Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States)

The three Triple Crown races had existed long before the series received its name: the Belmont Stakes was first run in 1867, the Preakness in 1873, and the Kentucky Derby in 1875.

On December 31, 1912, Johnson N. Camden Jr. proposed a Triple Crown of Kentucky races to be held at Lexington, Louisville, and Latonia,{{cite news| title= Trio of Thoroughbred Events to be called "Triple Crown" is proposed by Camden| url= https://www.newspapers.com/image/33351919| newspaper= The Cincinnati Enquirer| location= Cincinnati, Ohio| date= January 1, 1913| access-date= January 7, 2024| archive-date= January 7, 2024| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240107230248/https://www.newspapers.com/image/33351919| url-status= live}} then later a "Quadruple Stake" to include the Douglas Park racetrack.{{cite news| title= Camden Suggests Qudruple Stake| url= https://www.newspapers.com/image/682906599| newspaper= Lexington Herald-Leader| location= Lexington, Kentucky| date= January 20, 1913| access-date= January 7, 2024| archive-date= January 7, 2024| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240107230248/https://www.newspapers.com/image/682906599| url-status= live}} Neither of these appear to have materialized.

The term "triple crown" in reference to the current three races was in use at least by 1923, although Daily Racing Form writer Charles Hatton is commonly credited with originating the term in 1930.{{cite news |first=Bennett |last=Liebman |title=The Rail: The Race for the Triple Crown – Origins of Triple Crown |url=http://therail.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/24/origins-of-triple-crown/ |newspaper=The New York Times |location=New York, NY |date=April 24, 2008 |access-date=May 9, 2009 |archive-date=July 18, 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120718055256/http://therail.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/24/origins-of-triple-crown/ |url-status=live }}

The order in which the races are run has varied. From 1932 through 2019, the Kentucky Derby was run first, followed by the Preakness, and then the Belmont. Running the three races in a five-week span was instituted in 1969. The Preakness was run before the Kentucky Derby 11 times, most recently in 1931.{{cite news |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1994-05-18-1994138199-story.html |title=Spreading out Triple Crown will help set it apart |first=John |last=Steadman |website=The Baltimore Sun |date=May 18, 1994 |access-date=June 20, 2020 |archive-date=June 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200622211331/https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1994-05-18-1994138199-story.html |url-status=live }}{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/53788050/its-the-preakness-today-and-derby-is/ |title=It's the Preakness Today; And Derby is One Week Off |first=Jake |last=Wade |newspaper=The Charlotte Observer |page=18 |date=May 9, 1931 |access-date=June 20, 2020 |via=newspapers.com |archive-date=April 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404202541/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/53788050/its-the-preakness-today-and-derby-is/ |url-status=live }} The Kentucky Derby and Preakness have been run on the same day on two occasions: May 12, 1917, and May 13, 1922.{{cite web |url=https://www.pimlico.com/race-info/news/delayed-preakness-poised-make-history |title=Delayed Preakness Poised to Make History |first=Phil |last=Janack |website=pimlico.com |date=2020 |access-date=June 20, 2020 |archive-date=April 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405062025/https://www.pimlico.com/race-info/news/delayed-preakness-poised-make-history |url-status=live }}

Scheduling has occasionally been affected by global events. During World War II, the 1945 Kentucky Derby was moved from May 5 to June 9, with the Preakness and Belmont following on June 16 and 23, respectively.{{cite web |url=https://www.twinspires.com/blog/2020/03/19/1945-when-the-kentucky-derby-moved-from-may-to-june-by-vance-hanson |title=1945 – When the Kentucky Derby moved from May to June |first=Vance |last=Hanson |website=twinspires.com |date=March 19, 2020 |access-date=June 20, 2020 |archive-date=January 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210117185531/https://www.twinspires.com/blog/2020/03/19/1945-when-the-kentucky-derby-moved-from-may-to-june-by-vance-hanson |url-status=dead }} In 2020, the Triple Crown was altered from its usual sequence due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The adjusted schedule started with the Belmont Stakes on June 20, at the shortened distance of {{frac|1|1|8}} miles (9 furlongs). The Kentucky Derby ran on September 5, and finally the Preakness on October 3.{{cite web|url=https://apnews.com/54f9e577222d60fe7bce33280925125b|title=Belmont set for June 20 without fans, leads off Triple Crown|last=Whyno|first=Stephen|date=May 19, 2020|website=apnews.com|publisher=Associated Press|access-date=May 19, 2020|archive-date=April 5, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405160650/https://apnews.com/54f9e577222d60fe7bce33280925125b|url-status=live}} 2020 also marked the first time for the Belmont Stakes to be run as the opening leg of the Triple Crown.{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/chalk/story/_/id/29325102/what-know-ahead-unusual-belmont-stakes |title=What to know ahead of an unusual Belmont Stakes |first=Kieran |last=Darcy |website=ESPN.com |date=June 18, 2020 |access-date=June 20, 2020 |archive-date=April 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404195223/https://www.espn.com/chalk/story/_/id/29325102/what-know-ahead-unusual-belmont-stakes |url-status=live }}

File:Triple crown three sided Trophy.jpg]]

