Winning the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing is considered the greatest accomplishment of a Thoroughbred racehorse. The Triple Crown consists of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes. One might think that this is easy to do, but it is not. A horse has only one shot at the Triple Crown. It is only for 3 year old horses and these three races are in a span of 5 weeks . . . three different races, three different distances, three different tracks, and three different states. The Triple Crown has become a very rare achievement. It has been 32 years since the racing world has witnessed a Triple Crown victory.
In the United States, the three races that compose the Triple Crown are:
1. Kentucky Derby, run over 11⁄4 miles (2.01 km) dirt track at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky;
2. Preakness Stakes, run over 1 3⁄16 miles (1.91 km) dirt track at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland;
3. Belmont Stakes, run over 11⁄2 miles (2.41 km), the longest dirt track in thoroughbred racing, at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.
The Triple Crown has existed for almost 100 years and there have only been 11 winners and many “almost” Triple Crown Winners. After losing the 2008 Belmont Stakes on Big Brown, Jockey Kent Desormeaux said, “I can’t fathom what kind of freaks those 11 Triple Crown winners were.” Indeed those 11 horses are freaks; some of racing’s finest and greatest.
In 1919 it was Sir Barton and Jockey Johnny Loftus.
11 years later it was Gallant Fox and Jockey Earl Sande.
5 years later it was Omaha and Jockey Willie Saunders.
2 years later it was War Admiral and Jockey Charley Kurtsinger.
4 years later it was Whirlaway and Jockey Eddie Arcaro.
2 years later it was Count Fleet and Jockey Johnny Longden.
3 years later it was Assault and Jockey Warren Mehrtens.
2 years later it was Citation and again Jockey Eddie Arcaro, the only jockey to win two Triple Crowns.
25 years later is was Secretariat and Jockey Ron Turcotte.
4 years later it was Seattle Slew and Jockey Jean Cruguet.
The following year it was Affirmed and 18 year old jockey, Steve Cauthen.
Sadly, the last Triple Crown winner left alive, Seattle Slew, passed away on May 7, 2002.
During those years since the last Triple Crown winner, there have been many horses that have come so close in claiming that ultimate prize. There have been 45 horses who won two out of the three Triple Crown races but only 21 who won both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness only to fail in the Belmont Stakes. The list below gives those horses along with where they finished in the Belmont and who beat them. Seven of the 21 were in the last 12 years, so we are more than due for someone to finally win.
Triple Crown Near Misses (Derby/Preakness doubles)
YEAR
HORSE
Belmont finish
1932
Burgoo King
(Did not start)
1936
Bold Venture
(Did not start)
1944
Pensive
2nd (Bounding Home)
1958
Tim Tam
2nd (Cavan)
1961
Carry Back
7th (Sherluck)
1964
Northern Dancer
3rd (Quadrangle)
1966
Kauai King
4th (Amberoid)
1968
**Forward Pass
2nd (Stage Door Johnny)
1969
Majestic Prince
2nd (Arts and Letters)
1971
Canonero II
4th (Pass Catcher)
1979
Spectacular Bid
3rd (Coastal)
1981
Pleasant Colony
3rd (Summing)
1987
Alysheba
4th (Bet Twice)
1989
Sunday Silence
2nd (Easy Goer)
1997
Silver Charm
2nd (Touch Gold)
1998
Real Quiet
2nd (Victory Gallop)
1999
Charismatic
3rd (Lemon Drop Kid)
2002
War Emblem
8th (Sarava)
2003
Funny Cide
3rd (Empire Maker)
2004
Smarty Jones
2nd (Birdstone)
2008
Big Brown
DNF (Da'Tara)
**Won on disqualification.
Winning all three races, the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes, is truly a test of pure greatness.
Great article. I started writing one about how all three races became part of the Triple Crown but then I started writing Running After the Roses and my other article went no where. Maybe one day I'll get around to it. Or someone else will beat me to it. Again, lovely article. Very informative.
Great article. I started writing one about how all three races became part of the Triple Crown but then I started writing Running After the Roses and my other article went no where. Maybe one day I'll get around to it. Or someone else will beat me to it. Again, lovely article. Very informative.
Amazing article !! My favorite triple crown winner is Affirmed. I felt so bad for Kent Desormeaux riding Real Quiet in the Belmont....lost by a nose. That must have really hurt.
Amazing article !! My favorite triple crown winner is Affirmed. I felt so bad for Kent Desormeaux riding Real Quiet in the Belmont....lost by a nose. That must have really hurt.
Fantastic article
I always thought the Triple crown was just in America until recently and found that England has one too and many other countries for that matter.
Secretariat is still the best American Thoroughbred, truly amazing
Fantastic article
I always thought the Triple crown was just in America until recently and found that England has one too and many other countries for that matter.
Secretariat is still the best American Thoroughbred, truly amazing
Awesome article, I love all those horses so much! I always thought that Seabiscuit won the triple crown, but I guess I was wrong lol. Seabiscuit is still my favorite though(:
Awesome article, I love all those horses so much! I always thought that Seabiscuit won the triple crown, but I guess I was wrong lol. Seabiscuit is still my favorite though(:
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