If you’ve ever found yourself staring at a TV screen in early May, watching a bunch of horses wearing flower blankets, you’ve probably heard the term. But honestly, most people get a little fuzzy on the details. You might know it’s three different races, but which ones? And why do they matter so much?
The Triple Crown isn't just a trophy. It’s a grueling, five-week sprint through horse racing history that has chewed up and spit out some of the greatest athletes—human and equine—to ever hit the dirt.
The Three Races That Make the Triple Crown
Basically, to win the Triple Crown, a three-year-old Thoroughbred has to win the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes. All in the same year. No exceptions.
If you miss one, you're out. If you win two but lose the third by a nose, you’re just another "could’ve been" in the history books.
1. The Kentucky Derby (The Run for the Roses)
This is the big one. It’s held on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. It’s often called "the most exciting two minutes in sports," mostly because that’s about how long it takes to run the 1 1/4-mile track.
In 2025, we saw a massive performance from a colt named Sovereignty, who took home a staggering $3.1 million from a total $5 million purse. The crowd was huge—around 147,406 people—even though the track was a muddy, sloppy mess.
2. The Preakness Stakes (The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans)
Two weeks after the Derby, the circus moves to Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. This race is slightly shorter at 1 3/16 miles.
Because it's shorter, it’s fast. Real fast. In 2025, Journalism—who had actually finished second in the Derby—came back to win this one. This win effectively "broke" the Triple Crown for the year since Sovereignty’s team decided to skip Baltimore to rest for the final leg.
3. The Belmont Stakes (The Test of the Champion)
The final jewel. Usually, this happens three weeks after the Preakness at Belmont Park in New York. However, things have been a bit weird lately. Because of massive renovations at Belmont Park, the 2024 and 2025 races were moved to Saratoga Race Course.
At Saratoga, the track is smaller, so the race was shortened to 1 1/4 miles instead of its legendary 1 1/2-mile "Test of the Champion" distance. In 2025, Sovereignty returned to win this one, beating Journalism in a rematch.
Why Is Winning All Three So Hard?
It’s the timing. It’s brutal.
Think about it. You’re asking a young horse—basically a teenager in human years—to run three elite-level races in five weeks. Most modern racehorses only run once every month or two. To pull this off, you need a horse that is durable, fast, and has a "mind" for the noise of 150,000 screaming fans.
Since 1919, only 13 horses have ever done it.
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| Winner | Year |
|---|---|
| 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 |
After Affirmed won in 1978, the world waited 37 years before American Pharoah finally broke the curse in 2015. People legit started thinking it was impossible.
The Money and the Glory
Winning the Triple Crown doesn't just get you a seat at the table with Secretariat. It gets you a lot of cash.
Beyond the individual purses (like the $5 million at the Derby), there’s the Triple Crown Trophy. It’s a three-sided silver trophy designed by Cartier in 1950. While the physical trophy is priceless to collectors—a version of it once sold for over **$250,000** at auction—the real money is in the breeding rights.
A Triple Crown winner's "stud fee" can skyrocket to $200,000 per "session." You do the math.
What to Watch for Next
If you’re looking to get into the sport, pay attention to the "Prep Races" in March and April. Races like the Florida Derby or the Santa Anita Derby are where the real contenders show their faces.
Also, keep an eye on the track conditions. As we saw with Sovereignty in 2025, a "sloppy" track changes everything. Some horses love the mud; others hate it.
For the upcoming 2026 season, keep these steps in mind:
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- Check the Calendar: Mark the first Saturday in May. That’s your starting line.
- Track the "Doubles": If a horse wins both the Derby and the Preakness, the sports world will lose its mind for the three weeks leading up to the Belmont.
- Watch for Saratoga News: Until Belmont Park finishes its billion-dollar makeover, the final leg remains at Saratoga, which favors different types of runners due to the shorter distance.
Horse racing is a game of inches and heart. Knowing the three races is just the beginning; watching a horse try to sweep them is where the magic really happens.