Each Triple Crown race is open to both colts and fillies. Although fillies have won each of the individual Triple Crown races, none has won the Triple Crown itself.{{cite news|last1=Beyer|first1=Andrew|title=Where Are the Fillies?|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/11/AR2007061102112.html|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=October 27, 2015|date=June 12, 2007|archive-date=June 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200629202408/https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/11/AR2007061102112.html|url-status=live}} Despite attempts to develop a "Filly Triple Crown" or a "Triple Tiara" for fillies only, no set series of three races has consistently remained in the public eye, and at least four different types of races have been used. Two fillies won the series of the Kentucky Oaks, the Pimlico Oaks (now the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes), and the Coaching Club American Oaks, in 1949 and 1952, but the racing press did not designate either accomplishment as a "Triple Crown". In 1961, the New York Racing Association created a filly Triple Crown of in-state races only, but the races changed over the years. Eight fillies won the NYRA Triple Tiara between 1968 and 1993.{{cite web|last1=Genaro|first1=Teresa|title=The Triple Tiara|url=http://helloracefans.com/races/triple-tiara/|website=Hello Race Fans|access-date=October 27, 2015|date=June 7, 2011|archive-date=June 8, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230608214208/https://helloracefans.com/races/triple-tiara/|url-status=live}}

Gelded colts may run in any of the three races today, but they were prohibited from entering the Belmont between 1919 and 1957. Geldings have won each of the individual races,{{cite web|last1=Drape|first1=Joe|title=Where No Gelding Has Gone Before|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/01/sports/horse-racing-where-no-gelding-has-gone-before.html|website=New York Times|access-date=October 27, 2015|date=June 1, 2003|archive-date=April 5, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405062007/https://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/01/sports/horse-racing-where-no-gelding-has-gone-before.html|url-status=live}}{{cite web|title=History: Horses|website=Belmont Stakes|url=http://www.belmontstakes.com/horses-historyrail.aspx|access-date=October 27, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151202063914/http://www.belmontstakes.com/horses-historyrail.aspx|archive-date=December 2, 2015}} but like fillies, no gelding has ever won the Triple Crown. The closest was Funny Cide, who won the Derby and the Preakness in 2003.{{cite web|last1=Kane|first1=Mike|title=10 things to know about the Triple Crown|url=http://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/horses/triple/2014/06/06/things-know-triple-crown/10103343/|website=Courier-Journal|access-date=October 27, 2015|date=June 6, 2014}}

Each of the races is held on a dirt track, rather than the turf surfaces commonly used for important races elsewhere in the world.

In 2024, the Belmont Stakes will be run at Saratoga Race Course at the shorter distance of {{frac|1|1|4}} miles due to the construction of a new grandstand and racing surface at Belmont Park.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/06/sports/horse-racing/belmont-stakes-2024-saratoga.html|title=Belmont Stakes Will Move to Saratoga for 2024|last=Mather|first=Victor|date=December 6, 2023|work=The New York Times|access-date=April 9, 2024|archive-date=April 9, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240409202027/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/06/sports/horse-racing/belmont-stakes-2024-saratoga.html|url-status=live}} The final leg of the Triple Crown is also expected to be moved to Saratoga in 2025.{{cite web|url=https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/news/2024/03/20/nyra-seeks-to-hold-2025-belmont-stakes-at-saratoga-race-course-|title=NYRA seeks to hold 2025 Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course|date=March 20, 2024|publisher=Spectrum News Albany/Capital Region|access-date=April 9, 2024|archive-date=April 9, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240409202028/https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/news/2024/03/20/nyra-seeks-to-hold-2025-belmont-stakes-at-saratoga-race-course-|url-status=live}} Meanwhile, the 2026 Preakness Stakes is expected to be run at Maryland's Laurel Park while Pimlico Race Course undergoes planned renovations.{{cite web|url=https://apnews.com/article/pimlico-horse-racing-track-preakness-0de1c9ca2f7e7e266fb45fc8bee1ed2d|title=Maryland lawmakers OK plan to rebuild Pimlico Race Course, home of the Preakness|last=Witte|first=Brian|date=April 8, 2024|publisher=Associated Press|access-date=April 9, 2024|archive-date=April 9, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240409202027/https://apnews.com/article/pimlico-horse-racing-track-preakness-0de1c9ca2f7e7e266fb45fc8bee1ed2d|url-status=live}}

File:1943 Kentucky Derby - Count Fleet victory.jpg

File:Assault, Eddie Arcaro up, 1946 Westchester Handicap.jpg

File:American Pharoah.jpg, the 12th winner, at the 2015 Preakness Stakes]]

At completion of the 2016 season, the three Triple Crown races have attracted 4,224 entrants. Of these, 292 horses have won a single leg of the Triple Crown, 52 horses have won two of the races (23 the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, 18 the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes, and 11 the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes), and 13 horses have won all three races. Pillory won both the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes in 1922, a year when it was impossible to win the Triple Crown because the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes were run on the same day.

