You’ve heard the name Secretariat. You probably know about Mickey Mantle. But honestly, if you sit down and look at the history of past triple crown winners, it’s a lot messier and more fascinating than the highlight reels suggest. It isn't just a list of names; it’s a collection of weird flukes, heartbreaking near-misses, and athletes—both human and equine—who basically defied physics.
Winning a Triple Crown is rare. Like, "winning the lottery while being struck by lightning" rare. In horse racing, it has happened only 13 times in over a century. In Major League Baseball, it’s happened just 15 times since 1901.
Why is it so hard? Because it requires being the best at everything simultaneously. You can’t just be fast; you have to be durable. You can’t just hit for power; you have to be a surgeon with the bat.
The Horses: 13 Legends and a Whole Lot of Mud
When people talk about horse racing's Triple Crown, they usually start with the 1970s. It was the golden era. But the very first horse to do it, Sir Barton in 1919, wasn't even supposed to be there. He was entered in the Kentucky Derby as a "rabbit"—a pacemaker meant to tire out the other horses so his more famous stablemate, Billy Kelly, could win.
Instead, Sir Barton just... kept going. He won the Derby, then the Preakness four days later (yeah, the schedule was that brutal back then), and finally the Belmont.
The funny thing? Nobody called it the "Triple Crown" yet. That term didn't really stick until Gallant Fox did the same sweep in 1930.
Secretariat and the 31-Length Ghost
If you watch the footage of the 1973 Belmont Stakes, it looks fake. Secretariat didn't just win; he erased the competition. He finished 31 lengths ahead of the next horse. That’s about 250 feet.
Most horses slow down during the Belmont because it’s a grueling 1.5 miles. Secretariat actually ran each quarter-mile segment faster than the one before it. It’s the kind of performance that makes you wonder if "Big Red" was even the same species as the other runners.
The Modern Drought and the Justify Controversy
After Affirmed won in 1978, the sport went into a 37-year coma. We saw 13 different horses win the first two legs and then collapse in the Belmont. It became a curse. When American Pharoah finally broke it in 2015, the roar at Belmont Park was loud enough to shake the grandstand.
Then came Justify in 2018.
He’s the only Triple Crown winner to never race as a two-year-old—basically a prodigy who showed up late and took over. But his legacy is sorta complicated. Years later, legal battles erupted over a failed drug test for scopolamine after a prep race. While he kept his Triple Crown title, it added a layer of "what if" that still bugs purists today.
Why Past Triple Crown Winners in Baseball Are a Dying Breed
In baseball, the Triple Crown means leading your league in batting average, home runs, and RBIs. It’s a statistical nightmare to achieve.
Think about it.
The guys who hit 50 home runs usually strike out a lot, which kills their batting average. The guys who hit .350 usually slap singles, which means they don't lead in homers. To win, you have to be Mickey Mantle in 1956 or Lou Gehrig in 1934—absolute monsters of efficiency.
The Miguel Cabrera Miracle
For 45 years, baseball fans thought the Triple Crown was dead. The game had changed too much. Specialization meant pitchers were harder to hit, and hitters were focusing more on "launch angle" than average.
Then 2012 happened.
Miguel Cabrera (Miggy) put up a .330 average, 44 home runs, and 139 RBIs. What people forget is how close he came to losing it on the final day. He had to fend off a young Mike Trout and a surging Curtis Granderson. It wasn't just a win; it was a survival story.
The Pitching Side of the Coin
We don't talk about the pitching Triple Crown enough. Leading in Wins, ERA, and Strikeouts. In 2024, we saw something truly bizarre: two guys did it in the same year. Tarik Skubal in the AL and Chris Sale in the NL.
Before that, you have to go back to guys like Sandy Koufax, who did it three times in the 60s. Koufax was basically the Secretariat of pitchers. He’d throw so hard his arm would turn black and blue from burst capillaries, but he’d still go out there and dominate.
The Triple Crowns You Didn't Know Existed
Golf and tennis have their own versions, but they’re rarely called that anymore.
✨ Don't miss: PNC Park Safety: What Really Happened When a Pirates Game Fan Falls From the Stands
In tennis, a "Triple Crown" is winning the singles, doubles, and mixed doubles at the same Grand Slam tournament. It’s exhausting. Billie Jean King did it at Wimbledon in 1973. Martina Navratilova did it at the US Open in 1987.
Can you imagine playing three high-stakes finals in the same weekend?
Honestly, it’s a miracle they could even walk afterward.
In golf, the "Triple Crown" usually refers to winning three of the four modern majors in a single year. Ben Hogan did it in 1953 (Masters, U.S. Open, and The Open). He couldn't play the fourth because the dates overlapped. Talk about bad luck. Tiger Woods pulled off a variation of this in 2000, which basically cemented him as the GOAT for that generation.
What This Means for Today's Fans
Looking at past triple crown winners teaches us that greatness is usually a combination of timing and toughness. You need the right competition, the right health, and a level of focus that most people can't maintain for a week, let alone a season.
If you want to truly appreciate these feats, stop looking at the trophies and start looking at the gaps.
- 37 years between horse racing winners (1978–2015).
- 45 years between MLB hitting winners (1967–2012).
- Zero fillies (female horses) have ever won the American Triple Crown.
Actionable Takeaways for Sports Junkies
- Watch the Belmont, not just the Derby: The first two races are about speed; the third is about heart. Most Triple Crown dreams die in the dirt at Elmont, New York.
- Value the "Slash Line": In baseball, don't just look at Home Runs. Check the Batting Average. If a guy is leading in both in August, cancel your plans for September.
- Context is King: A Triple Crown in 1920 isn't the same as one in 2024. The travel was harder then, but the specialization of athletes is much higher now.
Next time someone tells you the Triple Crown is "just another award," tell them about Sir Barton the rabbit or Secretariat’s 31 lengths. These aren't just stats. They’re the high-water marks of what’s actually possible in sports.
📖 Related: What Time Is The Indians Game: Why This Search Keeps Changing
Check the current MLB standings or the upcoming Derby odds. Look for the outliers—the guys who aren't just good at one thing, but are dominating the entire board. That’s where the next legend is hiding.