04/13/2011 11:35AM

Triple Crown Winners, Near Misses

By DRF Staff
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Only 11 horses have won all three of the sport's crown jewel events, the grueling five-week stretch that includes the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes from the first Saturday in May to early June. No horse has claimed all three since Affirmed in 1978.

 

Triple Crown Winners, Purses, Times

Year Horse Kentucky Derby Preakness Belmont Stakes
1919 Sir Barton $20,825 (2:09.80) $24,500 (1:53.00) $11,950 (2:17.40)
1930 Gallant Fox $50,725 (2:07.60) $51,925 (2:00.60) $66,040 (2:31.60)
1935 Omaha $38,525 (2:05.00) $25,325 (1:58.40) $35,480 (2:30.60)
1937 War Admiral $52,050 (2:03.20) $45,600 (1:58.40) $38,020 (2:28.60)
1941 Whirlaway $61,725 (2:01.40) $49,365 (1:58.80) $39,770 (2:31.00)
1943 Count Fleet $60,725 (2:04.00) $43,190 (1:57.40) $35,340 (2:28.20)
1946 Assault $96,400 (2:06.60) $96,620 (2:01.40) $75,400 (2:30.80)
1948 Citation $83,400 (2:05.40) $91,870 (2:02.40) $77,700 (2:28.20)
1973 Secretariat $155,050 (1:59.40) $129,900 (1:54.40) $90,120 (2:24.00)
1977 Seattle Slew $214,700 (2:02.20) $138,600 (1:54.40) $109,080 (2:29.60)
1978 Affirmed $186,900 (2:01.20) $163,200 (1:54.40) $110,580 (2:26.80)



1. Sir Barton, 1919
Jockey: John Loftus
Trainer: H. G. Bedwell
Owner: J.K.L. Ross
Sire: Star Shoot
Dam: Lady Sterling
Career earnings: $116,857
Post-Triple Crown career: Lost a match race to Man o' War in 1920 but otherwise had a fine 4-year-old season, winning five of 12 starts. He was not officially recognized as a "Triple Crown" winner until 1948.

2. Gallant Fox, 1930
Jockey: Earl Sande
Trainer: James Fitzsimmons
Owner: Belair Stud
Sire: Sir Gallahad III
Dam: Marguerite
Career earnings: $328,165
Post-Triple Crown career: Retired to stud after his 3-year-old year and would end up being the sire future Triple Crown winner Omaha.

3. Omaha, 1935
Jockey: William Saunders
Trainer: James Fitzsimmons
Owner: Belair Stud
Sire: Gallant Fox
Dam: Sambino
Career earnings: $154,755 Post-Triple Crown career: Omaha was sent abroad to compete in England. He won two races and finished second in the Ascot Gold Cup and Princess of Wales Stakes. He was retired to stud after returning the the United States.

4. War Admiral, 1937
Jockey: Charley Kurtsinger
Trainer: George Conway
Owner: Samuel D. Riddle
Sire: Man o' War
Dam: Brushup
Career earnings: $272,240
Post-Triple Crown career: War Admiral lost to Seabiscuit in the Pimlico Special as a 4-year-old but won nine of his 11 starts overall and then his only start as a 5-year-old as well.

5. Whirlaway, 1941
Jockey: Eddie Arcaro
Trainer: Ben A. Jones
Owner: Calumet Farm
Sire: Blenheim II
Dam: Dustwhirl
Career earnings: $561,161
Post-Triple Crown career: Finished in the money in all of his 22 starts as a 4-year-old but only raced twice at 5. Surpassed Seabiscuit as the sport's leading money earner.

6. Count Fleet, 1943
Jockey: John Longden
Trainer: Don Cameron
Owner: Mrs. J. D. Hertz
Sire: Reigh Count
Dam: Quickly
Career earnings: $250,300
Post-Triple Crown career: Retired due to injury after winning Belmont by then-record 25 lengths. At stud he sired future Kentucky Derby winner Count Turf and other major stakes champions.

7. Assault, 1946
Jockey: Warren Mehrtens
Trainer: Max Hirsch
Owner: King Ranch
Sire: Bold Venture
Dam: Igual
Career earnings: $675,470
Post-Triple Crown career: Won five starts as a 4-year-old, proved sterile and went back to racing through his 7-year-old year, including a win in the 1949 Brooklyn Handicap.

8. Citation, 1948
Jockey: Eddie Arcaro
Trainer: Ben A. Jones
Owner: Calumet Farm
Sire: Bull Lea
Dam: Hydroplane II
Career earnings: $1,085,760
Post-Triple Crown career: Won his final start in 1951 to surpass the million-dollar earnings milestone after setting the record for fastest mile in 1950.