10 of the 13 winners have been "homebreds", owned at the time of their win by their breeders.{{cite web|last1=Angst|first1=Frank|title=The Figs: American Pharoah's Triple Crown|url=http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/92522/the-figs-american-pharoahs-triple-crown|website=Blood-Horse|access-date=June 11, 2015|date=June 10, 2015|archive-date=June 11, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150611105542/http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/92522/the-figs-american-pharoahs-triple-crown|url-status=live}}

Jim Fitzsimmons and Bob Baffert are the only two trainers to have two horses win the Triple Crown, with Fitzsimmons training the sire/son combination of 1930 winner Gallant Fox and 1935 winner Omaha and Baffert training 2015 winner American Pharoah and 2018 winner Justify. The wins by Fitzsimmons were also the first time that an owner and the first time that a breeder, Belair Stud holding both duties, had a repeat win of the Triple Crown. Calumet Farm is the only other owner with two Triple Crown horses, 1941 winner Whirlaway and 1948 winner Citation. Eddie Arcaro is the only jockey to ride two horses to the Triple Crown, both for Calumet: Whirlaway and Citation. Those two horses' trainers, Ben Jones and Jimmy Jones, were father and son.

All 13 horses were foaled in the United States. Most owners, trainers, and jockeys were American-born, though there were a number of exceptions: jockey Johnny Longden was born in England and raised in Canada; Ron Turcotte was Canadian. French-born jockey Jean Cruguet; and jockey Victor Espinoza, from Mexico. Jockey Willie Saunders is considered a Canadian jockey because he spent part of his childhood there, but was born in Montana. Laz Barrera, trainer of Affirmed, was from Cuba; Secretariat's trainer, Lucien Laurin was Canadian. Owner Fannie Hertz was married to John D. Hertz, who was born in Slovakia; owner Ahmed Zayat was born in Egypt. The horse Sir Barton was foaled in the United States but had a Canadian owner, J. K. L. Ross, at the time of his Triple Crown win. Justify's large ownership group included individuals from both the United States and China.

Secretariat holds the stakes record for each of the Triple Crown races, the Kentucky Derby (1:59 2/5 ) the Preakness Stakes (1:53), and the Belmont Stakes (2:24).{{cite web|url=http://www.shamracehorse.com/Announcements.html|title=Sham: In the Shadow of a Superhorse|publisher=California Thoroughbred|access-date=May 24, 2012|archive-date=May 7, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120507235704/http://www.shamracehorse.com/Announcements.html|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://www.drf.com/news/secretariat-awarded-preakness-record-153-after-review|title=Secretariat awarded Preakness record at 1:53 after review|author=Hegarty, Matt|date=June 19, 2012|publisher=Daily Racing Form|access-date=June 19, 2012|archive-date=March 24, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160324033138/http://www.drf.com/news/secretariat-awarded-preakness-record-153-after-review|url-status=live}}

At 18, Steve Cauthen became the youngest jockey to win the Triple Crown, riding Affirmed in 1978. At 52, Mike Smith became the oldest jockey to win the Triple Crown, riding Justify in 2018.

Only one horse, Alydar, placed (finished second) in all three races. He was defeated each time by Affirmed in 1978 by a combined margin of two lengths. His trainer John Veitch is the only trainer to have done this with one horse. In 1995, D. Wayne Lukas became the first and only major figure (owner, jockey, or trainer) to win all three Triple Crown races with different horses, Thunder Gulch in the Derby and Belmont, Timber Country in the Preakness. Lukas also is the only trainer to have won six consecutive Triple Crown races, adding his 1995 wins, having won the 1994 Preakness and Belmont with Tabasco Cat and the 1996 Derby with Grindstone.{{cite web|last1=Christine|first1=Bill|title=10 most unbreakable records (10–6)|url=http://www.drf.com/news/10-most-unbreakable-records-10-6|website=Daily Racing Form|access-date=June 11, 2015|date=December 29, 2011|archive-date=June 13, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150613195130/http://www.drf.com/news/10-most-unbreakable-records-10-6|url-status=live}}

Like Veitch, only with two different horses, Bob Baffert also had second-place finishes in all three legs of the Triple Crown, both owned by Ahmed Zayat: in 2012, Bodemeister finished second in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness stakes to I'll Have Another, then Paynter was entered and finished second to Union Rags.{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/horse-racing/triplecrown2012/story/_/id/7894768/2012-kentucky-derby-another-rallies-win-churchill-downs|title=2012 Kentucky Derby – I'll Have Another rallies to win at Churchill Downs – ESPN|work=ESPN.com|date=May 5, 2012|access-date=October 3, 2014|archive-date=October 6, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006120622/http://espn.go.com/horse-racing/triplecrown2012/story/_/id/7894768/2012-kentucky-derby-another-rallies-win-churchill-downs|url-status=live}} Baffert and Zayat teamed up again for the 2015 Triple Crown victory of American Pharoah.

Gallant Fox is the only Triple Crown winner to sire another U.S. Triple Crown winner, Omaha. Affirmed sired Peteski, winner of the 1993 Canadian Triple Crown.{{cite web |url=http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/3556/canadian-triple-crown-winner-peteski-dies-from-colic |title=Canadian Triple Crown Winner Peteski Dies from Colic |date=April 8, 2001 |work=BloodHorse.com |access-date=August 11, 2010 |archive-date=May 22, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120522024359/http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/3556/canadian-triple-crown-winner-peteski-dies-from-colic |url-status=live }}

Jockey Julie Krone became the first (and currently only[von Hippel, Paul T.; Rutherford, Caroline G.; Keyes, Katherine M. (2017). "Gender and Weight among Thoroughbred Jockeys: Underrepresented Women and Underweight Men". Socius: Sociological Research for a Dynamic World. 3: 237802311771259. doi:10.1177/2378023117712599]) woman to win a Triple Crown race when she won the 1993 Belmont Stakes aboard Colonial Affair.

