The origin and history of the triple crown of thoroughbred racing

The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred racing has long been one of the most celebrated achievements in all of sports. A Thoroughbred that wins all 3 races has accomplished something special. The most fascinating and intriguing fact about this event is that only 11 horses have been able to hold this title in a history of more than 125 years.

Origin of the Term

Credit for popularizing the idea of ​​an American “Triple Crown” goes to columnist Charles Hatton. In his writings, he frequently used the term to refer to the 3 horse racing events of the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, and Preakness Stakes of the 1930s. As the term became popular, an increasing number of trainers and Owners began preparing their Thoroughbreds for these famous horse races.

The title proclamation

During the 40s, all the leading newspapers used this term as the standard for these events. This title was finally declared in 1950 during the Thoroughbred Racing Associations award ceremony, and Sir Barton was declared the first winner to have won all 3 races in 1919. At each annual awards dinner, the organization presented the title to successive winners before 1950.

Between 1930 and 1948, the title of these famous horse races was won almost every two and a half years. However, after 1948, it was a quarter of a century (1973) until Secretariat won the Triple Crown. When Seattle Slew won the title in 1977, followed by Affirmed in 1978, fans of this thoroughbred racing event were wowed. However, this achievement has not been achieved since Affirmed’s victory in 1978.

Origin of horse racing events

After the Civil War, many trainers and owners began working in 1875 to bundle together famous horse races to match the legacy of the British Triple Crown. The first attempt was at Churchill Downs, where Meriwether Lewis Clark, Jr. touted his Derby-focused title. This became the home of the Kentucky Derby.

At that time, there were 3 major horse racing events in the state of New York. The racing bodies were segregated by parochialism and each insisted on the supremacy of their own races, which led to the failure of these efforts. It took a long time for the socialites and upper class citizens of the eastern states to bring their horses to ride in the west or indeed the midwest. Interestingly, it was due to the arrogance of these people, who controlled much of the sport, that the famous Man o’ War did not enter the 1920 Kentucky Derby, thus missing out on a potential Triple Crown win.

The main challenges to overcome

There are many factors that make it difficult for racehorses to win all 3 horse racing events. The biggest challenge is that a horse will have to win all 3 races, on different courses, in 5 weeks. This is a demanding program that pushes these horses, jockeys and trainers to their limits. On top of this, the actual course of the race is long, which puts a 3-year-old thoroughbred to the test.

All of these factors, along with the fascinating origin story of the Triple Crown in Thoroughbred racing, make it one of the most exciting horse racing events in the world today.

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