Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing

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The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (although sometimes shortened to Triple Crown, the full name is used to avoid possible confusion with other sports) consists of three races for three-year-old thoroughbred horses. Winning all three of these thoroughbred horse races is considered the greatest accomplishment of a thoroughbred racehorse. In recent years, the triple crown has become a very rare achievement, with most horses specialising on a limited range of distances.

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[edit] United Kingdom

In England, where the term Triple Crown originated with West Australian's three wins in 1853, it is made up of:

  1. the Two Thousand Guineas Stakes, run over one mile at Newmarket Racecourse in Newmarket, Suffolk;
  2. the Epsom Derby, run over one and a half miles at Epsom Downs Racecourse in Epsom, Surrey;
  3. the St. Leger Stakes, run over one mile, six furlongs and 132 yards at Town Moor in Doncaster, Yorkshire.

There is also a Fillies Triple crown for a filly winning the One Thousand Guineas Stakes, Epsom Oaks and St. Leger Stakes. The last winner of this was Oh So Sharp in 1985. In the past this was not considered a true triple crown as the best fillies would run in the Derby and Two Thousand Guineas. As this is no longer the case, the Fillies triple crown would now be considered comparable as the original.

In the 150 years that these races have been run, only 15 horses have ever won the English Triple Crown, including the great Nijinsky II in 1970. Nijinsky II was only the second winner of the English Triple Crown since the end of World War I. For many years, it was considered unlikely that any horse would ever win the English Triple Crown again. In the winter of 2006/2007, however, trainer Jim Bolger was training his unbeaten colt Teofilo for the Triple Crown[1]. and bookmaker William Hill plc was offering odds of only 12/1 against Teofilo winning the 2007 Triple Crown. However, the horse was withdrawn from the 2000 Guineas two days before the race after suffering a setback.

Since Nijinsky, only Nashwan in 1989 has won both the Guineas and the Derby, and in addition no Derby winner has even entered the St. Leger since Reference Point in 1987, although this is primarily due to the impact it would have on a horse's stud value, which would not be the case for a horse who had already won the Guineas.

Triple Crown Champions:

Year Winner Jockey Trainer Owner
1853 West Australian Frank Butler John Scott John Bowes
1865 Gladiateur Harry Grimshaw Tom Jennings, Sr. Frédéric de Lagrange
1866 Lord Lyon Harry Custance James Dover Richard Sutton
1886 Ormonde Fred Archer John Porter Duke of Westminster
1891 Common George Barrett John Porter Sir Frederick Johnstone
1893 Isinglass Tommy Loates James Jewitt Harry L. B. McCalmont
1897 Galtee More Charlie Wood Sam Darling John Gubbins
1899 Flying Fox Morny Cannon John Porter Duke of Westminster
1900 Diamond Jubilee Herbert Jones Richard Marsh Edward, Prince of Wales
1903 Rock Sand Danny Maher George Blackwell Sir James Miller
1915 Pommern Steve Donoghue Charles Peck Solly Joel
1917 Gay Crusader Steve Donoghue Alec Taylor, Jr. Alfred W. Cox
1918 Gainsborough Joseph Childs Alec Taylor, Jr. Lady James Douglas
1935 Bahram Freddie Fox Frank Butters HH Aga Khan III
1970 Nijinsky Lester Piggott Vincent O'Brien Charles W. Engelhard, Jr.

[edit] Ireland

In Ireland, the Triple Crown, modelled on the English equivalent, is made up of

  1. the Irish 2,000 Guineas;
  2. the Irish Derby; and
  3. the Irish St. Leger,

all run at the Curragh.

Only two horses have won all three races since the Irish Two Thousand Guineas was first run in 1921: Museum in 1935 and Windsor Slipper in 1942 (Williams & Hyland 1980). Desert King won the first two legs in 1997, but was perceived to have stamina limitations and not aimed at the St. Leger. Ironically, he went on to sire a great stayer in Makybe Diva, three times winner of the Melbourne Cup over two miles..

[edit] United States

In the United States, the Triple Crown consists of:

  1. the Kentucky Derby, at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky;
  2. the Preakness Stakes, at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland;
  3. the Belmont Stakes, at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.