Whirlaway, in addition to winning the 1941 Triple Crown, also won the Travers Stakes that year, the first and only horse to date to accomplish that feat. American Pharoah, in addition to winning the 2015 Triple Crown, also won the Breeders' Cup Classic that year. As the Breeders' Cup was not established until 1984, American Pharoah was the first (and currently only) horse to sweep those four races, a feat now known as the Grand Slam.{{Cite web |last=Ehalt |first=Bob |url=http://espn.go.com/horse-racing/blog/_/name/ehalt_bob/id/13033587/american-pharoah-ushers-grand-slam-era |title=Pharoah ushers in Grand Slam era |date=June 7, 2015 |website=ESPN.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150611054714/http://espn.go.com/horse-racing/blog/_/name/ehalt_bob/id/13033587/american-pharoah-ushers-grand-slam-era |archive-date=June 11, 2015 |access-date=January 30, 2024 |url-status=dead}}{{cite web |url=http://www.breederscup.com/contender/119/american-pharoah |title=American Pharoah |website=breederscup.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160513055135/http://www.breederscup.com:80/contender/119/american-pharoah |archive-date=May 13, 2016 |access-date=January 30, 2024 |url-status=dead}}

Arcangelo won the 2023 Belmont Stakes, making Jena Antonucci the first female trainer to win a Triple Crown race.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/10/sports/arcangelo-belmont-stakes-2023.html|title=Arcangelo's Belmont Victory Makes Trainer First Woman to Win a Triple Crown Race|last=Drape|first=Joe|date=June 10, 2023|work=The New York Times|access-date=June 10, 2023|archive-date=June 11, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230611021147/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/10/sports/arcangelo-belmont-stakes-2023.html|url-status=live}}

File:Triple Crown Winners in 2012.jpg

After the first Triple Crown winner, Sir Barton, in 1919, there was not another winner until Gallant Fox in 1930, a gap of 11 years. Between 1930 and 1948, seven horses won the Triple Crown, with five years being the longest gap between winners. However, following the 1948 win of Citation, there was a considerable gap of 25 years before Secretariat ended the drought of Triple Crown champions in 1973. Between 1973 and 1978, there were three Triple Crown winners.

After Affirmed's Triple Crown in 1978, the longest drought in Triple Crown history began in 1979 with Spectacular Bid's failed Triple Crown attempt when he finished third in the Belmont. It lasted until American Pharoah won in 2015, a gap of 37 years.

Between 1979 and 2014, thirteen horses won both the Derby and Preakness, but not the Belmont. Of those, Real Quiet came the closest, losing the Belmont Stakes by a nose in 1998. Another dramatic near-miss was Charismatic, who led the Belmont Stakes in the final furlong in 1999, but fractured his left front leg in the final stretch and fell back to third. Five other horses lost the Kentucky Derby but won the Preakness and the Belmont, and three won the Derby and the Belmont, but not the Preakness.File:Belmont Stakes 2014 start detail.pngThe 37-year gap between the Triple Crown wins of Affirmed and American Pharoah drew criticism of the system. As far back as 1986, reporters noted that horses who were fresh for the Belmont had an advantage.{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=892&dat=19860605&id=TwVTAAAAIBAJ&pg=5221,1235804|title=The Courier – Google News Archive Search|access-date=October 3, 2014|archive-date=April 4, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404143910/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=892&dat=19860605&id=TwVTAAAAIBAJ&pg=5221,1235804|url-status=live}} In 2003, Gary Stevens stated in an interview with Charlie Rose that he did not believe there would be another Triple Crown winner because of the tendency for owners to put fresh horses in the Preakness and Belmont Stakes.{{cite web|author=Charlie Rose|title=A rebroadcast of a discussion about the film Seabiscuit|url=http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/1878|publisher=Charlie Rose|date=July 21, 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120913070423/http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/1878|archive-date=September 13, 2012}} California Chrome co-owner Steve Coburn was particularly critical of the Triple Crown system in post-Belmont remarks in 2014; he considered the system to be unfair, arguing that there would never be another Triple Crown winner in his lifetime unless only horses that competed in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness competed at the Belmont. By 2014, six of the previous eight Belmont winners had not competed in either of the first two legs of the Triple Crown.{{cite web|title=Brennan: Cherry-pick races and Triple Crown extinct|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/columnist/brennan/2014/06/07/christine-brennan-column-triple-crown-california-chrome-belmont-stakes/10172009/|website=USA Today|access-date=June 8, 2014|archive-date=June 8, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140608000352/http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/columnist/brennan/2014/06/07/christine-brennan-column-triple-crown-california-chrome-belmont-stakes/10172009/|url-status=live}} Additionally, from 2006 to 2014, the Belmont winner was a horse who had not competed in the Preakness.{{cite web|url=http://www.newsday.com/sports/horseracing/betting-against-california-chrome-fresh-horses-typically-win-belmont-stakes-1.8296644|title=Betting against California Chrome? Fresh horses typically win Belmont Stakes|work=Newsday|access-date=October 3, 2014|archive-date=October 6, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006092555/http://www.newsday.com/sports/horseracing/betting-against-california-chrome-fresh-horses-typically-win-belmont-stakes-1.8296644|url-status=live}}{{cite web|author1=ESPN News Service|title=American Pharoah claims first Triple Crown since 1978|url=https://www.espn.com/horse-racing/story/_/id/13025872/american-pharoah-wins-belmont-stakes-claims-triple-crown|website=ESPN|access-date=June 6, 2015|date=June 6, 2015|archive-date=March 27, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160327001517/http://espn.go.com/horse-racing/story/_/id/13025872/american-pharoah-wins-belmont-stakes-claims-triple-crown|url-status=live}}

