You've probably heard the term "Triple Crown" tossed around in baseball or even poker, but in the world of dirt and thundering hooves, it’s a different beast entirely. We’re talking about the horse race triple crown, that grueling three-race gauntlet that has humbled some of the greatest athletes to ever walk on four legs. Honestly, it’s a bit of a miracle that any horse finishes it at all.
Most people think it’s just about being the fastest horse. It isn’t. If speed were the only factor, we’d have a winner every other year instead of waiting decades for a horse like American Pharoah to show up. To sweep the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes, a three-year-old Thoroughbred has to possess a weird, almost impossible mix of raw power, psychological grit, and the ability to recover physically in a timeframe that would make a human marathoner weep.
What Actually Is the Horse Race Triple Crown?
Basically, the horse race triple crown consists of three specific races held over a five-week span in the spring.
- The Kentucky Derby: Run at Churchill Downs in Louisville. It’s 1 ¼ miles. They call it "The Run for the Roses," and for many colts, it's the first time they’ve ever run that far or in front of a crowd that loud.
- The Preakness Stakes: Two weeks later at Pimlico in Baltimore. It’s slightly shorter at 1 3/16 miles. It's often a "speed" race, but the short turnaround is what kills most dreams.
- The Belmont Stakes: Three weeks after the Preakness in Elmont, New York. This is the "Test of the Champion." At 1 ½ miles, it is a soul-crushing distance for a young horse.
The schedule is brutal. Just ask the connections of Sovereignty, the horse that won the 2025 Kentucky Derby. Despite a massive win at Churchill Downs, his team famously decided to skip the Preakness to focus on the Belmont (which he also won). By skipping the middle leg, he stayed fresh, but he effectively opted out of history. You can't be a legend if you don't show up for the middle fight. Because he skipped Baltimore, the 2025 season ended without a Triple Crown winner, leaving the total count at just 13 horses in over a century.
The 13 Immortals: A Reality Check on the Numbers
Thirteen. That is the total number of horses that have swept the series since Sir Barton first did it in 1919. Think about that. Thousands of horses are bred every year specifically for this, yet only 13 have ever stood in that winner's circle three times in one spring.
| Horse | Year | Trainer |
|---|---|---|
| Sir Barton | 1919 | H. Guy Bedwell |
| Gallant Fox | 1930 | Jim Fitzsimmons |
| Omaha | 1935 | Jim Fitzsimmons |
| War Admiral | 1937 | George Conway |
| Whirlaway | 1941 | Ben A. Jones |
| Count Fleet | 1943 | Don Cameron |
| Assault | 1946 | Max Hirsch |
| Citation | 1948 | Jimmy Jones |
| Secretariat | 1973 | Lucien Laurin |
| Seattle Slew | 1977 | William H. Turner Jr. |
| Affirmed | 1978 | Laz Barrera |
| American Pharoah | 2015 | Bob Baffert |
| Justify | 2018 | Bob Baffert |
It’s kinda wild to look at the gaps. We had a massive 37-year drought between Affirmed in 1978 and American Pharoah in 2015. People actually started arguing that the Triple Crown was impossible in the modern era. They said the breeding had changed too much—that we were breeding horses for "sprint speed" rather than the "stamina" needed for the 1 ½ mile Belmont. Then Pharoah happened, followed quickly by Justify in 2018, and everyone suddenly remembered why we watch.
✨ Don't miss: Top 5 Wide Receivers in NFL: What Most People Get Wrong
The Secretariat Factor
We have to talk about 1973. If you ever want to see what perfection looks like, go watch the tape of the 1973 Belmont Stakes. Secretariat didn't just win; he pulverized the field. He won by 31 lengths. Thirty-one! He set a world record for 1 ½ miles on dirt ($2:24$) that still stands today.
Most horses are slowing down at the end of the Belmont. Secretariat was actually accelerating. His heart was literally twice the size of an average horse's heart. He wasn't just a great horse; he was a biological anomaly. Every horse that has tried for the horse race triple crown since has lived in his shadow.
Why Is It So Hard to Win Today?