9. Secretariat, 1973
Jockey: Ron Turcotte
Trainer: Lucien Laurin
Owner: Meadow Stable
Sire: Bold Ruler
Dam: Somethingroyal
Career earnings: $1,316,808
Post-Triple Crown career: Secretariat retired to stud after his spectacular 3-year-old season.

10. Seattle Slew, 1977
Jockey: Jean Cruguet
Trainer: William Turner, Jr.
Owner: Karen L. Taylor
Sire: Bold Reasoning
Dam: My Charmer
Career earnings: $1,208,726
Post-Triple Crown career: Fought through injury to make a return as a 4-year-old and win five of seven starts, placing in the other two. Went on to a prolific career at stud.

11. Affirmed, 1978
Jockey: Steve Cauthen
Trainer: Lazaro S. Barrera
Owner: Harbor View Farm
Sire: Exclusive Native
Dam: Won't Tell You
Career earnings: $2,393,818
Post-Triple Crown Career: Won final seven starts as a 4-year-old before retirement.

 

Triple Crown Near-Misses

Year Kentucky Derby Preakness Belmont Stakes
2012 I'll Have Another I'll Have Another (Did not start)
2008 Big Brown Big Brown 9th (Da' Tara)
2005 3rd (Giacomo) Afleet Alex Afleet Alex
2004 Smarty Jones Smarty Jones 2nd (Birdstone)
2003 Funny Cide Funny Cide 3rd (Empire Maker)
2002 War Emblem War Emblem 8th (Sarava)
2001 5th (Monarchos) Point Given Point Given
1999 Charismatic Charismatic 3rd (Lemon Drop Kid)
1998 Real Quiet Real Quiet 2nd (Victory Gallop)
1997 Silver Charm Silver Charm 2nd (Touch Gold)
1995 Thunder Gulch 3rd (Timber Country) Thunder Gulch
1994 6th (Go for Gin) Tabasco Cat Tabasco Cat
1991 10th (Strike the Gold) Hansel Hansel
1989 Sunday Silence Sunday Silence 2nd (Easy Goer)
1988 3rd (Winning Colors) Risen Star Risen Star
1987 Alysheba Alysheba 4th (Bet Twice)
1984 Swale 7th (Gate Dancer) Swale
1981 Pleasant Colony Pleasant Colony 3rd (Summing)
1979 Spectacular Bid Spectacular Bid 3rd (Coastal)
1976 Bold Forbes 3rd (Elocutionist) Bold Forbes
1974 5th (Cannonade) Little Current Little Current
1972 Riva Ridge 4th (Bee Bee Bee) Riva Ridge
1971 Canonero II Canonero II 4th (Pass Catcher)
1969 Majestic Prince Majestic Prince 2nd (Arts and Letters)
1968 Forward Pass Forward Pass 2nd (Stage Door Johnny)
1967 3rd (Proud Clarion) Damascus Damascus
1966 Kauai King Kauai King 4th (Amberoid)
1964 Northern Dancer Northern Dancer 3rd (Quadrangle)
1963 Chateaugay 2nd (Candy Spots) Chateaugay
1961 Carry Back Carry Back 7th (Sherluck)
1958 Tim Tam Tim Tam 2nd (Cavan)
1956 Needles 2nd (Fabius) Needles
1955 2nd (Swaps) Nashua Nashua
1953 2nd (Dark Star) Native Dancer Native Dancer
1950 Middleground 2nd (Hill Prince) Middleground
1949 2nd (Ponder) Capot Capot
1944 Pensive Pensive 2nd (Bounding Home)
1942 Shut Out 5th (Alsab) Shut Out
1940 2nd (Gallahadion) Bimelech Bimelech
1939 Johnstown 5th (Challedon) Johnstown
1936 Bold Venture Bold Venture (Did not start)
1932 Burgoo King Burgoo King (Did not start)
1931 Twenty Grand 2nd (Mate) Twenty Grand
1923 Zev 12th (Vigil) Zev
1922 (Did not start) Pillory Pillory
1920 (Did not start) Man o'War Man o'War
1895 (Did not start) Belmar Belmar
1881 (Did not start) Saunterer Saunterer
1880 (Did not start) Grenadaa Grenada
1878 (Did not start) Duke of Magenta Duke of Magenta
1877 (Did not start) Cloverbrook Cloverbrook

 For more information on racing history, check out The 2011 American Racing Manual, The Official Encyclopedia of Thoroughbred Racing published by the Daily Racing Form.