File:Big Brown Belmont.jpg, the winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, at the 2008 Belmont Stakes, where he was pulled up and did not finish.]]

Since all three events were inaugurated, as of 2023, 23 horses have won the Derby and Preakness but not the Belmont (ten of which placed):

• 1932: Burgoo King did not enter the Belmont due to lameness.{{cite book|last1=Drape|first1=Joe|title=To the swift : classic Triple Crown horses and their race for glory|date=2008|publisher=St. Martin's Press|location=New York|isbn=9780312357955|edition=1st}}^{:78, 182}
• 1936: Bold Venture did not enter the Belmont due to lameness.^{:78, 182}
• 1944: Pensive was the first horse to contest but lose the Belmont after winning the first two legs. He placed second to Bounding Home,^:78 who had neither run in the Derby nor the Preakness.
• 1958: Tim Tam, defeated by six lengths by Cavan, who had neither contested the Derby nor Preakness.{{cite web|last1=Christine|first1=Bill|title=The Spoilers: Last Jewel of Triple Crown Has Been Stolen 11 Times—Will Sunday Silence Be Next Victim of an Upset?|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-06-04-sp-2755-story.html|website=Los Angeles Times|access-date=June 2, 2015|date=June 4, 1989|archive-date=March 7, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307181954/http://articles.latimes.com/1989-06-04/sports/sp-2755_1_belmont-history-12th-triple-crown-stage-door-johnny|url-status=live}}
• 1961: Carry Back, "sore" after the race, was seventh of nine entries, {{frac|14|1|2}} lengths behind the winner, a longshot named Sherluck.
• 1964: Northern Dancer, defeated by Quadrangle.
• 1966: Kauai King, defeated by Amberoid.
• 1968: Forward Pass, defeated by Stage Door Johnny by {{frac|1|1|4}} lengths.
• 1969: Majestic Prince, second by {{frac|5|1|2}} lengths to Arts and Letters. Loss attributed to fatigue and lameness.{{cite web|last1=Drager|first1=Marvin|title=Majestic Prince|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/358926/Majestic-Prince|website=Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date=June 2, 2015|archive-date=June 3, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150603131107/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/358926/Majestic-Prince|url-status=live}}
• 1971: Cañonero II, fourth in the Belmont to 34–1 longshot Pass Catcher, the loss attributed to a hoof problem.{{cite web|last1=Glauber|first1=Bill|title=Canonero II came close to Triple Crowning glory|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1991/05/19/canonero-ii-came-close-to-triple-crowning-glory/|website=Baltimore Sun|access-date=June 2, 2015|date=May 19, 1991|archive-date=June 7, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150607081316/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1991-05-19/sports/1991139137_1_canonero-ii-kentucky-derby-horse-won|url-status=live}}
• 1979: Spectacular Bid, third in Belmont, was alleged to have stepped on a safety pin the morning of the race, though another theory blamed rider error by an inexperienced young jockey moving him too soon.{{cite web|author1=Staff|title=American Pharoah Eyes Triple Crown Sweep|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/02/sports/belmont-stakes-2015-american-pharoah-eyes-triple-crown-sweep.html|website=The New York Times|access-date=June 3, 2015|date=June 1, 2015|archive-date=June 4, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150604013222/http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/02/sports/belmont-stakes-2015-american-pharoah-eyes-triple-crown-sweep.html|url-status=live}} He finished {{frac|3|1|4}} lengths behind Coastal and a neck behind the second-place horse, Golden Act.{{cite web|last1=Oakford|first1=Glenye Cain|title=Spectacular Bid, 27, dead|url=http://www.drf.com/news/spectacular-bid-27-dead|website=Daily Racing Form|access-date=June 2, 2015|date=September 17, 2011|archive-date=August 25, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150825201826/http://www.drf.com/news/spectacular-bid-27-dead|url-status=live}}
• 1981: Pleasant Colony, third in Belmont, {{frac|1|1|2}} lengths behind Summing and the second-place horse, Highland Blade.{{cite web|last1=Hovdey|first1=Jay|title=Triple Crown near-misses: Pleasant Colony, 1981|url=http://www.drf.com/news/triple-crown-near-misses-pleasant-colony-1981|website=Daily Racing Form|access-date=June 2, 2015|date=May 31, 2012|archive-date=October 4, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151004080853/http://www.drf.com/news/triple-crown-near-misses-pleasant-colony-1981|url-status=live}}
• 1987: Alysheba finished fourth in Belmont behind Bet Twice, Cryptoclearance, and Gulch.{{cite web|last1=Finn|first1=Robin|title=BELMONT STAKES; On Bumpy Road to Crown, Alysheba Is Left Behind|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/06/07/sports/belmont-stakes-on-bumpy-road-to-crown-alysheba-is-left-behind.html|website=The New York Times|access-date=June 3, 2015|date=June 7, 1987|archive-date=May 24, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524205318/http://www.nytimes.com/1987/06/07/sports/belmont-stakes-on-bumpy-road-to-crown-alysheba-is-left-behind.html|url-status=live}}
• 1989: Sunday Silence, second in Belmont, eight lengths behind Easy Goer.
