Horse racing is a brutal, heart-wrenching game. You’ve got these three-year-old athletes, basically teenagers in horse years, asked to do the impossible in a five-week sprint across three different states. It’s a gauntlet. Most horses break under the pressure. But then you have the icons. The list of triple crown winners by year is famously short—just 13 names deep. Honestly, in a sport that’s been around for over 150 years, having only 13 champions sweep the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont Stakes tells you everything you need to know about how hard this is.
People talk about the "Crown" like it’s this ancient, mystical thing, but it didn't even have a name when the first horse did it. It’s just raw talent meeting a very specific, punishing calendar.
The original legends: 1919 to 1948
Back in the early days, the schedule was a mess. Sometimes the races were only a few days apart. It's wild to think about now, considering modern trainers baby their horses with weeks of rest between starts.
Sir Barton (1919) was the accidental pioneer. He wasn't even supposed to win the Derby; he was entered as a "rabbit" to set the pace for his more famous stablemate. Instead, he just kept running. He won the Preakness only four days later. Think about that. Four days.
Then came the 1930s and 40s, the golden era. Gallant Fox (1930) was the horse that actually made the term "Triple Crown" famous. His son, Omaha (1935), followed suit a few years later. They are still the only father-son duo to ever pull it off.
The wartime giants
- War Admiral (1937): A son of Man o' War who hated the starting gate but loved the lead.
- Whirlaway (1941): Known as "Mr. Longtail," he had a habit of running toward the outside fence until his trainer fixed him with a one-eyed blinker.
- Count Fleet (1943): He won the Belmont by 25 lengths. Pure dominance during the height of WWII.
- Assault (1946): The "Club-Footed Comet" from Texas. He had a malformed hoof from stepping on a stake as a foal, yet he outran everyone.
- Citation (1948): The first horse to top $1 million in earnings. After him, the well went dry for 25 years.
The 70s superstars and the great drought
If you ask a casual fan to name a racehorse, they’re going to say Secretariat (1973). There’s a reason for that. His Belmont Stakes performance wasn't just a win; it was a demolition. He won by 31 lengths. He set track records in all three races that still stand today in 2026. You can’t overstate how much of a freak of nature "Big Red" was.
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Then we got Seattle Slew (1977), who was the first horse to sweep the series while remaining undefeated. A year later, Affirmed (1978) did it, but he had to fight for every inch. His rivalry with Alydar is the stuff of Hollywood. In all three races, Alydar was right there, finishing second by a combined margin of less than two lengths across the whole series.
And then? Nothing. For 37 years, we waited.
We saw greats like Silver Charm, Real Quiet, and California Chrome win the first two, only to have their hearts broken at the "Test of the Champion" in New York. People started saying we’d never see another one. They argued the breeding had changed—that horses were too fragile now.
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Modern Immortality: American Pharoah and Justify
The drought ended in 2015 with American Pharoah. I remember the noise at Belmont Park that day; it felt like the ground was shaking. He didn't just win; he glided. He was the Michael Jordan of horses—perfectly balanced and seemingly effortless.
Just three years later, Justify (2018) proved that lightning could strike twice in the same decade. He was a different beast entirely. While Pharoah was lean and elegant, Justify was pure power. He looked like a linebacker. He also broke the "Curse of Apollo," becoming the first horse since 1882 to win the Kentucky Derby without having raced as a two-year-old.
Triple crown winners by year: The full list
- 1919: Sir Barton
- 1930: Gallant Fox
- 1935: Omaha
- 1937: War Admiral
- 1941: Whirlaway
- 1943: Count Fleet
- 1946: Assault
- 1948: Citation
- 1973: Secretariat
- 1977: Seattle Slew
- 1978: Affirmed
- 2015: American Pharoah
- 2018: Justify
Why don't we see more winners?
It’s tempting to think that because we had two winners recently, the challenge has gotten easier. It hasn't. If anything, it's harder. Modern breeding focuses on speed over stamina. The Belmont Stakes is a mile and a half—a distance most of these horses will never run again in their lives.
Also, the "fresh horse" factor is real. In the Preakness and Belmont, the Derby winner often faces rivals who skipped the previous races and are sitting on weeks of rest. It’s like running a marathon while everyone else is doing a 10k and started halfway through.
What to look for in future champions
If you're watching the races this year and wondering if we'll see #14, look for three things. First, tactical speed. A horse has to be able to put themselves in the race early without burning out. Second, recovery. Does the horse look "washed out" after the Derby, or are they still bouncing? Lastly, pedigree. Look for names like A.P. Indy or Tapit in the bloodline—horses that actually have the "stamina genes" to handle the long stretch at Belmont.
The next winner is out there somewhere. Probably in a paddock in Kentucky right now, unaware that they’re about to carry the weight of an entire sport on their back.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Bettors
- Track the Speed Figures: Don't just look at wins. Look at Beyer Speed Figures or Thoro-Graph sheets to see if a horse is actually getting faster as the distances increase.
- Watch the Post-Race Gallop-Out: After the finish line of the Derby, see which horses keep running strongly. That’s usually your best clue for who can handle the Belmont distance.
- Respect the "New Shooters": In the Preakness and Belmont, always give extra weight to horses that didn't run in the previous leg; they have a massive physiological advantage.
The history of the Triple Crown isn't just about a list of dates. It's about the rare moments when a living creature transcends the limits of its own biology. Whether you're a hardcore bettor or just someone who tunes in for the hats and the mint juleps, these 13 horses represent the absolute peak of what is possible on four legs.