Hovdey: Most played an encore after the Triple Crown

The clock was always ticking. From the moment he crossed the line in the Kentucky Derby, American Pharoah was on his way to stud sooner than later. It was only left to the who, where, and how much – Coolmore, Ashford, healthy eight figures – but as to the when ... ?

Should American Pharoah become a Triple Crown winner by taking the Belmont Stakes on June 6, there will be tremendous pressure on owner Ahmed Zayat to pull the racing plug and protect his valuable asset. Zayat has said the colt will continue to race this season, which is good news. If he goes forth as the 12th Triple Crown winner, here is how he would compare to the other 11 after their place in history was secure:

Sir Barton, 21 post-Belmont starts. After winning the 1919 Derby, Preakness, and Belmont, Sir Barton raced nine more times as a 3-year-old and won four. At 4, Sir Barton was 5 for 12 in a season highlighted by his Oct. 12, 1920, match race loss to Man o’ War at Kenilworth Park in Ontario.

Gallant Fox, six post-Belmont starts. Gallant Fox won the 1930 Preakness, Derby, and Belmont, in that order, then went on to take the Dwyer and the Arlington Classic, lose the Travers to Jim Dandy on a heavy surface at Saratoga, and rebound to win the Saratoga Cup, the Lawrence Realization, and the Jockey Club Gold Cup. He did not race at four.

Omaha, seven post-Belmont starts. Upon taking the 1935 Belmont, Omaha finished third to Discovery two weeks later in the Brooklyn Handicap, after which he emulated his sire, Gallant Fox, by winning the Dwyer and the Arlington Classic. At 4, Omaha surfaced in England, where he won two of four starts and narrowly missed in the Ascot Gold Cup and Prince of Wales’s Stakes.

War Admiral, 15 post-Belmont starts. War Admiral injured a hoof while winning the 1937 Belmont and did not race again until that October. His 4-year-old season was brilliant, with wins in the Widener Handicap, the Whitney, and the Jockey Club Gold Cup, but will always be remembered for his loss to Seabiscuit in their Pimlico Special match race. War Admiral ran once at 5 and was retired.

Whirlaway, 33 post-Belmont starts. After winning the 1941 Belmont in his 27th start, Whirlaway raced nine more times that season. He returned at age 4 to run 22 times while raising money for War Bonds at nearly every stop along the way. He was retired after two poor efforts in 1943.

Count Fleet, no post-Belmont starts. In the wake of 15 starts as a 2-year-old, Count Fleet’s 1943 Triple Crown campaign included a three-length win in the Derby, an eight-length romp in the Preakness, a five-length trot in the Withers, and a 25-length win in a three-horse Belmont Stakes. At that point Count Fleet was considered the best American racehorse since Man o’ War, but he emerged from the Belmont with a filled right front ankle and never raced again.

Assault, 27 post-Belmont starts. Although he won the 1946 Derby by eight lengths, Assault had a narrow escape in the Preakness and was not even favored in the Belmont. He won anyway, by three lengths, then added the Dwyer and late-season victories over older horses in the Pimlico Special and Westchester Handicap. As a 4-year-old of 1947, Assault traded blows with the older stars Armed and Stymie, but issues with soft tissue limited the twilight of Assault’s career to just one stakes win in his final nine starts.

Citation, 25 post-Belmont starts. Citation’s 1948 Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes were part of a win streak that eventually reached 16 straight. Citation missed all of the 1949 season with a bowed tendon, although he was good enough in 1950 to set a world record for a two-turn mile and end his career with three stakes wins at Hollywood Park.

Secretariat, six post-Belmont starts. Even though Secretariat’s Triple Crown climax by 31 lengths in the 1973 Belmont Stakes left no one needing more, he was campaigned aggressively, beginning with a victory in a special race at Arlington Park just three weeks after the Belmont. If Secretariat proved himself to be mortal with losses in the 1973 Whitney and Woodward, he more than redeemed himself by dominating the best older horses on both dirt and grass in the Marlboro Cup, Man o’ War, and Canadian International.

Seattle Slew, eight post-Belmont starts. The only unbeaten Triple Crown winner showed up three weeks after the Belmont to finish a tired fourth in the Swaps Stakes at Hollywood Park. After a near-fatal illness, Seattle Slew bounced back at 4 to defeat Affirmed in the Marlboro Cup and Exceller in the Woodward, then lost by a nose to Exceller in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. One month later, Slew bade his fans a winning farewell in the Stuyvesant Handicap at Aqueduct.

Affirmed, 13 post-Belmont starts. The most recent winner of the Triple Crown kept right on going to beat Sensitive Prince in the 1978 Jim Dandy before his disqualification from victory in the Travers and defeats in the Marlboro and the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park.

There was never a question Affirmed would keep running at age 4, but he suffered two more losses before catching fire to win his last seven races. Affirmed capped his career with a victory over Derby-Preakness hero Spectacular Bid and Belmont winner Coastal in the 1979 Jockey Club Gold Cup which, let’s face it, is the way you like to see a Triple Crown winner leave the stage.