Triple Crown tracker: See the latest on 10 alumni from 2024

Posted by Admin January 1, 2025 Horse Racing

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National Association of Racing TV, Japan

The Triple Crown Tracker checks in with the horses who raced in the 2024 Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes, keeping up with what they have done since the classics.

2024 Kentucky Derby

Forever Young has been one of the world’s most exciting and consistent dirt horses all year long, but he had yet to break through with a win at the top level despite money finishes in both the Kentucky Derby and the Breeders’ Cup Classic. That changed Sunday at Oi, when he drew on all his class to defeat the older Wilson Tesoro in the Grade 1 Tokyo Daishoten.

Two others from the 2024 Kentucky Derby field were in action at the top level stateside in the seven-furlong Malibu (G1) on Dec. 26 at Santa Anita. Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner Stronghold, shortening up to seven furlongs for his first start since the Pennsylvania Derby (G1), rallied for second behind proven sprinter Raging Torrent. Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan, making his first start since the Belmont, never fired and finished sixth and last.

Others from the Kentucky Derby field who raced in recent weeks included Track Phantom and Epic Ride. Track Phantom stepped up to stakes company for the Tenacious on Dec. 21, his second start since the Kentucky Derby. He set the early pace but was no match in the second half of the race and settled for fourth behind Saudi Crown. Epic Ride returned to Turfway, the track where he showed his best form early in the year, for an allowance Dec. 21. Bet to odds-on favoritism, he tracked the pace and led midstretch but was worn down late by long shot B D Valeski.

Just a Touch, who had been off the work tab since a second-place finish in the Iowa Derby in July, returned to the work tab for the first time since that race on Dec. 22. The Brad Cox trainee went three furlongs in 37 seconds, fastest of 14 drills at Payson Park that day.

Pl.	Kentucky Derby	Last race	Notes
1	Mystik Dan	6th Malibu (G1)	No works since last race
2	Sierra Leone	1st Breeders’ Cup Classic	No works since last race
3	Forever Young	1st Tokyo Daishoten (G1)	No works since last race
4	Catching Freedom	4th Ohio Derby (G3)	Worked 4f Dec. 22 at PAY
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 Malibu (G1)	No works since last race
8	Honor Marie	8th Travers	No works since last race
9	Endlessly	5th Belmont Derby (G1)	Worked 5f Aug. 10 at DMR
10	Dornoch	4th Travers	Stands for $40,000 at Spendthrift
11	Track Phantom	4th Tenacious	No works since last race
12	West Saratoga	9th alw. (Nov. 6 at CD)	Sold to race in Dubai
13	Domestic Product	3rd Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile	Stands for $30,000 at Ashford
14	Epic Ride	2nd alw. (Dec. 21 at TP)	No works since last race
15	Fierceness	2nd Breeders’ Cup Classic	No works since last race
16	Society Man	2nd alw. OC (Oct. 24 at KEE)	Worked 4f Dec. 22 at PMM
17	Just Steel	5th Preakness	Recovering from leg surgery
18	Grand Mo the First	2nd Virginia Derby (G3)	Worked 4f Oct. 6 at GP
19	Catalytic	2nd alw. OC (Dec. 15 at GP)	No works since last race
20	Just a Touch	2nd Iowa Derby	Worked 3f Dec. 22 at PAY
scr	Encino	1st Lexington (G3)	Worked 4f Sun. at FG
scr	Mugatu	7th alw. OC (Dec. 22 at TAM)	No works since last race

2024 Preakness

Fellow Preakness entrant Imagination also contested the Malibu on Saturday. The Bob Baffert trainee tracked in range through the early stages. Although he didn’t have enough kick late to reel in Raging Torrent or Stronghold, he chased on for third and earned his second career Grade 1 placing.

Just a week after finishing seventh in an allowance at Gulfstream, Mugatu raced in allowance company again Dec. 22 at Tampa Bay Downs, a first-level race at 1 1/16 miles on the dirt. The Jeff Engler trainee tracked the early pace but weakened in the lane to cross the wire seventh behind the hot favorite Havildar.

Pl.	Preakness	Last race	Notes
1	Seize the Grey	8th Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile	Stands for $30,000 at Gainesway
2	Mystik Dan	6th Malibu (G1)	No works since last race
3	Catching Freedom	4th Ohio Derby (G3)	Worked 4f Dec. 22 at PAY
4	Tuscan Gold	4th Preakness	Worked 4f Dec. 22 at PAY
5	Just Steel	5th Preakness	Recovering from leg surgery
6	Uncle Heavy	4th Pennsylvania Derby (G1)	No works since last race
7	Imagination	3rd Malibu (G1)	No works since last race
8	Mugatu	7th alw. OC (Dec. 22 at TAM)	No works since last race

2024 Belmont Stakes

Protective returns to the races Sunday at Gulfstream Park for his first start since a fourth-place finish in an October allowance at Keeneland. The race is a 1 1/2-mile test on the grass and drew a full field of 12 first-level allowance horses plus two on the also-eligible list. Protective, trained by Todd Pletcher, drew the 12 gate.

Mindframe, unraced since a second-place finish behind Dornoch in the Haskell (G1), continues his comeback. He worked three furlongs Friday at Palm Beach Downs, his first drill since the Haskell.

Pl.	Belmont	Last race	Notes
1	Dornoch	4th Travers (G1)	Stands for $40,000 at Spendthrift
2	Mindframe	2nd Haskell (G1)	Worked 3f Fri. at PBD
3	Sierra Leone	1st Breeders’ Cup Classic	No works since last race
4	Honor Marie	8th Travers (G1)	No works since last race
5	Antiquarian	5th Belmont	No works since last race
6	Protective	4th Alw (Oct. 25 at KEE)	Entered in Alw OC Sun. at GP
7	Seize the Grey	8th Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile	Stands for $30,000 at Gainesway
8	Mystik Dan	6th Malibu (G1)	No works since last race
9	The Wine Steward	9th Belmont	Worked 5f Mon. at GP
10	Resilience	10th Belmont	No works since last race