• 1997: Silver Charm, second in Belmont, {{frac|3|4}} length behind Touch Gold.{{cite web|last1=Durso|first1=Joseph|title=Touch Gold Sneaks In to Steal Silver Charm's Crown|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/06/08/sports/touch-gold-sneaks-in-to-steal-silver-charm-s-crown.html|website=The New York Times|access-date=June 3, 2015|date=June 8, 1997|archive-date=May 27, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150527060146/http://www.nytimes.com/1997/06/08/sports/touch-gold-sneaks-in-to-steal-silver-charm-s-crown.html|url-status=live}}
• 1998: Real Quiet, second in Belmont after a photo finish, a nose behind Victory Gallop.{{cite web|last1=Durso|first1=Joseph|title=THE 130TH BELMONT STAKES; Victory Gallop's Charge Keeps Real Quiet Short of Posterity|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/06/07/sports/130th-belmont-stakes-victory-gallop-s-charge-keeps-real-quiet-short-posterity.html|website=The New York Times|access-date=June 3, 2015|date=June 7, 1998|archive-date=November 22, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181122024419/https://www.nytimes.com/1998/06/07/sports/130th-belmont-stakes-victory-gallop-s-charge-keeps-real-quiet-short-posterity.html|url-status=live}}
• 1999: Charismatic, third in Belmont, {{frac|1|1|2}} lengths behind Lemon Drop Kid and second-place Vision and Verse. Charismatic was pulled up soon after the finish, vanned off with a bone fracture. He survived and was retired to stud.{{cite news|last1=Durso|first1=Joseph|title=HORSE RACING; Charismatic's Bid Ends in Injury and Defeat|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/06/06/sports/horse-racing-charismatic-s-bid-ends-in-injury-and-defeat.html|website=The New York Times|date=June 6, 1999|access-date=June 2, 2015|archive-date=May 27, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150527095556/http://www.nytimes.com/1999/06/06/sports/horse-racing-charismatic-s-bid-ends-in-injury-and-defeat.html|url-status=live}}
• 2002: War Emblem stumbled at the gate in Belmont and finished eighth out of 11. Winner Sarava scored an upset at record odds of 70–1.{{cite web|last1=Drape|first1=Joe|title=Early Stumble Dooms War Emblem's Triple Crown Bid|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/09/sports/horse-racing-early-stumble-dooms-war-emblem-s-triple-crown-bid.html|website=The New York Times|access-date=June 3, 2015|date=June 9, 2002|archive-date=June 8, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150608084107/http://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/09/sports/horse-racing-early-stumble-dooms-war-emblem-s-triple-crown-bid.html|url-status=live}}
• 2003: Funny Cide, third in Belmont, five lengths behind Empire Maker, and {{frac|4|1|4}} lengths behind second-place horse, Ten Most Wanted.{{cite web|last1=Drape|first1=Joe|title=Empire Maker Ends Funny Cide's Triple Crown Bid|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/08/sports/othersports/08RACI.html|website=The New York Times|date=June 8, 2003|access-date=June 2, 2015|archive-date=April 27, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240427082136/https://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/08/sports/horse-racing-empire-maker-charges-past-funny-cide.html|url-status=live}}
• 2004: Smarty Jones, second in Belmont, one length behind Birdstone.{{cite web|last1=Drape|first1=Joe|title=At Smarty Jones's Coronation, Birdstone Makes Off With the Crown|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/06/sports/horse-racing-at-smarty-jones-s-coronation-birdstone-makes-off-with-the-crown.html|website=The New York Times|access-date=June 3, 2015|date=June 6, 2004|archive-date=May 28, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150528022639/http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/06/sports/horse-racing-at-smarty-jones-s-coronation-birdstone-makes-off-with-the-crown.html|url-status=live}}
• 2008: Big Brown was pulled up in the home stretch of the Belmont, eased to a last-place finish. The winner was Da' Tara. A hoof problem had limited Big Brown's training and may have been a factor in his defeat.{{cite news|last1=Beyer|first1=Andrew|title=The Story Behind Big Brown's Bad Belmont May Never Be Known|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/10/AR2008061003041.html|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=June 2, 2015|date=June 11, 2008|archive-date=June 7, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150607035948/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/10/AR2008061003041.html|url-status=live}}
• 2012: I'll Have Another was scratched from the Belmont the day before the race due to a tendon injury.
• 2014: California Chrome finished in a dead heat for 4th in the Belmont. Another horse stepped on him leaving the gate, and he ran the race with an injury to his heel and a scrape on his tendon.{{cite web|url=http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/85585/chrome-co-owner-has-no-regrets-for-comments|title='Chrome' Co-Owner Has No Regrets for Comments|author=Claire Novak|date=June 8, 2014|work=BloodHorse.com|access-date=October 3, 2014|archive-date=October 8, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141008191232/http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/85585/chrome-co-owner-has-no-regrets-for-comments|url-status=live}}

Another 30 horses have won the Belmont after winning only one of the first two legs.

