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.

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.

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.

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.

One of the original forms of gambling was heading down to the tracks and betting on the horses. Each year, hundreds of people travel to these highly anticipated events to witness some of the most exciting horse races. The history of horse racing in England goes back as far as the 17^th century when Charles II established Newmarket as the headquarters of English horse racing; although the oldest racecourse is in Chester.

Horse racing betting and events around the world are still just as popular today, with the industry turning over £4.32 million in 2018. As time has gone on, these iconic horse racing events have become a staple in our calendars every year. Here are some of the most popular events from across the globe.

Royal Ascot

Queen Anne opened this iconic venue in 1711, and since then, a member from the Royal family has attended every year. Most famous for her colourful attendance is our current monarch, Queen Elizabeth II – who has had a known interest in horses since childhood and is often found amongst betting markets, with regards to what color she will be wearing for the occasion.

The Kentucky Derby will hold its 145th edition on May 04, 2019 in the dirt track of Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky. All horse racing fans are expecting to see a lot of three-year-old thoroughbred racers to compete in the Grade 1 Stakes category. This year’s edition of the Kentucky Derby will also hold the toughest contenders of horse racers across the country.

While there are lots of options to look and choose who should be the real Kentucky winner is, it important that you bet for the odds you think will be in favor. It is true that there are several factors you need to consider especially when picking the right horse winner. By simply doing your research while we are a few weeks away from Kentucky will still help you in taking part in profitable betting.

Hence, as you go along and do your research in line with the probability and statistics of winning of your horse entry, we’d like to add up some essential ingredients you can apply to make sure you pick the right Kentucky Derby winner. These tips will also ensure you that you can take part in a more bankable type of betting. Let’s get it started!

Today’s Sports Then and Now blog recognizes one of college football’s most recognized icons – The Goodyear Blimp.

That’s because this season marks the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company’s 60th year of aerial advertising during college football games.

The company’s annual broadcast coverage will culminate with a lucky college football fan hitching a ride on the famous blimp.

However, few football fans know the history behind the beloved blimps.

Furnishing amazing aerial views of some of the most recognized sporting events in the world, the Goodyear Blimp hovers way above the ground at approximately 1,000 feet. Read the rest of this entry →

Graham Motion, the English born trainer of 2011 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom could hardly contain his surprise after his outsider hosed up in the ‘Race for the Roses’ in front of a record crowd of over 160,000 at Churchill Downs last weekend. Amazingly it was the horse’s first run on dirt having previously run all his races on turf.

Having only his fourth start, the huge Chestnut colt was only rated at around 20/1 to win America’s most prestigious race, but he looked every bit the winner when he began his surge down the final stretch of the ten furlong race. “It’s not something I ever expected to do,” said Motion a few hours after he had won the race, but he confirmed that the horse had come out of the race in great shape and that he would take his chance in the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico in three weeks time, for which he’ll sure to be favourite in the Preakness Stakes Odds given the manner of his Derby victory. Success in that race of course will put him in line to win the highly coveted American Triple Crown of horse racing, should he take part in the Belmont Stakes two weeks later.

The win was also a huge bonus for jockey, John Velazquz, who got the ride after the one time race favorite Uncle Mo was withdrawn from the race. It was Velaquez’s first win in the ‘Derby’ in thirteen previous attempts and he now looks like staying on the horse for the Preakness. Read the rest of this entry →

Secretariat dominated thoroughbred racing in 1973 and was named as the 35th greatest athlete of the 20th Century.

There was a time when the most important sporting event on the first weekend of May wasn’t the NBA or NHL Playoffs, but rather a two minute race between the fastest three-year-olds on four legs.  While still an exciting event for those lucky enough to make it to Churchill Downs, the Kentucky Derby and thoroughbred racing in general isn’t quite the national obsession that it once was.

However, the history of this regal sport is laced with many great champions, some of whom captured the spirit and hearts of the American public.

While greatness for a thoroughbred is often identified with winning the famed Triple Crown (Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes), only some of the best known horses actually claimed that distinguished honor.

Chances are you have never heard of the first Triple Crown winner, Sir Barton, in 1919, but may have heard about the legendary Man O’War, who many consider the greatest horse of all-time with victories in 20 of his 21 races. However, Man O’War did not follow Sir Barton as a Triple Crown winner during his three-year old year of 1920 as his owner held him out of the Kentucky Derby. Read the rest of this entry →