for this year’s sophomores and they may be more interested in the Dirt Mile (G1) in order to avoid the likes of Arrogate, Gun Runner, and Shaman Ghost. This race will be run around two turns and gives a chance to add a victory against older males.

•The Clark Handicap (G1) at Churchill Downs goes nine furlongs and comes on November 24^th, with another opportunity to get a victory against older horses.

Here are the racing resumes for each of the six three-year-olds that seem to have the best chance of winning the division championship, listed with trainer, jockey, 2017 record, 2017 earnings, Derby Trail wins, and Triple Crown performance.

Always Dreaming [Todd Pletcher - John Velazquez - 5: 4-0-0 - $2,260,600 – 1^st Florida Derby (G1) - 1^st Kentucky Derby, 8^th Preakness] At the mid-point of 2017, Always Dreaming holds the edge with his victory in the big one. The Kentucky Derby win has the clout and is often enough to get the championship, but this son of Bodemeister also has the Florida Derby in his credentials. A win in one of the remaining big races could be enough to get the title. The nine furlong events seem to be where Always Dreaming fits best; the Haskell followed by the Pennsylvania Derby. Todd Pletcher has stated that he will try and keep the Derby winner and Tapwrit separated for the rest of the year.

Cloud Computing [Chad Brown – Javier Castellano – 4: 2-1-1 - $1,071,000 – 2^nd Gotham (G3), 3^rd Wood Memorial (G2) – 1^st Preakness] This son of Maclean’s Music has only one stakes victory, but that is the Preakness. However, that means that his resume will need to grow more than some of the others. It looks like he will need to get at least two big wins to have a chance at the title. He seems suited to distances from a mile to a mile and a quarter. Chad Brown skipped the Belmont Stakes to rest up for a year-ending campaign.

Tapwrit [Todd Pletcher – Jose Ortiz – 5: 2-1-0 - $1,080,000 – 2^nd Sam F. Davis (G3), 1^st Tampa Bay Derby (G2), 5^th Blue Grass (G2) – 6^th Kentucky Derby, 1^st Belmont Stakes] The sons of Tapit love the Belmont Stakes as do Todd Pletcher trainees. I assume he will make a run at the Travers and a victory there would put him into contention with his stable mate. Another win may be needed especially if either Always Dreaming or Cloud Computing have also found the winner’s circle.

Classic Empire [Mark Casse – Julien Leparoux – 4: 1-1-1 - $1,034,300 – 3^RD Holy Bull (G2), 1^st Arkansas Derby (G1) – 4^th Kentucky Derby, 2^nd Preakness] The three winners of the Triple Crown races have the edge now and that means that last year’s Juvenile Champion is at a distinct disadvantage. Foot problems have plagued his 2017 campaign thus far. His talent is not an issue, but there is no more room for setbacks if the son of Pioneerof the Nile has a chance of repeating as a Champion. He will need two big wins to have a shot at it.

McCraken [Ian Wilkes – Brian Hernandez Jr. – 4: 2-0-1 - $281,380 – 1^st Sam F. Davis (G3), 3^rd Blue Grass (G2) – 8^th Kentucky Derby – 1^st Matt Winn (G3)] McCraken is in the same kind of position as Classic Empire. The son of Ghostzapper is going in the right direction after his victory in the Matt Winn. Wins in the Jim Dandy, Travers, and then in the Clark on a Churchill Downs track that he loves could be enough, if the Triple Crown victors stumble.

Timeline [Chad Brown – Javier Castellano – 4: 4-0-0 - $243,000 – 1^st Peter Pan (G3), 1^st Pegasus (G3)] The unbeaten son of Hard Spun is worth a mention, even though he did not compete in the Triple Crown. This Chad Brown runner is a longshot at best to win the Championship, but he could make some noise during the summer. His win in the Pegasus at Monmouth Park makes him a serious threat in the Haskell.

Any major upsets on the road to the Three-Year-Old Championships will work to the advantage of the Triple Crown race winners. Since the year 2000, only three horses have been named Champion without a victory in the Triple Crown series: Arrogate (2016), Will Take Charge (2013), and Tiznow (2000)