Triple Crown tracker: Follow top 3-year-olds in summer action
The Triple Crown Tracker checks in with the horses who raced in the 2024 Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont, keeping up with what they have done since the classics.
2024 Kentucky Derby
Many of the 2024 Kentucky Derby horses are working toward later summer goals. But two of the starters recently raced in stakes company, with both hitting the board.
Society Man was the only Triple Crown alumnus to contest the West Virginia Derby (G3) at Mountaineer on Aug. 4. Sent off the 7-2 second choice behind odds-on Dragoon Guard, the Danny Gargan trainee tracked in range through much of the 1 1/8-mile race. But Society Man didn't have enough late to keep pacesetter Dragoon Guard in his sights and ended up third, 5 1/2 lengths behind that front-running winner.
On Aug. 3, Grand Mo the First made his first start since the Kentucky Derby. He switched back to the grass for the Bear's Den Stakes at Gulfstream Park, his trainer Victor Barboza Jr.'s base. Sent off the 3-5 favorite, Grand Mo the First overcame a rough start to settle inside, rally, and get up by a neck over Brawn. The win was his first since an allowance-optional claiming race at Gulfstream last September.
| Derby | Horse | Last race | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mystik Dan | 8th Belmont | No works since last race |
| 2 | Sierra Leone | 2nd Jim Dandy (G2) | Worked 4f Sun. at SAR |
| 3 | Forever Young | 3rd Kentucky Derby | No works since last race |
| 4 | Catching Freedom | 4th Ohio Derby (G3) | No works since last race |
| 5 | T O Password | 5th Kentucky Derby | Out for the rest of the year |
| 6 | Resilience | 10th Belmont | No works since last race |
| 7 | Stronghold | 2nd Indiana Derby (G3) | Worked 5f Mon. at DMR |
| 8 | Honor Marie | 4th Belmont | Worked 4f Sat. at SAR |
| 9 | Endlessly | 5th Belmont Derby (G1) | Worked 5f Sat. at DMR |
| 10 | Dornoch | 1st Haskell | Worked 4f Thu. at SAR |
| 11 | Track Phantom | 11th Kentucky Derby | No works since last race |
| 12 | West Saratoga | 5th Matt Winn (G3) | No works since last race |
| 13 | Domestic Product | 1st Dwyer (G3) | Worked 4f Sat. at SAR |
| 14 | Epic Ride | 14th Kentucky Derby | No works since last race |
| 15 | Fierceness | 1st Jim Dandy (G2) | Worked 4f Thu. at SAR |
| 16 | Society Man | 3rd West Virginia Derby (G3) | No works since last race |
| 17 | Just Steel | 5th Preakness | Recovering from leg surgery |
| 18 | Grand Mo the First | 1st Bear's Den | No works since last race |
| 19 | Catalytic | 2nd Carry Back | Worked 4f Sun. at SAR |
| 20 | Just a Touch | 2nd Iowa Derby | No works since last race |
| SCR | Encino | 1st Lexington (G3) | Worked 4f April 27 at CD |
| SCR | Mugatu | 2nd Bald Eagle Derby | No works since last race |
2024 Preakness Stakes
Seize the Grey returned to action July 27 in the Jim Dandy (G2), his first start since the Belmont Stakes. The D. Wayne Lukas trainee settled toward the rear of the field of six, but could not keep up with the likes of Fierceness and Sierra Leone in the end. Seize the Grey checked in fourth, 12 lengths behind Fierceness.
In the Bald Eagle Derby at Laurel on Aug. 4, run at 1 1/8 miles on dirt after being washed off the grass, Mugatu achieved his first career stakes placing. Sent off the 6-5 favorite in the field of five, the Jeff Engler trainee settled toward the rear of the field early after being bumped at the start. He chased with good interest to the finish, but could not reel in frontrunner Give It a Whirl and had to settle for second, 1 3/4 lengths beaten.
| Preakness | Horse | Last race | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seize the Grey | 4th Jim Dandy (G2) | Worked 5f Mon. at SAR |
| 2 | Mystik Dan | 8th Belmont | No works since last race |
| 3 | Catching Freedom | 4th Ohio Derby (G3) | No works since last race |
| 4 | Tuscan Gold | 4th Preakness | Worked 4f June 1 at SAR |
| 5 | Just Steel | 5th Preakness | Recovering from leg surgery |
| 6 | Uncle Heavy | 5th Ohio Derby (G3) | Worked 4f Sun. at SAR |
| 7 | Imagination | 7th Woody Stephens (G1) | Worked 6f Mon. at DMR |
| 8 | Mugatu | 2nd Bald Eagle Derby | No works since last race |
2024 Belmont Stakes
The top two finishers from the Belmont Stakes reprised their 1-2 finish in the Haskell on July 20 at Monmouth. In the 1 1/8-mile dirt race, Dornoch had the initiative once again for trainer Danny Gargan. Todd Pletcher trainee Mindframe, after stumbling at the start, tracked mid-pack in range of the leaders. Meanwhile Dornoch set the pace. He had to turn back a bid from Timberlake before facing a stretch bid from Mindframe.
Mindframe got his head in front mid-stretch, but Belmont winner Dornoch proved why he is one of the most game horses in his class. He came back as the wire approached and prevailed over Mindframe by 1 1/4 lengths in the end.
| Belmont | Horse | Last race | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dornoch | 1st Haskell | Worked 4f Thu. at SAR |
| 2 | Mindframe | 2nd Haskell | No works since last race |
| 3 | Sierra Leone | 2nd Jim Dandy (G2) | Worked 4f Sun. at SAR |
| 4 | Honor Marie | 4th Belmont | Worked 4f Sat. at SAR |
| 5 | Antiquarian | 5th Belmont | No works since last race |
| 6 | Protective | 2nd, MSW (July 14 at SAR) | No works since last race |
| 7 | Seize the Grey | 4th Jim Dandy (G2) | Worked 4f Sun. at SAR |
| 8 | Mystik Dan | 8th Belmont | No works since last race |
| 9 | The Wine Steward | 9th Belmont | No works since last race |
| 10 | Resilience | 10th Belmont | No works since last race |