The U.S. Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (aka The Triple Crown) is the highest honor a racehorse can attain. To win the Triple Crown, a 3-year-old horse must win all three legs or jewels in the series. The three races are The Kentucky Derby (May 2nd), The Preakness Stakes (May 16th), and The Belmont Stakes (June 6th).
The Thoroughbred breed was developed in England in the 18th century and introduced to the US in the 19th century. The first Thoroughbred race in North America was held in Maryland in 1745. The first historically significant Thoroughbred horse race on American soil took place in Gloucester, Virginia in 1752.
In 1919 Sir Barton became the first racehorse to win all three races. At that time, the term Triple Crown was not yet used. In 1948 Sir Barton was officially recognized as the first U.S. Triple Crown winner.
The phrase "Triple Crown" was used for the first time in 1930 after Gallant Fox won all three of these races. The term was coined by sportswriter Charles Hatton of the New York Times.
The Kentucky Derby was started by Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr., the grandson of famed Lewis and Clark Expedition explorer William Clark. While traveling in Europe in 1872, Clark Jr. was inspired by England's Epsom Downs racecourse. When he returned to Kentucky, he founded the Louisville Jockey Club and raised money to build a racetrack on land donated by his uncles, Henry and John Churchill. What would later be known as Churchill Downs opened its gates in 1875. It's the grounds where the history lies. All original structures were first replaced by 1896 and have undergone many changes since.
The first Belmont Stakes was at Jerome Park Racetrack in The Bronx, New York, in 1866. It has since been run at Saratoga Race Course, Saratoga Springs, New York.
The Preakness Stakes was first run on May 27, 1873, at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It was named after a colt named Preakness, who won the Dinner Party Stakes on the day Pimlico opened in 1870. The race was moved recently to Laurel Park, MD.
Only 13 horses have ever won the Triple Crown: 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 Pharoah (2015), and Justify (2018). As of 2026, American Pharoahand Justify are the only living Triple Crown winners.