It is one of the oldest and revered sports in the world, and dates back to ancient civilizations in Greece, Rome, and Egypt. Thousands of years later, horse racing is still a globally celebrated sport, with some sort of variation in nearly every country in the world.
As the weather starts to get warmer, horse racing aficionados know that the Triple Crown season is upon us. The Triple Crown is the most prestigious series in thoroughbred horse racing and takes place across three races in May and June. Winning just one of these races can cement a horse’s legacy in the sport forever. Winning all three Triple Crown races will elevate that horse into horse racing royalty.
This article will discuss the upcoming Triple Crown races, their history, and why, after centuries, horse racing still attracts millions of spectators from every corner of the world.
What is the Triple Crown in US Horse Racing?
The Triple Crown is the most prestigious series in horse racing. The award was finalized in 1950, although the three major races had been around since the 19th century. All three legs of the Triple Crown series take place in the United States between May and June and are considered one of the year’s biggest sports events.
The Triple Crown is comprised of the three most famous races in horse racing: the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes.
To win the Triple Crown, the horse must come in first place in all three races. How difficult is this? Since the Kentucky Derby was first run in 1875, only thirteen different horses have won the Triple Crown Trophy.
Where does the term “Triple Crown” come from? It was first made popular in the 1930s when sportswriter Charles Hatton coined the term in the Daily Racing Form. After that, the title stuck and has been synonymous with the highest level of thoroughbred horse racing for nearly a century.
The Triple Crown Races: The Three Crown Jewels
The three Triple Crown races are the epitome of American thoroughbred horse racing. Each race takes place at a different, iconic racetrack across the United States. The Triple Crown season kicks off with perhaps the most famous race: the Kentucky Derby. Let’s take a look at each leg of the Triple Crown and what makes each race so special and unique.
The Kentucky Derby: “The Run for the Roses”
The Kentucky Derby takes place each year on the first Saturday in May at the world-famous Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. This race is ten furlongs in distance, which is equivalent to about two kilometres. The Kentucky Derby is run on a dirt track with a maximum of twenty horses.
Horses running in the Kentucky Derby are three-year-old thoroughbreds. These horses have accumulated the most points from their performances in the Championship Series and Prep Season, which qualifies them for the Kentucky Derby.
It is widely known for its festive atmosphere and as a social event for celebrities. Attendees at the race dress in a certain style, wearing extravagant hats and drinking southern-influenced cocktails like mint juleps.
The Kentucky Derby is often called the Run for the Roses. The winner of the race is draped in a blanket of 554 roses, which has been a tradition since 1896. This race, while the youngest of the three legs, is the most watched and attended horse race in America each year.
The Preakness Stakes: “The Middle Jewel”
The second leg of the Triple Crown is called the Preakness Stakes, and it usually takes place about two weeks after the Kentucky Derby. This race takes place at the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland and was inaugurated in 1873.
The Preakness is slightly shorter than the Kentucky Derby, measuring about 9.5 furlongs or about 1.9 kilometres. It is also for three-year-old thoroughbred horses and is the second-most watched and attended race after the Kentucky Derby.
If you were wondering about the unique name for the race, it was given by a Maryland Governor after a horse named Preakness won another race at Pimlico called the Dinner Party Stakes in 1870. The winning horse of the Preakness is draped with a blanked of black eyed Susan flowers, similar to the roses in the Kentucky Derby.
Belmont Stakes: “The Test of the Champion”
The final leg of the Triple Crown series is called the Belmont Stakes. This race takes place three weeks after the Preakness at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is the longest of the three races, measuring 12 furlongs or nearly 2.5 kilometres in length.
The Belmont Stakes is worthy of its nickname, “the Test of the Champion”. It is the most gruelling of the three races and needs to be run with a different strategy. This race is often the leg of the Triple Crown that prevents horses from winning all three races.
Another nickname for the Belmont Stakes is the “Run for the Carnations”. Like the other two races, the winning horse of the Belmont Stakes is draped with a blanket of flowers. For the Belmont Stakes, this blanket is made of white carnations.
The Triple Crown Winners: The Thirteen Legendary Horses
Here is a list of the thirteen horses that have completed the Triple Crown:
| Name of Triple Crown Winner | Year of Triple Crown Victory |
| Sir Barton | 1919 |
| Gallant Fox | 1930 |
| Omaha | 1935 |
| War Admiral | 1937 |
| Whirlaway | 1941 |
| Count Fleet | 1943 |
| Assault | 1946 |
| Citation | 1948 |
| Secretariat | 1973 |
| Seattle Slew | 1977 |
| Affirmed | 1978 |
| American Pharaoh | 2015 |
| Justify | 2018 |
As you can see, there was a notable gap between the victories by Affirmed and American Pharaoh. There was no Triple Crown winner for thirty-seven years until American Pharaoh did so in 2015.
Betting on the Triple Crown Races
The Triple Crown series is a major betting event in North America. According to some online sources, total legal wagers on the 2025 Kentucky Derby reached nearly $350 million in the United States alone. In terms of annual American sports betting events, the Triple Crown races are up there with the NCAA March Madness basketball tournament and the Super Bowl.
Most legal sportsbooks in Canada will offer Triple Crown betting via futures or the various ways to bet on horse racing. Some popular horse racing bets that can be placed include betting on the horse to win the race outright, each-way betting, and accumulator betting.
Some Canadian sportsbooks like BetVictor Canada even offer horse racing futures and international races. If there aren’t any upcoming horse races, BetVictor even offers virtual horse race betting. These races are simulated with digital racecourses and virtual horses and have grown to be a major betting market worldwide.
Who Won the 2025 Kentucky Derby?
The 2025 Kentucky Derby is in the books. This year, the race was won by a horse named Sovereignty, a three-year-old colt that was foaled in Kentucky. He took home the prize after easily outduelling the field and beating Journalism to the finish line in what was a slick and muddy race.
Unfortunately, for horse racing fans, the owners of Sovereignty announced that he would not be running in the Preakness Stakes. They did say that he would likely race at the Belmont Stakes, but missing the Preakness will make him ineligible for the Triple Crown.
Triple Crown FAQs
The Triple Crown in horse racing is made up of three different races: the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes. The Triple Crown winner must win all three of these races in the same year.
Since the Kentucky Derby was introduced in 1875, only thirteen different horses have won the Triple Crown. The most recent horse to win the Triple Crown was Justify in 2018.
You can bet on the Triple Crown at most Canadian sportsbooks. Sign up for a free betting account at BetVictor Canada to gain access to all of the major horse races, including all three legs of the Triple Crown.