The Triple Crown starts with the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday of May. The Preakness follows two weeks later. The Belmont Stakes is five weeks after the Kentucky Derby in early June. In the U.S., the term "Triple Crown" is the usual reference for these three horse races unless another sport is specified.

In 1930, Gallant Fox won all three important races, and sportswriter Charles Hatton brought the phrase "Triple Crown" into the American lexicon. In the more-than-125-year history of the U.S. events, only 11 horses have ever won the U.S. Triple Crown; none since 1978:

Year Winner Jockey Trainer Owner
1919 Sir Barton Johnny Loftus H. Guy Bedwell J. K. L. Ross
1930 Gallant Fox Earl Sande Jim Fitzsimmons Belair Stud
1935 Omaha Willie Saunders Jim Fitzsimmons Belair Stud
1937 War Admiral Charley Kurtsinger George Conway Samuel D. Riddle
1941 Whirlaway Eddie Arcaro Ben A. Jones Calumet Farm
1943 Count Fleet Johnny Longden G. Donald Cameron Fannie Hertz
1946 Assault Warren Mehrtens Max Hirsch King Ranch
1948 Citation Eddie Arcaro Horace A. Jones Calumet Farm
1973 Secretariat Ron Turcotte Lucien Laurin Meadow Stable
1977 Seattle Slew Jean Cruguet William H. Turner, Jr. Karen L. Taylor
1978 Affirmed Steve Cauthen Laz Barrera Harbor View Farm

As of 2007, the current drought of 29 years since Affirmed won in 1978, is the longest drought between Triple Crown winning horses. Since 1978, ten horses have won both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes. Of those, Real Quiet has come the closest to winning the Triple Crown, losing the Belmont Stakes by a nose in 1998. Charismatic led the Belmont in the final furlong in 1999 but broke his leg in the final stretch and fell back to third. Many horse-racing enthusiasts[who?] believe that had he not broken his leg, Charismatic would have won the Triple Crown. The three most recent to win the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness but lose the Belmont were War Emblem in 2002, Funny Cide in 2003, and Smarty Jones in 2004. War Emblem tripped at the start of the Belmont, Funny lost the Belmont in the slop to fresh horses, and Smarty lost by only a length. In addition, several horses have won two of the three races since the last Triple Crown win, most recently Afleet Alex in 2005, who lost the Kentucky Derby but won the Preakness and Belmont.

Only one horse, Alydar, has placed (second place) in all three races. He was defeated by Affirmed in all three races in 1978 by a combined margin of two lengths. In addition, Mane Minister finished 3rd in each race in 1991, and Hawkster finished 5th in each race in 1989.

One trainer, D. Wayne Lukas, has won the Triple Crown with two different horses, Thunder Gulch and Timber Country, winning the three races in 1995. While this is not declared a Triple Crown officially, it is unique as a trainer that he is the only trainer to win the three races in a calendar year with different horses.

2006 was the first time since 2000 that three different horses won the races: Barbaro won the Kentucky Derby (but then suffered an eventually fatal injury during the Preakness), Bernardini won the Preakness, and Jazil won the Belmont Stakes. It happened again in 2007, with Street Sense winning the Kentucky Derby, Curlin winning the Preakness and the filly Rags to Riches winning the Belmont. Rags to Riches is 2006 Belmont winner Jazil's half sister.

Also, as of May 21, 2005, the VISA Credit Card company officially withdrew its sponsorship of the U.S. Triple Crown, starting in 2006.[citation needed] It relieves VISA of paying the $5 million bonus to the owner of the horse that wins the Triple Crown. Triple Crown Productions is now sponsoring the races, as of 2006. The $5 million bonus remains intact.

Some believe VISA withdrew its sponsorship as a result of the New York Racing Association's decision to break with the other two tracks on a television contract. On October 4, 2004, NYRA announced the American Broadcasting Company and ESPN would hold television rights to the Belmont Stakes, breaking from Triple Crown Productions' deal with NBC Sports[citation needed]. NBC Sports holds the broadcasting rights to the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes until 2010. Triple Crown Productions was formed in 1986 with ABC; prior to that, the individual racing associations made their own deals with the TV networks (ABC and CBS).

