ABOUT THE TRIPLE CROWN

History of the Triple Crown

As with other great sporting events such as the Olympics and the World Series, the Triple Crown has a rich tradition and history. While modern memory places the Triple Crown in a fixed format—the Kentucky Derby (G1) on the first Saturday in May, the Preakness Stakes (G1) two weeks later, and the Belmont Stakes (G1) three weeks after the Preakness—the series has undergone changes ranging from subtle to seismic in its history.

Origins

The Triple Crown did not start with the inauguration of the three races—the Belmont in 1867, the Preakness six years later, and the Derby in ’75. Of the three races, only the Derby has been run continuously, with gaps in the history of the Preakness (1891-’93) and the Belmont (1911 and ’12, when antigambling legislation shut down New York racing). In some years, the Derby and Preakness were run within days of each other, and in two years (1917 and ’22) they were run on the same day. In some years, the Preakness was run before the Derby.

Far from its current summit as the most prestigious race for American three-year-olds, the Derby in the early 20th century was a struggling regional race. The marketing and showmanship genius of Churchill Downs track executive Col. Matt J. Winn elevated the race to national and international prominence during the first quarter of the century.

When Sir Barton became the first Triple Crown winner in 1919, he was not recognized as a Triple Crown winner, only as a fast-developing three-year-old who went from maiden to multiple major stakes winner within two months.

In fact, the origin of the term “Triple Crown” (which had been in use in England for decades) has been disputed for many years. For decades, credit for coining the expression generally was accorded to legendary Daily Racing Form columnist Charlie Hatton. While Hatton’s stature and repeated use of the term closely associated him with the Triple Crown, the phrase arguably was first put in print by New York Times writer Bryan Field, who used the expression in 1930 after Gallant Fox won the Belmont.

The Triple Crown has been characterized by clusters of winners, especially in the 1930s, ’40s, and ’70s, and long droughts in between. After Gallant Fox won the 1930 Triple Crown for owner-breeder Belair Stud, only five years passed before Gallant Fox’s son Omaha won for Belair. Two years later in 1937, Man o’ War’s son War Admiral took the Triple Crown for Glen Riddle Farm.

The Triple Crown sweep was achieved four times in the 1940s. First, Calumet Farm and jockey Eddie Arcaro won in 1941 with Whirlaway, and Mrs. John D. Hertz’s Count Fleet rolled to victory two years later with Johnny Longden in the saddle. In 1946, King Ranch’s homebred Assault scored the triple, and two years later Arcaro and Calumet collected their second Triple Crown sweep with Citation.

In 1950, the Thoroughbred Racing Associations formally recognized the three-race series as the Triple Crown and commissioned Cartier to craft a three-sided trophy, one side for each race. The trophy was in storage many years before Secretariat breezed to a Triple Crown victory in 1973, the first sweep in a quarter-century. Four years later, the brilliant Seattle Slew became the first to win the series without a defeat on his record. In 1978, the first back-to-back Triple Crown sweep occurred when Affirmed defeated Alydar in three classic battles. Harbor View Farm’s Affirmed would be the last Triple Crown winner of the 20th century as another long drought took hold.

Through the remainder of the 20th century, five horses came within one race of winning the Triple Crown, but none collected the prize. Alysheba won the first two races in 1987 but was a distant fourth to Bet Twice in the Belmont. Sunday Silence won two spirited battles with Easy Goer in 1989 and finished a well-beaten second to his nemesis in the Belmont. The Triple Crown bids of the 1990s occurred in three consecutive years, 1997-’99. In 1997, Derby and Preakness winner Silver Charm could not repel the late charge of Touch Gold in the Belmont. The following year, Real Quiet appeared to have the Belmont won but lost by a nose in the last stride to Victory Gallop. Charismatic, the 1999 Derby and Preakness winner, finished third by less than two lengths despite sustaining a leg fracture in the Belmont’s late stages.

At the start of the 21st century, War Emblem won the first two legs in 2002, only to finish eighth in the Belmont. In 2003, Funny Cide won the Derby and Preakness but finished third in the Belmont; in ’04, Smarty Jones came within one length of becoming the 12th Triple Crown winner. Afleet Alex won the 2005 Preakess and Belmont after finishing third in the Derby.

The 2006 Triple Crown was a story of triumph and tragedy. Barbaro won the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) by a dominant 6 1/2 lengths. Bred and owned by the Lael Stables of Roy and Gretchen Jackson, the Dynaformer colt was trained to victory by Michael Matz off a five-week break after his Florida Derby (G1) win. Barbaro broke down shortly after the start of the Preakness and ultimately died of the effects of laminitis in early 2007. The Preakness winner, Bernardini, went on to win the Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1) and was voted champion three-year-old male. The following year, Street Sense broke the jinx associated with Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) winners when he won the Derby by 2 1/4 lengths but lost the Preakness by a head to Curlin. In the Belmont Stakes, Rags to Riches became the first filly winner in 102 years. She was the second consecutive Belmont winner out of the Deputy Minister mare Better Than Honour.

Big Brown captured the Kentucky Derby and Preakness leading into the 2008 Belmont Stakes. The horse never finished the final leg of the Triple Crown, however, as he was eased in the stretch by jockey Kent Desormeaux.

TRIPLE CROWN WINNERS

1919 - Sir Barton

1930 - Gallant Fox

1935 - Omaha

1937 - War Admiral

1941 - Whirlaway

1943 - Count Fleet

1946 - Assault

1948 - Citation

1973 - Secretariat

1977 - Seattle Slew

1978 - Affirmed