[1] Dullahan was slow to show worthwhile form as a two-year-old, being well beaten in minor events at Churchill Downs in June and July.
[3] In the Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs on 5 November, Dullahan started a 16/1 outsider and stayed on in the straight to finish fourth of the thirteen runners behind Hansen, Union Rags and Creative Cause.
Dullahan made his first appearance as a three-year-old at Gulfstream Park in March, where he finished second to Howe Great in the Grade III Palm Beach Stakes.
In front of a record crowd of 40,617 Desormeaux restrained the colt in the early stages before moving him up to overtake Hansen near the finish and win going away by one and a quarter lengths.
[4] USA Today described his performance as "scintillating" and reported that Romans felt that Dullahan was by far his best chance of winning the Kentucky Derby.
A month later he was tested against older horses in the TVG Pacific Classic at Del Mar Racetrack and won by half a length from Game On Dude in a new track record time of 1:59.54.
[8] Dullahan's two remaining starts as a three-year-old were disappointing: he finished fifth when favorite for the Jamaica Handicap at Belmont in October and then ran ninth, behind Little Mike in the Breeders' Cup Turf.