The Triple Crown stands as one of the most difficult achievements in American sport, representing a feat that only 13 horses have accomplished since Sir Barton first did it back in 1919. For fans following every stride and studying the odds with their recommended sportsbook provider, the scale of the challenge becomes even clearer.
This prestigious series consists of three races held over five intense weeks each spring, and the combination of physical demands, timing and sheer competition makes it an extraordinarily rare accomplishment.
The three races that make up the crown
The journey begins with the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, where three-year-old thoroughbreds compete over 1¼ miles on the first Saturday in May.
Two weeks later, these same horses travel to Baltimore for the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course, which covers a slightly shorter distance of 1 3/16 miles. The series concludes three weeks after the Preakness with the Belmont Stakes in New York, traditionally run at Belmont Park over a gruelling 1½ miles that has earned it the nickname “The Test of the Champion.”
Why the compressed schedule breaks horses
What makes this series so challenging is the compressed timeline that gives young horses very little recovery time between races. These three-year-olds are still developing physically, and asking them to compete at the highest level three times in just over a month takes an incredible toll on their bodies.
Many horses who win the Kentucky Derby skip the Preakness entirely to rest up for the Belmont, showing just how taxing this schedule can be.
The Belmont Stakes becomes the dream killer
The Belmont Stakes has proven to be the dream-killer for many hopeful Triple Crown winners. Between 1979 and 2014, thirteen different horses won both the Derby and Preakness but failed to complete the sweep at Belmont.
The longer distance of 1½ miles is unlike anything these horses have experienced before, requiring not just speed but stamina and mental toughness.
Some legendary horses like Smarty Jones and California Chrome came heartbreakingly close but couldn’t quite get across the finish line first.
Decades between winners show true difficulty
The long gap between Triple Crown winners tells its own story about the difficulty of this achievement. After Citation won in 1948, racing fans had to wait 25 years until Secretariat finally claimed the crown in 1973.
Then came another drought that lasted 37 years after Affirmed’s victory in 1978, until American Pharoah broke through in 2015. The most recent Triple Crown victory was achieved by Justify in 2018.
Elite competition at every turn
The level of competition has only intensified over the decades as breeding programs have improved and more talented horses enter the sport. Each of the three races attracts the best three-year-old thoroughbreds in the country, meaning a horse must beat elite competition not once but three separate times.
Fresh challengers who skipped earlier races often appear well-rested and dangerous, while Derby winners carry the weight of enormous expectations and media attention.
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