The Exclusive Title That Only 13 Horses Hold
The American Triple Crown is one of the most elusive and illustrious titles in the world of horse racing.
It is a title that has been up for grabs since 1875 and in the last 146 years, only 13 horses have claimed it. None of the top contenders for the Belmont Stakes can win it this year. The most recent winner was in 2018.
To be a Triple Crown winner you need to win the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes all in the same year.
Perhaps the most successful Triple Crown winner was Secretariat, who won the title in 1973. We broke a world record (that he still holds), in the Belmont Stakes race. He ran it in 2:24 minutes and won the race by 31 lengths.
Today, we are going to talk you through the 13 horses who have won this illustrious title in the last 146 years.
1919 Sir Barton
Jockey – Johnny Loftus
Trainer – H. Guy Bedwell
Despite the Triple Crown being available since 1975, it was not won for the first time until 1919.
Sir Barton was a chestnut colt bred in Kentucky. Sir Barton was sired by the British stallion Star Shoot. His mother was Lady Sterling.
1930 Gallant Fox
Jockey – Earl Sande
Trainer – Jim Fitzsimmons
Gallant Fox was a bay colt who was bred in Kentucky. His sire was Sir Gallahad III and his mother was Marguerite.
Gallant Fox won 11 out of the 17 races he entered.
1935 Omaha
Jockey – Willie “Smokey” Saunders
Trainer – Jim Fitzsimmons
Jim Fitzsimmons is one of only two trainers to win the Triple Crown twice, we will talk regarding the other trainer later.
Omaha was the third Triple Crown winner and the third win to be bred in Kentucky.
1937 War Admiral
Jockey – Charles Kurtsinger
Trainer – George Conway
War Admiral is the sire of Man O’War. You may recognize his name because he was the famous rival of Seabiscuit.
Like all the previous Triple Crown winners he was bred in Kentucky. Two of his descendants also became Triple Crown winners in 2015 and 2018.
1941 Whirlaway
Jockey – Eddie Arcaro
Trainer – Ben A. Jones
His father was Blenheim and was bred in Kentucky.
Whirlaway still holds the record for the largest margin of victory at the Kentucky Derby – he won by 8 lengths. This record was equaled but not beaten in 2018.
1943 Count Fleet
Jockey – Johnny Longden
Trainer – Don Cameron
Count Fleet was the 6th Triple Crown winner in a row to be foaled in Kentucky. In the year that he won the Triple Crown, he was also named American Horse of the Year.
He won 10 of his 15 races but was most famous for his erratic and unpredictable behavior.
1946 Assault
Jockey – Warren Mehrtens
Trainer – Max Hirsch
Assault was the first Triple Crown winner not to come from Kentucky. He was foaled on King Ranch in Texas.
Assault suffered from injuries and illnesses throughout his life and no one expected him to have any kind of career. Thanks to the patient care of Max Hirsch he was able to shock the world and win horse racing’s most elusive title.
1948 Citation
Jockey – Eddie Arcaro
Trainer – Horace A. “Jimmy” Jones
Eddie Arcaro is the only jockey to win the Triple Crown twice. He is widely considered one of the best American jockeys there ever was.
Citation was the first horse to win $1 million dollars.
1973 Secretariat
Jockey – Ron Turcotte
Trainer – Lucien Laurin
Secretariat was one of the most successful racehorses of all time and set a world record that still stands during his win. He was the first horse to win the Triple Crown for 25 years.
1977 Seattle Slew
Jockey – Jean Cruguet
Trainer – William H. Turner Jr.
Seattle Slew was the first horse to win the Triple Crown without a loss in its career.
1978 Affirmed
Jockey – Steve Cauthen
Trainer – Laz Barrera
This was the first time the Triple Crown was won in two consecutive years.
Affirmed had a famous rivalry with Alydar. This horse came second in all three of the Triple Crown races in 1978. The only horse ever to do that.
2015 American Pharoah
Jockey – Victor Espinoza
Trainer – Bob Baffert
Not only did American Pharoah win the Triple Crown, but he became the first horse to win the Grand Slam of Thoroughbred racing. He won the Triple Crown and the Breeders Cup in the same year.
He was the first horse to win the Triple Crown in 37 years.
2018 Justify
Jockey – Mike Smith
Trainer – Bob Baffert
Both Justify and American Pharoah were descendants of War Admiral. They were also both trained by Bob Baffert – who became the second trainer in history to win two Triple Crown titles.