The Triple Crown is one of the toughest feats in horse racing. A three-year-old thoroughbred has to win three grueling races in just five weeks.
Only 13 horses have ever managed it since the Kentucky Derby started in 1875. Justify, in 2018, was the last to pull it off.
The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing is made up of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes. Each race asks something different of a horse.
The Kentucky Derby is 1.25 miles at Churchill Downs in Louisville. The Preakness Stakes is a bit shorter at 1.1875 miles, held at Pimlico in Baltimore.
The Belmont Stakes is the longest: 1.5 miles at Belmont Park in New York. It’s a brutal stretch, and the variety in distance is part of what makes the series so tricky.
Sir Barton was the first to win all three, back in 1919. Oddly enough, people didn’t really call it the “Triple Crown” until Gallant Fox did it in 1930.
There was a huge gap—37 years—between Affirmed’s win in 1978 and American Pharoah’s in 2015. That drought made Pharoah’s run feel extra special for racing fans.
Key Takeaways
- Only 13 horses have pulled off the Triple Crown in over 150 years of racing.
- The series means winning three races, all at different lengths, in just five weeks. That’s a real test of speed, stamina, and recovery.
- Bob Baffert is one of just two trainers to have trained multiple Triple Crown winners: American Pharoah and Justify.
Overview of the Triple Crown Series
The Triple Crown is three races, three tracks, five weeks—every spring. Only three-year-olds get a shot, and the distances are all a bit different.
Defining the Triple Crown
The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing is for three-year-old Thoroughbreds. The races: Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, Preakness Stakes at Pimlico, and Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park.
The Derby, called “The Run for the Roses,” started in 1875. Preakness began in 1873, and the Belmont is the oldest, going back to 1867.
People only started using “triple crown” regularly in 1930, even though some journalists used it a bit earlier.
To earn the Triple Crown, a horse has to win all three races in the same year. The official trophy didn’t exist until 1950, but winners from 1919 onward got it retroactively.
Structure and Timing of the Races
The Kentucky Derby is always the first Saturday in May, 1¼ miles at Churchill Downs. Two weeks later, the Preakness Stakes happens at Pimlico in Baltimore, running 1³⁄₁₆ miles.
The Belmont Stakes wraps it up three weeks after the Preakness, at 1½ miles. That’s the real test—long and tough.
This five-week schedule has been in place since 1969. All three are on dirt tracks.
The Derby allows up to 20 horses, Preakness 14, and Belmont 16. In 2026, renovations meant the Preakness ran at Laurel Park and the Belmont at Saratoga instead of their usual homes.
Eligibility and Entry Criteria
Every race is for three-year-old colts, fillies, and geldings. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds, fillies get 121.
No filly’s ever won the Triple Crown, though a handful have taken individual races. Geldings were banned from the Belmont from 1919 to 1957.
Thoroughbreds only—no other breeds allowed. Horses qualify via a points system or whatever criteria each race sets.
A Complete List of Triple Crown Winners
Just 13 horses have completed the Triple Crown in thoroughbred racing since the three races took their current form. These champions are spread out over more than a hundred years.
The most recent? That was 2018.
Chronological List of Champions
Sir Barton was the first, in 1919. The term “Triple Crown” only caught on in 1930, when Gallant Fox won.
Here’s the full list:
- 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)
- Justify (2018)
There was a 37-year gap between Affirmed and American Pharoah. That was the longest dry spell ever.
As of 2026, only American Pharoah and Justify are still alive.
Notable Records and Milestones
Secretariat still holds the record time for all three races. His 2:24 in the 1973 Belmont is still the world record.
Gallant Fox and Omaha are the only father-son pair to both win the Triple Crown. Both came from Belair Stud, so that’s a neat family stat.
Ten of the 13 winners were “homebreds,” meaning their owners also bred them. Calumet Farm bred both Whirlaway and Citation, tying Belair Stud for the most Triple Crowns by an owner.
Trainer and Jockey Achievements
Jim Fitzsimmons and Bob Baffert are the only trainers to have two Triple Crown winners each. Fitzsimmons did it in the ’30s with Gallant Fox and Omaha. Baffert did it with American Pharoah and Justify.
Eddie Arcaro is the only jockey to win the Triple Crown twice—Whirlaway in 1941 and Citation in 1948. Other names worth mentioning: Steve Cauthen (Affirmed), Victor Espinoza (American Pharoah), and Mike Smith (Justify).
Ben Jones trained Whirlaway, but his son Horace “Jimmy” Jones later took over with Citation. Jimmy helped out with Whirlaway before taking the reins with Citation.
Race-by-Race Breakdown of the Triple Crown
The Triple Crown is three separate races, each with its own quirks. First comes the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, then the Preakness at Pimlico, and finally the brutal Belmont Stakes.
Kentucky Derby: The Run for the Roses
The Kentucky Derby is always the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs, Louisville. It’s 1¼ miles—been that way since 1897, though it started longer.
They call it the “Run for the Roses” because the winner gets a big garland of them. The field’s capped at 20 horses.
Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds, fillies 121. The Derby’s the only Triple Crown race that’s never missed a year since it started.
Churchill Downs is its permanent home. Win here, and you’ve still got two more tough races to go for the Triple Crown.
Preakness Stakes: Tradition at Pimlico
The Preakness Stakes is two weeks after the Derby, at Pimlico in Baltimore. Started in 1873, it’s the shortest of the three at 1 3/16 miles.
Only 14 horses can run, and the weight rules are the same as the Derby.
Pimlico’s hosted it most years since 1873, except for a few gaps. The race skipped 1891-1893. In 2026, the Preakness moved to Laurel Park for a year because of renovations.
The Woodlawn Vase goes to the winner—it’s one of the fanciest trophies in sports. This middle race is a real gut check for any Triple Crown hopeful.
Belmont Stakes: The Test of the Champion
The Belmont Stakes is three weeks after the Preakness, at Belmont Park in New York. Started in 1867, it’s the oldest of the trio, though it skipped 1911 and 1912 due to anti-gambling laws.
It’s 1½ miles, the toughest distance of the three. That length’s been set since 1926, after some earlier changes.
Belmont Park has hosted it since 1905. In 2024, 2025, and 2026, the race shifted to Saratoga at 1¼ miles while Belmont Park was rebuilt.
The winner gets the August Belmont Trophy and, honestly, bragging rights for conquering the hardest leg of the Triple Crown.
Profiles of Famous Triple Crown Horses
Every one of the 13 Triple Crown winners brought something different to the table. Secretariat’s records are still untouched. American Pharoah and Justify brought the sport back to the spotlight after long, quiet stretches between champions.
Secretariat: The Record Breaker
Secretariat is still the most impressive Triple Crown winner in history. He won the Triple Crown in 1973 and set records in all three races—records that, honestly, look untouchable even now.
His Belmont Stakes performance? Legendary. He won by 31 lengths in a time of 2:24, a record that no horse has matched.
His Kentucky Derby time of 1:59 2/5 also remains unbeaten. The horse’s physical gifts were wild—his heart was estimated to weigh 22 pounds, almost three times the size of a normal horse’s.
That gave him extraordinary stamina and speed. It really set him apart from every other racehorse, then or now.
American Pharoah and Justify: Modern Champions
American Pharoah ended a 37-year drought in 2015. Jockey Victor Espinoza rode him to victory in all three races, bringing a jolt of excitement to horse racing after decades without a Triple Crown winner.
Justify came along just three years later, in 2018, with jockey Mike Smith. He became only the second horse to win the Triple Crown while undefeated.
His achievement was especially wild since he didn’t race as a two-year-old, which usually doesn’t happen for champions. Both horses showed that modern training, for all its quirks, can still produce something special.
Their victories brought new fans to the sport, especially among younger crowds. It’s hard not to get swept up in the hype when a true champion comes along.
Historic Legends: From Sir Barton to Affirmed
Sir Barton became the first Triple Crown winner in 1919, though the title wasn’t even official until 1950. Gallant Fox won in 1930, and his son Omaha took the crown in 1935, making them the only parent-child Triple Crown duo.
War Admiral won in 1937, but he’s probably most famous for losing to Seabiscuit in the 1938 Pimlico Special. The 1940s were busy: Whirlaway in 1941, Count Fleet in 1943, Assault in 1946, and Citation in 1948.
Then came a 25-year gap until Seattle Slew won in 1977. Affirmed captured the crown in 1978 with jockey Steve Cauthen, and his rivalry with Alydar created some of the most nail-biting finishes in racing history.
The Evolution and Cultural Impact of the Triple Crown
The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing didn’t start as a big, unified deal. It grew into America’s most prestigious horse racing achievement thanks to sports journalists and the sheer rarity of pulling it off.
This shift changed how breeders select bloodlines, how trainers prep their horses, and how fans see excellence in thoroughbred competition. It’s wild to think how much a handful of races can shape an entire industry.
Origins of the Triple Crown Term
These three races existed on their own for decades. The Belmont Stakes started in 1867, the Preakness in 1873, and the Kentucky Derby in 1875.
Sir Barton was the first horse to win all three in 1919, but nobody called it a Triple Crown yet. Journalists started using the term in the early 1920s, but it wasn’t until Gallant Fox swept the races in 1930 that Charles Hatton of the Daily Racing Form made it stick.
The five-week span between races, which makes the challenge so brutal, wasn’t set until 1969. Before that, the order and spacing bounced around—a little chaotic, honestly.
Significance in Thoroughbred Racing
Only 13 horses have won the Triple Crown since 1875. That’s one of the rarest feats in sports, period.
Each race puts the horses through something different. The Kentucky Derby is all about speed over 1¼ miles.
The Preakness comes just two weeks later at 1³⁄₁₆ miles, so recovery matters. The Belmont Stakes is the longest at 1½ miles—pure stamina.
Fillies like Genuine Risk and Winning Colors have won individual races, but no filly has ever swept all three. Geldings have tried too—California Chrome came close, but the Belmont tripped him up in 2014.
