Triple Crown winners have been few and far between throughout the years with only 11 horses making the list of winners of this great event. Triple Crown wagering is made up of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes. Let’s take a look at which horses have pulled off the trifecta and become Triple Crown winners.
Triple Crown winners are horses that have won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes in the same year. The first horse to make the list of TC winners was Sir Barton in 1919. The TC really didn’t take hold though for many years after that win and wasn’t even recognized until Gallant Fox made the list of Triple Crown winners in 1930. It was another five years before Omaha joined the list of TC winners. Interestingly enough, J.E. Fitzsimmons trained both Gallant Fox and Omaha and is one of only two trainers in history to saddle two Triple Crown winners.
The great War Admiral was the TC wagering winner in 1937 while Whirlaway was the Triple Crown wagering winner in 1941. Count Fleet joined the list of winners in 1943 while Assault won in 1946. Citation was the TC wagering winner in 1948. He was trained by Ben A. Jones who also trained Whirlaway. He was the other trainer that saddled two TC winners.
It was another 25 years before horse racing had another TC winner but the wait was worth it as Secretariat dominated the field and set records that may never be broken as he joined the list of Triple Crown winners. Four years later in 1977, history was made again as Seattle Slew joined the list of TC winners. A year later in 1978 Affirmed joined that list. He is the last horse to have won the TC, meaning it has been 30 years since any horse has won the Triple Crown.
Here is the list of Triple Crown winners and the year they won.
1919 Sir Barton
1930 Gallant Fox
1935 Omaha
1937 War Admiral
1941 Whirlaway
1943 Count Fleet
1946 Assault
1948 Citation
1973 Secretariat
1977 Seattle Slew
1978 Affirmed