The challenge isn't just the distance. It’s the "new shooters."
In the Kentucky Derby, you might have 20 horses. The winner of that race then goes to the Preakness. But in the Preakness, they often face fresh horses who didn't run in the Derby. These "new shooters" have fresh legs and haven't been stressed by the travel and the 20-horse traffic jam in Louisville.
By the time the Belmont rolls around, the Triple Crown contender is tired. They’ve run two massive races in three weeks. Meanwhile, they are being chased by horses who have been resting for a month. It’s like trying to win a sprint against a guy who just got out of a nap while you’ve been running for two hours.
🔗 Read more: Tonya Johnson: The Real Story Behind Saquon Barkley's Mom and His NFL Journey
There's also the weirdness of the tracks. In 2024 and 2025, the Belmont Stakes wasn't even held at Belmont Park. Because of massive renovations, the race moved to Saratoga and was shortened to 1 ¼ miles. For purists, a "shortened" Belmont feels a bit like a "half-marathon" being called a marathon. But in 2026, things are getting even weirder. The Preakness is moving to Laurel Park while Pimlico gets a facelift. These shifting variables make it harder for trainers to find a rhythm.
The Bob Baffert Era and the Drug Scandals
You can’t talk about the modern horse race triple crown without mentioning Bob Baffert. He’s the only living trainer with two Triple Crowns (American Pharoah and Justify). But his legacy is... complicated, to say the least.
Justify, the 2018 winner, was an absolute freak of nature. He was the first horse since Apollo in 1882 to win the Derby without having raced as a two-year-old. He retired undefeated. But later, it came out that he had failed a drug test for scopolamine after the Santa Anita Derby. If he had been disqualified then, he never would have been allowed in the Kentucky Derby. The legal battles over that result lasted years. It casts a bit of a "yeah, but..." over his accomplishment for some fans.
Then you had the Medina Spirit situation in 2021. Baffert’s horse won the Derby, failed a test for betamethasone, was disqualified, and later tragically passed away. It led to Baffert being banned from Churchill Downs for years. It changed the vibe of the Triple Crown trail. Suddenly, the focus wasn't just on the horses; it was on the labs and the lawyers.
What to Watch for in 2026
As we head into the 2026 season, the "Road to the Kentucky Derby" is already heating up. We just saw the Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds, which is usually a massive indicator of who has the "bottom" (the endurance) to handle the Triple Crown distance.
💡 You might also like: Tom Brady Throwing Motion: What Most People Get Wrong
Keep an eye on Crown the Buckeye. He’s been dominant in state-level stakes and is looking like he might have the tactical speed to handle the traffic in Louisville. There’s also buzz around Brotherly Love, a half-brother to Heart of Honor, who just broke his maiden at Meydan. International horses are becoming a bigger factor every year.
If you're looking to follow the trail this year, here is what you need to do:
- Track the Points: The Kentucky Derby uses a points system. A horse can’t just "show up"; they have to earn their way in through prep races like the Florida Derby or the Santa Anita Derby.
- Watch the "Beyer Speed Figures": This is a number that tells you how fast a horse actually ran, adjusted for the track surface. If a horse isn't hitting over 100 on the Beyer scale, they probably aren't Triple Crown material.
- Look for the "Gallop Out": After the finish line, watch how long it takes the jockey to pull the horse up. If the horse keeps running strongly for another quarter-mile, it’s a huge sign they can handle the 1 ½ mile distance of the Belmont.
The horse race triple crown remains the ultimate test of a Thoroughbred. It’s 37 days of pure stress. One bad step, one closed hole in the stretch, or one bad batch of hay can ruin a million-dollar dream. But that’s why we watch. We’re waiting for the next Secretariat—the next horse that makes us forget about the betting windows and just marvel at what nature is capable of.
Start paying attention to the Grade 2 and Grade 3 stakes races in February and March. That’s where the next legend is usually hiding. Follow the "Road to the Derby" leaderboards on the official Kentucky Derby website to see which colts are racking up the necessary points to qualify for the first Saturday in May.