The Road to the Triple Crown
With Triple Crown 2026 just around the corner, we wanted to reminisce a bit about all the past champions. This prestigious series of races is a test of stamina, speed, and consistency, and only a select few have achieved the ultimate victory. Below, you’ll find a quick overview of the history of Triple Crown horse racing, along with some interesting facts about the famous horses who had won it over the years.
The Origins of the Triple Crown
The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (or “Triple Crown” for short) refers to a series of three races for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds: the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes.
The Triple Crown didn’t start out as its own thing. Rather, the three aforementioned races came first:
- The Belmont Stakes in 1867
- The Preakness Stakes in 1873
- The Kentucky Derby in 1875
The moniker of “Triple Crown” would start being used decades later, and it was only popularized in the 1930s by Charles Hatton, a writer for the Daily Racing Form at the time.
The races are open to both colts and fillies. However, fillies have only ever won individual races, and only colts have won the Triple Crown so far.
Over the years, the scheduling and the order in which the races are run have not been consistent. Now, the races normally take place as follows:
- The Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May,
- The Preakness Stakes on the third Saturday in May, and
- The Belmont Stakes is on the third Saturday after the Preakness.
As the Triple Crown unfolds across these three events, interest in joining US horse racing betting sites tends to peak during this period.
The 13 Winners of the Triple Crown (So Far)
As the name suggests, winning the Triple Crown means winning each of the three races in a single season. Even though the Triple Crown has been around for well over 100 years, only 13 horses have ever won it. Needless to say, it’s an incredibly difficult and highly coveted achievement.
Here’s a closer look at all the Triple Crown winners who emerged over the years.
Sir Barton (1919)
Sir Barton was a chestnut-colored colt and the first winner of the Triple Crown in 1919, although the term hadn’t yet been coined at the time.
What made Sir Barton’s triple win even more impressive was the short rests between the events at the time. Notably, he had only three days of rest between the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes but still managed to maintain the lead from start to finish during both races.
Ultimately, Sir Barton won all three Triple Crown races and a fourth event (the Withers Stakes) in the span of only 32 days. While some of the later champions had more impressive wins and overall track records, Sir Barton remains one of the most famous Triple Crown horses as the first winner in history.
Gallant Fox (1930)
This bay colt was the second Triple Crown winner, 11 years after Sir Barton. Gallant Fox had a solid career and was a favorite for the Preakness Stakes. He won the Triple Crown as part of a 7-race win streak from 1929 to 1930.
It was actually after Gallant Fox’s victory that the term “Triple Crown” was popularized by the media.
Omaha (1935)
The chestnut-colored Omaha won the Triple Crown in 1935. Throughout his racing career, he was better known for his endurance and consistency, rather than the sheer dominance shown by many other Triple Crown winners.
Something else worth noting is that Omaha was sired by none other than Gallant Fox, the previous Triple Crown winner. To this day, the two remain the only father-son pair to win the Triple Crown.
War Admiral (1937)
War Admiral was a brown stallion known for his fiery temperament, sired by none other than the legendary Man o’ War, who was widely regarded as the best American racehorse at the time.
War Admiral won the Triple Crown in 1937, which was early in his racing career. From 1936 to 1939, he won 21 out of the 29 races he ran.
Whirlaway (1941)
Whirlaway was the 5th Triple Crown winner, but what really made him stand out was the unique combination of track dominance and some detrimental personality quirks. Namely, Whirlaway had a tendency to veer towards the middle of the track during races, which even cost him several wins in his career.
The trainer and jockey had to get creative and put in some extra effort to keep Whirlaway on track for the Kentucky Derby, and not only did he win, but he also won by a then-record margin of 8 lengths.
Count Fleet (1943)
As part of his immensely successful racing career, Count Fleet delivered the most amazing Triple Crown performance seen at the time.
When he ran the Belmont Stakes in 1943 (the final race of his career), Count Fleet led from start to finish and won by a stunning margin of 25 lengths, leaving all the other competitors in the dust. To make this even more impressive, the stallion achieved this victory despite suffering a hoof injury less than two months earlier.
This record stood for three decades and would only be topped by Secretariat in 1973.
Assault (1946)
Assault was perhaps the most unlikely Triple Crown winner, having been described as “delicate” and prone to illness from a young age. As a foal, he even suffered an injury that permanently deformed one of his hooves. However, this did not stop the horse which would later be nicknamed the “Club-Footed Comet.”
