Triple Crown tracker: Chunk of Gold leads 10 from series
The Triple Crown Tracker checks in with the horses who raced in the 2025 Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont, keeping up with what they have done since the classics.
2025 Kentucky Derby
Chunk of Gold had come close in graded-stakes company, amassing three runner-up finishes this year, but he finally broke through after trainer Ethan West strapped on blinkers for the Grade 3 West Virginia Derby on Aug. 3. After favored East Avenue did not make the top, Chunk of Gold led at every call and drew away in the lane under Jareth Loveberry, winning by 4 1/4 lengths over McAfee. After a poor start, East Avenue never threatened and checked in fifth, 10 lengths behind Chunk of Gold.
Two others from the Kentucky Derby field contested the Saratoga Derby (G1) on the lawn Aug. 2. After being pinched back early and settling a long-looking last, Final Gambit showed good interest down the lane to finish fifth, only 2 3/4 lengths behind winner World Beater. Tiztastic settled toward the rear and took further back after early trouble. He couldn't match the late run of his foes and finished ninth and last, six lengths behind the winner.
In addition to theoe four who raced, one Kentucky Derby runner might have something new coming up in his future. Saturday, Sandman worked on the grass at Saratoga. After the work, trainer Mark Casse told the New York Racing Association media department, “Turf horses, when you ask them to go, they can accelerate, and I had told Jose – I hadn’t planned on Jose breezing him today, but I said, ‘I just want you to let him drop his head and see if he wants to do something just the last eighth of a mile. He said to me, ‘I never even had to ask him. I just sat there.’ Then it was more about trying to pull him up. We weren’t looking for speed.”
Casse expects to run Sandman next in the Nashville Derby (G3) at Kentucky Downs on Aug. 30.
| Derby | Horse | Last race | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sovereignty | 1st Jim Dandy (G2) | Worked 4f Sat. at SAR |
| 2 | Journalism | 1st Haskell (G1) | Worked 4f Sat. at DMR |
| 3 | Baeza | 2nd Jim Dandy (G2) | Worked 4f Thu. at DMR |
| 4 | Final Gambit | 5th Saratoga Derby (G1) | No works since last race |
| 5 | Owen Almighty | 5th Kentucky Derby | Worked 5f Sat. at CD |
| 6 | Burnham Square | 5th Haskell (G1) | Worked 4f Sun. at SKY |
| 7 | Sandman | 5th Jim Dandy (G2) | Worked 4f Sat. at SAR |
| 8 | East Avenue | 5th West Virginia Derby (G3) | No works since last race |
| 9 | Chunk of Gold | 1st West Virginia Derby (G3) | No works since last race |
| 10 | Tiztastic | 9th Saratoga Derby (G1) | No works since last race |
| 11 | Coal Battle | 2nd Indiana Derby (G3) | No works since last race |
| 12 | Luxor Cafe | 12th Kentucky Derby | No works since last race |
| 13 | Neoequos | 1st Jersey Shore | Worked 4f Sun. at SAR |
| 14 | Publisher | 4th Indiana Derby (G3) | No works since last race |
| 15 | Citizen Bull | 4th Woody Stephens (G1) | Worked 6f Sat. at DMR |
| 16 | American Promise | 8th Preakness | Worked 4f June 10 at CD |
| 17 | Render Judgment | 17th Kentucky Derby | Worked 4f June 5 at SAR |
| 18 | Flying Mohawk | 18th Kentucky Derby | Worked 4f at June 28 at CD |
| 19 | Admire Daytona | 19th Kentucky Derby | No works since last race |
| SCR | Grande | 2nd Wood Memorial (G2) | Worked 5f April 25 at KEE |
| SCR | Rodriguez | 4th Belmont | Worked 4f July 14 at SA |
2025 Preakness Stakes
Two Preakness runners joined Journalism in the Haskell (G1) at Monmouth on July 19. Gosger, runner-up behind Journalism in Baltimore, completed the exacta in the Haskell as well. He got the jump on the favorite and had a narrow lead midstretch but couldn't hold off the late run from Journalism and was beaten by a half-length in the end. Goal Oriented, fourth in the Preakness, improved in the Haskell. He stalked the pace, briefly led in upper stretch and chased on to finish third, beaten by only three quarters of a length.
Clever Again, by American Pharoah out of a full sister to English 1,000 Guineas (G1) and Oaks (G1) winner Love, tried turf for the first time Aug. 1 in the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes (G2). He rallied from midfield, got close midstretch but flattened late to cross the wire third, three lengths behind Zulu Kingdom and Luther. He was moved up to second after Zulu Kingdom was disqualified for interference into the first turn.
| Preakness | Horse | Last race | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Journalism | 1st Haskell (G1) | Worked 4f Sat. at DMR |
| 2 | Gosger | 2nd Haskell (G1) | Worked 5f Sat. at CD |
| 3 | Sandman | 5th Jim Dandy (G2) | Worked 4f Sat. at SAR |
| 4 | Goal Oriented | 3rd Haskell (G1) | Worked 7f Fri. at DMR |
| 5 | Heart of Honor | 6th Belmont | No works since last race |
| 6 | River Thames | 6th Preakness | Worked 4f June 12 at CD |
| 7 | Pay Billy | 7th Preakness | No works since last race |
| 8 | American Promise | 8th Preakness | Worked 4f June 10 at CD |
| 9 | Clever Again | 2nd National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame (G2) | No works since last race |
2025 Belmont Stakes
Hill Road, after crossing the wire a distant third in the Jim Dandy (G2) behind Sovereignty and Baeza, did his first work back after the Jim Dandy on the turf Sunday at Saratoga. Though he won the Peter Pan (G3) on dirt and hit the board in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile when trying the surface for the first time, he started his career with a victory on the grass at Leopardstown in Ireland last year.
Crudo took a class drop for his first start after the Belmont, facing non-winners of a graded stakes at a mile or over in 2025 in the Curlin Stakes, at Saratoga on July 24. He set the pace but flattened out in the lane, finishing fourth, 5 3/4 lengths behind Chancer McPatrick.
| Belmont | Horse | Last race | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sovereignty | 1st Jim Dandy (G2) | Worked 4f Sat. at SAR |
| 2 | Journalism | 1st Haskell (G1) | Worked 4f Sat. at DMR |
| 3 | Baeza | 2nd Jim Dandy (G2) | Worked 4f Thu. at DMR |
| 4 | Rodriguez | 4th Belmont | Worked 4f July 14 at SA |
| 5 | Hill Road | 3rd Jim Dandy (G2) | Worked 4f Sun. at SAR |
| 6 | Heart of Honor | 6th Belmont | No works since last race |
| 7 | Uncaged | 7th Belmont | Worked 4f Sun. at SAR |
| 8 | Crudo | 4th Curlin | Worked 4f Mon. at SAR |