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The US Triple Crown has only been won 13 times since the inception of the series 145 years ago. The winners of individual legs of the respective Triple Crowns all own a small part of racing’s rich history, but the winners of the full Crown Series
races become members of an elite club.
There are any number of prestigious horse races around the globe, and a handful of sought-after series-type contests. But the US Triple Crown has unique elements that make it extraordinarily hard to win. It requires a three-year-old thoroughbred to win three races over various long distance, at different race tracks, and racing against the world’s best rivals in the age group within a short space of time, and within a single racing season.
The US Triple Crown Series comprises of:
1) The Kentucky Derby over 2000m (dirt), raced at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May
2) The Preakness Stakes over 1900m (dirt), at Pimlico Racecourse on the third Saturday in May.
3) The Belmont Stakes over 2400m (dirt), at Belmont Racecourse on the first or second Saturday in June.
The 13 Triple Crown winners 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), all top-quality runners with fascinating stories around them.
Image copyright: Getty Images
The mighty Secretariat, affectionately known as “Big Red”, is widely regarded as the greatest Triple Crown winner of them all. In the first leg, the Kentucky Derby, Secretariat (Ron Turcotte) ran his rival Sham (Laffit Pincay) down in the stretch to win by 2 1/2 lengths in a world-record time of 1:59 2/5, the only Derby winner to break two minutes.
Next, in the Preakness, Secretariat came from the back of the field – he was actually last going into the clubhouse turn but pulled himself around his rivals and into the lead, before racing to a commanding 2 ½ length win over Sham. He again clocked a course record time, though it was not recognised due to faulty timing equipment.
Secretariat was asked to face only four others in the testing Belmont Stakes, a race in which the previous seven horses to have won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, simply failed to rise to the ultimate test. Citation (1948) had been the last horse to win through to the end of the series.
But the champion Secretariat showed his incredible mettle. He made his move as soon as the first turn, something not attempted before, powered away by an astonishing 31 lengths in a world-record 2400m time of 2:24. Jockey Turcotte didn’t use his whip once!
The gap to the second horse was so big, even the widest angle of the CBS camera covering the home run could barely show Secretariat in the same shot as the runner-up Twice A Prince. "Secretariats only point of reference is himself," enthused Daily Racing Form.
Penny Chenery, who owned Secretariat, said of her handsome racer: "This red horse with blue and white blinkers and silks seemed to epitomize an American hero."
Secretariat’s career spanned only 16 months. He raced 21 times for 16 wins and 4 places, finishing in the money in all but his first race. By the time he went to stud in 1975, he had won back-to-back Horse of the Year awards.
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