The colt went on to have a solid racing career, even if it was occasionally marred by health issues. While his Triple Crown win wasn’t as spectacular as some of the other champions over the years, Assault’s story is perhaps the most inspiring of the bunch.
Citation (1948)
Citation delivered a strong performance at the Triple Crown races in 1948, but his overall career was even more impressive. He won 19 out of the 20 starts during his 3-year-old season. By the time he was retired, Citation had 27 victories out of 29 starts. Those two times he didn’t win? He finished second.
That said, Citation maintains the best career track record out of all the Triple Crown champions in history.
Secretariat (1973)
Secretariat was the first Triple Crown winner after a 25-year drought. He is the most famous winner to date, having become a cultural icon and widely regarded as the best racehorse of all time.
When Secretariat won, he wasn’t just winning—he was setting records. Most notably, he won the Belmont Stakes by a stunning margin of 31 lengths, topping Count Fleet’s previous record. No horse has even come close to beating this record since, and it remains the most decisive win in Triple Crown history.
Seattle Slew (1977)
Seattle Slew wasn’t smashing through records like Secretariat was, but he went down in history as the only Triple Crown winner who had been undefeated at that point in his racing career.
Specifically, Seattle Slew won his maiden race in 1976 and had a 6-win streak by the time he raced in the Kentucky Derby.
Affirmed (1978)
Affirmed had a long and successful racing career, though his performance at the Triple Crown is best remembered for the extremely tough competition rather than any record-breaking performance.
Most of all, there was the ongoing rivalry between Affirmed and Alydar. The two horses had been racing neck-to-neck for 5 events prior to the Kentucky Derby, and Affirmed was leading with three very close victories.
Come the Triple Crown, Affirmed won all three races, albeit by a proverbial hair. He became the final Triple Crown winner of the 20th century before the long 37-year drought.
American Pharoah (2015)
American Pharoah entered the scene in 2014, with a mediocre debut followed by four strong wins prior to the Triple Crown. He scored decisive wins on each of the three races, becoming the first Triple Crown winner after almost four decades.
The new champion had a strong but relatively short career. American Pharoah retired with 11 races under his belt, 9 of which he won by a significant margin. He finished 5th in his maiden race, and his only other loss saw him finish second by only ¾ lengths.
Justify (2018)
Justify is the latest and final name on the list of Triple Crown winners so far. The stallion kicked his career off strong and ran the Kentucky Derby undefeated with only three prior races, all of which he won. After winning the Triple Crown in 2018, Justify was retired that same year due to an ankle injury.
With only six races in total, Justify had the shortest career out of famous Triple Crown horses to date.
Who Will be the Next Triple Crown Winner?
Winning the Triple Crown is no easy feat, as is obvious from the fact that only 13 horses have won it in 100+ years. Besides, we’ve already seen two droughts spanning multiple decades, so it’s impossible to tell if we’ll see the next Triple Crown winner this year, the next year, or in 2050.
If you wish to keep up with the Triple Crown or place some bets, it’s best to start tuning in a few months before the Kentucky Derby (normally scheduled for the first Saturday in May). That way, you can see how the potential winners perform in the prep races and what the experts have to say leading up to the big events. Many motorsport and racing fans also follow the Indianapolis 500 alongside Triple Crown races as part of the broader spring calendar of iconic American sporting events.
Remember to play responsibly, keep track of your bankroll, and never bet more than you’re willing to lose.
FAQs
The Triple Crown refers to a series of three horse races (the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes), which are usually run over the course of five weeks. Any horse that wins all three races in a single season is considered a Triple Crown winner.
The three races that comprise the Triple Crown are the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes.
Only 13 horses have ever won the Triple Crown. These are: Sir Barton (1919), Gallant Fox (1930), Omaha (1935), War Admiral (1937), Whirlaway (1941), Count Fleet (1943), Assault (1946), Citation (1948), Secretariat (1973), Seattle Slew (1977), Affirmed (1978), American Pharoah (2015), and Justify (2018).
The latest Triple Crown winner is Justify, who won all three Triple Crown races in 2018. He ran only six races in total before being retired, making him the Triple Crown winner with the shortest racing career to date.