The first live national television broadcast of a Triple Crown race occurred with the 1947 Belmont Stakes on CBS.{{cite news|date= May 31, 1947|title= Television Programs Saturday|url= https://www.newspapers.com/image/710720914/|work= Newsday|location= Melville, New York|access-date= January 7, 2024|archive-date= January 7, 2024|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240107220021/https://www.newspapers.com/image/710720914/|url-status= live}} The following year, the Preakness Stakes was broadcast live and the Kentucky Derby was filmed to be broadcast the following day.{{cite news|date= February 6, 1948|title= Derby, Preakness, Belmont Stakes To Be Televised|page= 23|url= https://www.newspapers.com/image/480343025/|location= Camden, New Jersey|access-date= January 7, 2024|archive-date= January 7, 2024|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240107220020/https://www.newspapers.com/image/480343025/|url-status= live}}

Originally, the three races largely organized their own nominations procedure, marketing and television broadcast rights. In 1985, Triple Crown Productions was created when the owner of Spend a Buck chose not to run in the other two Triple Crown races because of a financial incentive offered to any Kentucky Derby winner who could win a set of competing races in New Jersey. The organizers of the three races realized that they needed to work together.{{cite web|last1=Paulick|first1=Ray|title=Selling Triple Crown As A Package Deal|url=http://www.paulickreport.com/news/ray-s-paddock/selling-triple-crown-as-a-package-deal/|website=Paulick Report|access-date=June 13, 2015|date=November 17, 2010|archive-date=June 16, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150616005234/http://www.paulickreport.com/news/ray-s-paddock/selling-triple-crown-as-a-package-deal/|url-status=live}}

Efforts to unify the sponsorship and marketing of all three Triple Crown races began in 1987 when ABC Sports negotiated a deal with Chrysler to pay $5 million to any horse that swept all three races, and $1 million each year there was no Triple Crown sweep to the horse with the highest combined Triple Crown finish.{{cite news|title=Chrysler to Sponsor Triple Crown Challenge|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1356&dat=19870924&id=CsBPAAAAIBAJ&pg=2716,3652509&hl=en|access-date=May 19, 2015|work=Ocala Star-Banner|agency=Associated Press|date=September 24, 1987|archive-date=October 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019184859/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1356&dat=19870924&id=CsBPAAAAIBAJ&pg=2716,3652509&hl=en|url-status=live}} This sponsorship lasted until 1993. The end of the $1 million participation bonus was linked to the breakdown of Prairie Bayou at the Belmont Stakes that year and the uncomfortable situation that arose when the Kentucky Derby winner, Sea Hero, was given the bonus following a seventh-place finish.

In 1995, Visa took over the sponsorship with a 10-year contract, naming the series the Visa Triple Crown and offering only the $5 million bonus to a horse that could sweep the Triple Crown.{{cite web|author1=Staff|url=http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/27918/visa-to-end-triple-crown-challenge-sponsorship|title=VIsa to End Triple Crown Challenge Sponsorship|website=Blood-Horse|access-date=May 19, 2015|date=May 2, 2005|archive-date=May 29, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150529213946/http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/27918/visa-to-end-triple-crown-challenge-sponsorship|url-status=live}} Along with sponsorship by Visa, NBC Sports paid $51.5 million for broadcast rights to all three races, with the revenue split giving 50% of the total to Churchill Downs and 25% each to Pimlico and to the New York Racing Association (NYRA).

The Visa deal—and the cooperative effort—ended after 2005. The NYRA felt that they did not get a fair share of the revenue, particularly when the Belmont had the highest ratings of all three races in the years where a Triple Crown was on the line. From 2001 through 2013, average viewership for the Belmont was 7 million when the Triple Crown was not at stake, whereas viewership averaged 13 million when it was.{{efn|These were 2002 for War Emblem, 2003 for Funny Cide and 2004 for Smarty Jones.}}{{cite web|last1=Sandomir|first1=Richard|title=Looking for a Sure Thing in the Belmont Stakes? Bet on NBC|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/20/sports/looking-for-a-sure-thing-in-the-belmont-stakes-bet-on-nbc.html?_r=0|website=New York Times|access-date=May 19, 2015|date=May 19, 2014|archive-date=May 23, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150523105542/http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/20/sports/looking-for-a-sure-thing-in-the-belmont-stakes-bet-on-nbc.html?_r=0|url-status=live}} With the contract term ending, the NYRA went to ESPN on ABC for the 2006 Belmont, while the broadcasts of the Derby and Preakness remained with NBC. Visa chose to remain as a sponsor of only Kentucky Derby for the next five years. As a result of the divided broadcast, Triple Crown Productions was unable to obtain a new sponsor.