Influence on Breeding and Racing Traditions
Triple Crown winners command massive stud fees and their bloodlines stick around for generations. Secretariat’s descendants are still winning big races decades later.
Sovereignty, who won the 2025 Kentucky Derby, is descended from three past Triple Crown winners. That’s a pedigree that’ll make breeders drool.
Breeders focus on stamina, speed, and dirt-track ability when picking bloodlines. Ten out of 13 Triple Crown winners were homebreds, meaning their owners bred them too.
This trend pushed major breeding operations like Belair Stud and Calumet Farm to go all-in on producing Triple Crown-caliber horses. The chase for a Triple Crown winner still shapes training, racing schedules, and how three-year-olds are developed.
Recent Developments and the Modern Triple Crown
The Triple Crown scene has changed a lot lately. New winners are popping up, and there have been some big shifts in race venues and schedules.
Golden Tempo and Sovereignty: Notable Recent Derby Winners
Sovereignty made headlines in 2025 by winning the Kentucky Derby by a length and a half over Journalism. He’s got an impressive pedigree—descendant of three past Triple Crown winners.
His Derby win on May 3 got people buzzing about the possibility of another Triple Crown sweep. Golden Tempo was another notable Derby contender in 2026, though neither horse pulled off the full sweep.
They join a list of memorable Derby champs like Rich Strike, who shocked everyone with an 80-1 upset. Monarchos and Unbridled are in that club too—Derby winners who didn’t quite go all the way.
The gap between Triple Crown winners is still pretty big. Justify in 2018 is the last horse to pull it off.
Changes in Racing Schedules and Rules
The Triple Crown schedule got a shake-up starting in 2024. The Belmont Stakes ran at Saratoga Race Course at a shorter distance—1¼ miles—for three years because of construction at Belmont Park.
In 2026, both the Preakness and Belmont Stakes moved temporarily. The Preakness went from Pimlico to Laurel Park in Maryland, while the Belmont stayed at Saratoga.
Both races are supposed to return to their usual homes in 2027. These changes are the biggest since 2020, when the pandemic scrambled everything and the Belmont ran first at just 1⅛ miles.
Controversies and Challenges in the Modern Era
Bob Baffert is one of only two trainers to win the Triple Crown with more than one horse—he trained American Pharoah in 2015 and Justify in 2018. Eddie Arcaro is still the only jockey to ride two Triple Crown winners, guiding Whirlaway and Citation for Calumet Farm.
Owner Ahmed Zayat bred and owned American Pharoah, who finally ended that 37-year drought. The Triple Crown Trophy, commissioned in 1950, was given retroactively to all previous winners.
These days, most top horses don’t race much after the Triple Crown series. Fewer try for races like the Breeders’ Cup Classic, but prep races such as the Santa Anita Derby still help sort out the best contenders every spring.
Frequently Asked Questions
Only 13 horses have pulled off the Triple Crown in more than 150 years. The most recent was Justify in 2018, and he and American Pharoah are the only living winners right now.
How many Triple Crown winners are there as of 2026?
There have been 13 horses that won the Triple Crown as of 2026. That covers more than a century of racing, from the first winner in 1919 to the latest in 2018.
The rarity of this accomplishment says a lot about how tough it really is. These 13 winners stand out among thousands of horses that have tried.
Which horses have won the Triple Crown in U.S. Thoroughbred racing?
Here’s the full list of Triple Crown winners: 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).
Gallant Fox and Omaha are the only father-son pair to both win the Triple Crown. Ten of the 13 winners were homebreds, owned by their breeders at the time.
Who was the most recent horse to win the Triple Crown?
Justify won the Triple Crown in 2018, becoming the 13th horse to do it. Mike Smith rode him, and Bob Baffert was his trainer.
Justify was owned by a partnership that included China Horse Club, Head of Plains Partners, Starlight Racing, and WinStar Farm. He and American Pharoah are the only living Triple Crown winners.
How many horses have won the Triple Crown since Secretariat?
Since Secretariat’s 1973 win, four horses have pulled it off. Seattle Slew did it in 1977, then Affirmed in 1978.
After that, there was a 37-year drought. American Pharoah broke it in 2015, and Justify followed in 2018.
In what years was the Triple Crown won, and by which horses?
The Triple Crown was won in 13 different years between 1919 and 2018. The 1940s were busy, with three winners: Whirlaway (1941), Count Fleet (1943), and Assault (1946).
The longest gap was from 1978 to 2015—37 years without a winner. The 1970s had two: Secretariat in 1973 and Seattle Slew in 1977, then Affirmed in 1978.
What does a horse need to accomplish to be considered a Triple Crown winner?
A horse’s got to win all three races of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing in one season. That’s the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes.
The Kentucky Derby covers 1¼ miles. The Preakness is a bit shorter at 1 3/16 miles.
Then there’s the Belmont Stakes, which is the longest at 1½ miles. Only three-year-old Thoroughbreds can enter these races.
They usually run in May and early June. It’s a whirlwind for the horses and their teams—can you imagine the pressure?
