The Triple Crown

Updated: 02/23/2009

Only eleven horses have won the elusive Triple Crown. The grueling schedule of three races in 5 weeks at longer distances than most have run previously in their careers is probably the most difficult task any horse will face in his racing career. Affirmed in 1978 still remains the last Triple Crown winner. Sadly, the last Triple Crown winner left alive, Seattle Slew, passed away on May 7, 2002. Several horses have come close in recent years, winning the Kentucky Derby and Preakness only to fail in the Belmont Stakes. Many thought was a cinch to finally break the drought in 2008, but a bad hoof, and perhaps all the pressure to win, led to his debacle in the Belmont Stakes, pulling up in the turn and being eased while longshot Da'Tara won.

TRIPLE CROWN WINNERS
Year	Name	Jockey	Trainer	Owner
1919	Sir Barton	John Loftus	H. G. Bedwell	J. K. L. Ross
1930	Gallant Fox	Earl Sande	James Fitzsimmons	Belair Stud
1935	Omaha	William Saunders	James 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	John Longden	Don Cameron	Mrs. J. D. Hertz
1946	Assault	Warren Mehrtens	Max Hirsch	King Ranch
1948	Citation	Eddie Arcaro	Ben A. Jones	Calumet Farm
1973	Secretariat	Ron Turcotte	Lucien Laurin	Meadow Stable/td>
1977	Seattle Slew	Jean Cruguet	William Turner, Jr.	Karen L. Taylor
1978	Affirmed	Steve Cauthen	Lazaro S. Barrera	Harbor View Farm

Since 1900 there have been 45 horses who won two of the three races and 21 who won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, giving hopes of another Triple Crown winner, only to lose in the Belmont Stakes. Here they are along with where they finished and who beat them.

Triple Crown Near Misses (Derby/Preakness doubles)
Year	Horse	Belmont finish
1932	Burgoo King	(Did not start)
1936	Bold Venture	(Did not start)
1944	Pensive	2nd (Bounding Home)
1958	Tim Tam	2nd (Cavan)
1961	Carry Back	7th (Sherluck)
1964	Northern Dancer	3rd (Quadrangle)
1966	Kauai King	4th (Amberoid)
1968	**Forward Pass	2nd (Stage Door Johnny)
1969	Majestic Prince	2nd (Arts and Letters)
1971	Canonero II	4th (Pass Catcher)
1979	Spectacular Bid	3rd (Coastal)
1981	Pleasant Colony	3rd (Summing)
1987	Alysheba	4th (Bet Twice)
1989	Sunday Silence	2nd (Easy Goer)
1997	Silver Charm	2nd (Touch Gold)
1998	Real Quiet	2nd (Victory Gallop)
1999	Charismatic	3rd (Lemon Drop Kid)
2002	War Emblem	8th (Sarava)
2003	Funny Cide	3rd (Empire Maker)
2004	Smarty Jones	2nd (Birdstone)
2008	Big Brown	DNF (Da'Tara)
**Won on disqualification.

Here are the 24 horses who won either the Derby/Belmont or Preakness/Belmont double but lost the other race, along with how they finished in that race.

Triple Crown Near Misses (Derby/Belmont or Preakness/Belmont doubles)
Year	Horse	Races Won	Race Lost (Winner)
1920	Man O'War	Preakness/Belmont	did not run in the Derby
1922	Pillory	Preakness/Belmont	did not run in the Derby
1923	Zev	Derby/Belmont	12th Preakness (Vigil)
1931	Twenty Grand	Derby/Belmont	2nd Preakness (Mate)
1939	Johnstown	Derby/Belmont	5th Preakness (Challedon)
1940	Bimelech	Preakness/Belmont	2nd Derby (Gallahadion)
1942	Shut Out	Derby/Belmont	5th Preakness (Alsab
1949	Capot	Preakness/Belmont	2nd Derby (Ponder)
1950	Middleground	Derby/Belmont	2nd Preakness (Hill Prince)
1953	Native Dancer	Preakness/Belmont	2nd Derby (Dark Star)
1955	Nashua	Preakness/Belmont	2nd Derby (Swaps)
1956	Needles	Derby/Belmont	2nd Preakness (Fabius)
1963	Chateaugay	Derby/Belmont	2nd Preakness (Candy Spots)
1967	Damascus	Preakness/Belmont	3rd Derby (Proud Clarion)
1972	Riva Ridge	Derby/Belmont	4th Preakness (Bee Bee Bee)
1974	Little Current	Preakness/Belmont	5th Derby (Cannonade)
1976	Bold Forbes	Derby/Belmont	3rd Preakness (Elocutionist)
1984	Swale	Derby/Belmont	7th Preakness (Gate Dancer)
1988	Risen Star	Preakness/Belmont	3rd Derby (Winning Colors)
1991	Hansel	Preakness/Belmont	10th Derby (Strike the Gold)
1994	Tabasco Cat	Preakness/Belmont	6th Derby (Go For Gin)
1995	Thunder Gulch	Derby/Belmont	3rd Preakness (Timber Country)
2001	Point Given	Preakness/Belmont	5th Derby (Monarchos)
2005	Afleet Alex	Preakness/Belmont	3rd Derby (Giacomo)

For more info about the Triple Crown near misses, you can get details about them all here:
     Kentucky Derby/Preakness winners
     Preakness/Belmont winners
     Kentucky Derby/Belmont winners

More Triple Crown info online:

Triple Crown Links - lots of info about this year's races
Triple Crown stats - includes the running times for each race, owner, breeder, jockey, trainer, etc
Triple Crown History - results and photos for the last few years plus winners lists and charts going farther back

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