Triple Crown excitement is just around the corner.
Winning the Triple Crown is widely recognized as one of the most prestigious achievements in horse racing. Luck comes in threes at these three races featuring three-year-old thoroughbreds with only 13 all-time winners.
Kentucky Derby – Saturday May 4, 2024 (~6:45 pm ET): Held on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, the Kentucky Derby (Run for the Roses) is the first leg of the Triple Crown. It’s often referred to as “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports.” This year marks the 150th running of the $5 million race which is sure to have some extra pomp and circumstance for the occasion. This race is 1 ¼ miles in length.
Preakness Stakes – Saturday, May 18, 2024 (~5:00 pm ET): Two weeks after the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes takes place at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. Famous for its festive atmosphere, particularly the “InfieldFest” party, a multi-entertainment festival, this race is often referred to as the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown. In its 149th year, the purse for this 1 3/16-mile race is $1.5 million.
Belmont Stakes – Saturday, June 8, 2024 (~3:00 pm ET): The final leg of the Triple Crown is the Belmont Stakes, held three weeks after the Preakness at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Known as the “Test of the Champion” due to its challenging 1.5-mile distance, this is the longest of the three races. Bringing up the rear in its 156th year with $2 million at stake, the Belmont is the oldest and longest running Triple Crown event.
According to History.com, thirty horses have won the first two legs of the Triple Crown, but 19 of them failed to win the Belmont. The 13 Triple Crown winners include – 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).
Secretariat, also known as Big Red, still holds the record as the fastest Triple Crown winner for having finished each of the three races in record time and holding the world record for cumulative time. As depicted in the 2010 movie, he was owned by Penny Chenery Tweedy, trained by Lucien Laurin, and ridden by Ron Turcotte.
“The Master,” Eddie Arcaro is the only rider to have won the US Triple Crown twice, riding Whirlaway and Citation into the winner’s circle. An American Thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey, Arcaro won more American classic races than any other jockey in history.
No filly has ever won the Triple Crown although two have won the Belmont, three have won the Kentucky Derby, and five have won the Preakness.
Horse races are brief but incredibly exciting. Even if you aren’t donning a special hat, heading to the tracks, or placing your bets, it’s worth a few minutes to tune in and see how the 2024 field of 346 nominees shows up. Who knows, one of these horses might make history and become the 14th all time winner of the elusive Triple Crown.
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