Today Triple Crown Productions LLC, based at Churchill Downs, is responsible for collecting nominations to the annual Triple Crown races.{{cite press release|title=Early Nominations for 2021 Triple Crown Due Jan. 23|url=https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/245757/early-nominations-for-2021-triple-crown-due-jan-23|location=Louisville, KY|publisher=Churchill Downs Incorporated|date=January 20, 2021|access-date=January 16, 2022|archive-date=January 16, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220116033844/https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/245757/early-nominations-for-2021-triple-crown-due-jan-23|url-status=live}}

In February 2011, ABC/ESPN dropped out of the negotiations to renew broadcast rights to the Belmont Stakes. NBC obtained the contract through 2015, once again uniting all three races on the same network.{{cite web|url=http://www.gazettenet.com/2010/10/08/nbc-reaches-deal-keep-kentucky-derby-rights-through-2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120612115510/http://www.gazettenet.com/2010/10/08/nbc-reaches-deal-keep-kentucky-derby-rights-through-2015|title=NBC reaches deal to keep Kentucky Derby rights through 2015| work=Daily Hampshire Gazette - GazetteNet.com|date=October 8, 2010|agency=Associated Press|archive-date=June 12, 2012| access-date=May 19, 2015}}{{cite news | url=http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/news/2011/02/22/nbc-re-ups-deal-to-carry-preakness.html | first=Ryan | last=Sharrow | title=NBC re-ups deal to carry Preakness through 2015 | date=February 22, 2011 | access-date=October 26, 2011 | archive-date=November 19, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111119094728/http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/news/2011/02/22/nbc-re-ups-deal-to-carry-preakness.html | url-status=live }}{{cite web|url=http://www.belmontstakes.org/nbc-signs-year-deal-televise-belmont-stakes/|title=NBC Signs Five Year Deal To Televise Belmont Stakes|access-date=October 3, 2014|archive-date=October 6, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006123946/http://www.belmontstakes.org/nbc-signs-year-deal-televise-belmont-stakes/|url-status=live}} In 2014, NBC extended their contract for the Kentucky Derby through 2025.{{cite web|title=New Pact Keeps Kentucky Derby in NBC Stable Through 2025|url=http://corporate.comcast.com/news-information/news-feed/new-pact-keeps-kentucky-derby-in-nbc-stable-through-2025|access-date=May 19, 2015|format=Press Release|date=February 26, 2014|archive-date=May 21, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150521132500/http://corporate.comcast.com/news-information/news-feed/new-pact-keeps-kentucky-derby-in-nbc-stable-through-2025|url-status=live}} NBC then renewed its rights to the Preakness and Belmont through 2022.{{cite web|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/horse-racing/bal-md-jockey-club-nbc-reach-deal-on-preakness-20150810-story.html|title=Preakness will remain on NBC under 7-year deal|last=Walker|first=Childs|date=August 10, 2015|publisher=Baltimore Sun|access-date=January 5, 2022|archive-date=January 6, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220106003307/https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/horse-racing/bal-md-jockey-club-nbc-reach-deal-on-preakness-20150810-story.html|url-status=live}} In January 2022, Fox Sports acquired the broadcast rights to the Belmont Stakes for eight years beginning in 2023.{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/horse-racing/story/_/id/33000837/belmont-stakes-moving-nbc-fox-sports-8-year-deal-starting-2023|title=Belmont Stakes moving from NBC to Fox Sports in 8-year deal starting in 2023|date=January 5, 2022|website=espn.com|publisher=Associated Press|access-date=January 5, 2022|archive-date=January 6, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220106002758/https://www.espn.com/horse-racing/story/_/id/33000837/belmont-stakes-moving-nbc-fox-sports-8-year-deal-starting-2023|url-status=live}}

{{See also|Triple Crown Productions#Highest combined Triple Crown finish}}

;Notes

{{Notelist|}}

• ^[Fy] Denotes a filly. Fillies won the Kentucky Derby in 1915, 1980, and 1988, Preakness Stakes in 1903, 1906, 1915, 1924, 2009, and 2020, and Belmont Stakes in 1867, 1905, and 2007.
• ^RNR Race not run. The Belmont was not run in 1911 and 1912 due to anti-betting legislation passed in New York State. The Preakness did not run 1891–1893.

{{Commons category multi |The Kentucky Derby|Preakness Stakes|Belmont Stakes}}

• American thoroughbred racing top attended events
• British Classic Races
• French Classic Races
• Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
• Grand Slam of Thoroughbred racing

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{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|https://www.thetriplecrown.com/}}
• [https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/triple-crown Triple Crown coverage at BloodHorse.com]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20231012145853/https://helloracefans.com/races/ten-things/the-triple-crown/ Ten Things You Should Know About the Triple Crown at Hello Race Fans] (archived)

{{Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:United States Triple Crown Of Thoroughbred Racing}}

Category:Belmont Stakes

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Category:Preakness Stakes

Category:Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing