Sports Then and Now

The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing is one of the most prestigious and difficult accomplishments in all of sports. To win the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes in a single season requires not only immense talent but also endurance, versatility, and the ability to recover quickly between races. Only 13 horses have ever accomplished this feat in over a century of racing. Here’s a ranking of the top 10 Triple Crown winners in horse racing history, considering the dominance of their campaigns, the competition they faced, and their place in the sport’s legacy.

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1. Secretariat (1973)

Trainer: Lucien Laurin
Jockey: Ron Turcotte

No Triple Crown list is complete without Secretariat at the top. Widely regarded as the greatest racehorse of all time, “Big Red” captured the imagination of the nation during his 1973 campaign. After losing the Wood Memorial, he rebounded with an electrifying Kentucky Derby win in which he ran each quarter-mile faster than the previous one—a feat never seen before or since.

He followed that with a record-setting Preakness victory and then delivered the most iconic performance in racing history at the Belmont Stakes, winning by a staggering 31 lengths and setting a still-standing world record for 1½ miles (2:24). Secretariat wasn’t just a Triple Crown winner—he was a supernova.

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2. Citation (1948)

Trainer: Ben A. Jones
Jockey: Eddie Arcaro

Citation was the first horse to earn over $1 million in his career and might be the greatest horse not named Secretariat. He won 19 of 20 starts as a 3-year-old in 1948, including an effortless sweep of the Triple Crown. He could beat sprinters, milers, and distance horses with ease.

He returned from a year-long layoff due to injury and still managed to win after the Triple Crown, showcasing his remarkable durability and consistency. Citation’s ability to win over various distances and against older horses adds to his legend.

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3. Seattle Slew (1977)

Trainer: Billy Turner
Jockey: Jean Cruguet

Seattle Slew made history as the only horse to win the Triple Crown while undefeated. From modest beginnings and purchased for just $17,500, Slew had a powerful, almost mechanical stride and could dominate from the front.

His wire-to-wire win in the Kentucky Derby demonstrated both strength and courage. He handled slop in the Preakness and showed grit in the Belmont. After an injury-plagued 4-year-old season, he returned and beat 1978 Triple Crown winner Affirmed in the Marlboro Cup, cementing his legacy.

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After 37 years and many close calls, it might have been fair to believe that horse racing in the 21st Century was not destined for a Triple Crown winner. However, that was before American Pharoah did what 13 previous horses could not since Affirmed in 1978 and added victory at the Belmont Stakes to wins at the Kentucky Derby and Preakness.

With his wire-to-wire victory, American Pharoah is now the 12th member of an impressive club that began with Sir Barton in 1919 and also includes well known horses including Secretariat, Affirmed, Citation, Whirlaway and War Admiral.

While much has been made of the 37 year drought, perhaps the real number to indicate just how challenging it is to win the Triple Crown is that American Pharoah is just the fourth winner in the last 67 years. In fact, if you set aside the anomaly between 1973 and 1978 when there were three Triple Crown winners in a six year stretch, American Pharoah accomplished what 20 horses had not been able to complete since Citation in 1948.

That both jockey Victor Espinoza (twice) and trainer Bob Baffert (three times) had been in this position previously gave both of them an interesting perspective and understanding of the pressure and extra demands surrounding a run for the Triple Crown.

Of course, the different component of the equation in 2015 was the horse and American Pharoah proved that he was up to the challenge. That he headed right to the front and then stayed there throughout, actually growing his lead over the final quarter mile, illustrated that he was indeed a champion worthy of immortality. Read the rest of this entry →