As a three-year-old in 2002, he won the Grade II Spiral Stakes, the Grade III Indiana Derby (by 2006, this became a Grade II event), the Turfway Prevue Stakes, and came home second in the WEBN Frog Stakes, the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes, and ran third in the Kentucky Derby. That was the year War Emblem won the Derby and the Preakness. Perfect Drift's Derby was marred by being checked by War Emblem and forced to alter course to the outside. This allowed Proud Citizen to take second, but Perfect Drift still took third, ahead of Medaglia d'Oro, Harlan's Holiday, Essence of Dubai, and Saarland.