Triple Crown

Background

The Triple Crown is the pinnacle of American horse racing. It consists of three races in five weeks for three-year-old thoroughbreds: Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes. Only 13 horses have won all three (see list).

The series is a cultural event, known for its festive grandstands and significant betting. The 2024 Kentucky Derby saw a record $210.7M in bets and was watched by an average of 16.7 million people, the most since 1989.

The Triple Crown is a grueling challenge that tests both speed and stamina. Jockeys play a critical role in winning by combining exceptional riding skills with strategic decision-making.

Culture

Each Triple Crown race carries distinct traditions. The Derby is known for its elaborate hats, mint juleps, and the “Run for the Roses” garland, with 150,000 fans singing "My Old Kentucky Home." The Preakness showcases Black-Eyed Susans—Maryland’s state flower—crab cakes, and a weather vane painted with the winner’s colors since 1909. Belmont, known as “The Test of the Champion” honors its victor with white carnations and a “New York, New York” serenade.

The odds of a top horse sweeping the Triple Crown are steep, but that didn’t stop fans from betting over $300M on all three races in 2023. Apps like TwinSpires and legalized wagering have turbocharged sports betting.

History

Horse racing became a popular pastime of the wealthy by the mid-1700s in America. The establishment of the American Stud Book—an official document of horse pedigrees—in 1868 helped formalize breeding.

The Belmont Stakes started in 1867, followed by the Preakness in 1873, and the Kentucky Derby in 1875. Sir Barton was the first to win all three in 1919, but the term “Triple Crown” wasn’t popularized until the 1930s. The 1940s saw a golden era, with four winners.

CBS pioneered Triple Crown broadcasting, airing the Belmont Stakes in 1948 and the Preakness in 1949, before adding the Derby in 1952. By the 1960s, the Triple Crown was a national spectacle, fueled by expanded TV access and improved production.

The first televised golden era began in 1973 when Secretariat won the first Triple Crown in 25 years (watch race), and then saw Seattle Slew and Affirmed win consecutively in 1977 and 1978 (see rivalry with Alydar). American Pharoah, trained by Bob Baffert, ended a 37-year drought in 2015.

Baffert-trained Justify won the most recent Triple Crown in 2018, despite testing positive for scopolamine weeks before the Derby. Baffert was suspended from Churchill Downs in 2022 after his horse, Medina Spirit, failed a drug test.

A 2020 FBI investigation exposed doping rings implicating prominent trainers, but excluded Baffert. The 2020 Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act enacted antidoping reforms.

Legendary Runs

Secretariat’s 1973 Belmont run, ridden by Ron Turcotte, remains iconic, with a record 31-length victory and a 2:24 track record, which still stands today. Secretariat retired after his Triple Crown win under a record $6.08M syndication deal to breed, siring around 600 foals before he died in 1989.

In 1978, Affirmed battled Alydar in all three Triple Crown races, winning each by razor-thin margins: one and a half lengths at the Derby, a neck at the Preakness, and a head in the Belmont’s epic finish. Jockey Steve Cauthen, just 18, became the youngest jockey to sweep the Triple Crown.

After a decadeslong drought, American Pharoah, ridden by Victor Espinoza, reignited Triple Crown fever with his sweep in 2015, drawing 22 million viewers. Espinoza, a three-time Derby champ, became the oldest jockey to claim the crown at age 43.