There also is a Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing in the United States, open to 3-year old fillies.

External link:

[edit] Canada

Inaugurated in 1959, the "Triple Crown of Canadian Thoroughbred Racing" consists of:

  1. Queen's Plate - held at Woodbine Racetrack in June;
  2. Prince of Wales Stakes - held at Fort Erie Race Track in July;
  3. Breeders' Stakes - held at Woodbine in August.

Seven three-year-olds have won the Canadian Triple Crown:

[edit] Japan

Japan has two sets of races referred to as Triple Crowns.

Japanese Triple Crown

  1. the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas), at Nakayama Racecourse in Funabashi, Chiba
  2. the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby), at Tokyo Racecourse in Fuchu, Tokyo
  3. the Kikuka Sho (Japanese St.Leger), at Kyoto Racecourse in Kyoto, Kyoto

Only six horses have received the Japanese Triple Crown:

  • 1941 St Lite (Diolite - Flippancy, by Flamboyant)
  • 1964 Shinzan (Hindostan - Hayanobori, by Hayatake)
  • 1983 Mr. C.B. (Tosho Boy - C.B. Queen, by Topyo)
  • 1984 Symboli Rudolf (Partholon - Sweet Luna, by Speed Symboli)
  • 1994 Narita Brian (Brian's Time - Pacificus, by Northern Dancer)
  • 2005 Deep Impact (Sunday Silence - Wind in Her Hair, by Alzao)

Japanese Fillies' Triple Crown

  1. the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas), at Hanshin Racecourse in Takarazuka, Hyogo
  2. the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks), at Tokyo Racecourse in Fuchu, Tokyo
  3. the Shuka Sho (1996 -), at Kyoto Racecourse in Kyoto, Kyoto / the Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup (1976 - 1995)

Only two horses have received the Japanese Fillies' Triple Crown:

  • 1986 Mejiro Ramonu (Mogami - Mejiro Hiryu, by Never Beat)
  • 2003 Still in Love (Sunday Silence - Bradamante, by Roberto)

[edit] Hong Kong

The Triple Crown series at Hong Kong's Sha Tin Racecourse consists of three races at increasingly longer distances. They are:

  1. Hong Kong Steward's Cup at 1600 meters held in January
  2. Hong Kong Gold Cup at 2000 meters held in February
  3. Hong Kong Champions & Chater Cup at 2400 meters held in May

In 1994, River Verdon became the first, and to date, only horse to win the Hong Kong Triple Crown.

[edit] Chile

[edit] Uruguay

  • Gran Premio Polla de Potrillos
  • Gran Premio Jockey Club
  • Gran Premio Nacional

This combination of races received some publicity outside of Uruguay in 2006. The 2005 Triple Crown winner Invasor, after being sold to Sheik Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum's Shadwell Racing and sent to be raced in the United States, went on to win three Grade I races in 2006 before winning that year's Breeders' Cup Classic. He finished the year as the top-ranked horse in the 2006 World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings, and won the 2007 Dubai World Cup before being retired to stud following a training injury.

[edit] References

Williams, Guy St. John; Francis P. M. Hyland (1980). The Irish Derby 1866-1979. London and New York: J. A. Allen & Co Ltd.. ISBN 0-85131-358-2. 


The Triple Crown of Horse Racing
United States, Thoroughbred Horses: Kentucky Derby | Preakness Stakes | Belmont Stakes
United States, Harness Racing Pacers: Cane Pace | Messenger Stakes | Little Brown Jug
United States, Harness Racing Trotters: Hambletonian | Yonkers Trot | Kentucky Futurity
United Kingdom: Two Thousand Guineas Stakes | Derby Stakes (also known as Epsom Derby) | St. Leger Stakes
Canada, Thoroughbred Horses: Queen's Plate | Prince of Wales Stakes | Breeders' Stakes
See Also: Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing | Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Pacers | Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Trotters | Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing*
*Series is still under review for races. See page for details on race proposals.
de:Triple Crown (Pferderennen)

es:Triple Corona (hipismo) eo:Triobla Krono fr:Triple couronne (hippisme) ja:三冠 (競馬)

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