by Ray Fauteux

Created on: March 15, 2009   Last Updated: March 20, 2009

It's really no mystery why it's been some thirty years since a horse has managed to win all three legs of thoroughbred horse raising's Triple Crown. The series of three races, including the Kentucky Derby, The Preakness, and the Belmont is specifically for three-year-old thoroughbred horses and their age is most likely the first strike against them. These high performance horses are extremely fragile and susceptible to overuse injuries and throughout most of their careers will have 4-6 weeks off between races. To win the Triple Crown a 3-year-old thoroughbred must race 3 times within 5 weeks and there will be no second chance for their attempt at the Triple Crown.

First of all the physical conformation of the horses might not be entirely complete and many will break down over the stress and strain of winning three races in quick succession against the best thoroughbred race-horses in the world. Big Brown is a perfect example. He broke down completely in the Belmont Stakes-the final of the three races-and was pulled up far from the finish. This was despite the fact that many of the horsey set truly believed that he would be the one to break the 30-year Triple Crown drought.

Much of the challenge comes from the distance the horses must race. Few of them have raced over a mile and the races of the Triple Crown are all much further. The Kentucky Derby is one and one-quarter miles, the Preakness 0ne and three-sixteenths miles, and the Belmont is the final and longest race at one and one-half miles. Despite how tired and used-up a a horse becomes over the road to Triple Crown immortality, the further he must run in each succeeding race.

In Triple Crown history there have been 45 winners of two of the races, but only 21 winners of the first two in the crown. In the last 12 years there have been 7 horses that have won the first two races, but eventually came up short in the Belmont Stakes. So there certainly have been plenty of chances since the last Triple Crown winner Affirmed managed to complete the task in 1978. To many, the Preakness is the most anticipated race. By then everyone knows who won the Kentucky Derby and most will be hoping for a repeat winner in the Preakness so they can witness another run at the Triple Crown when the Belmont Stakes takes place.

Of course there is also the challenge of finding the perfect jockey for the perfect horse so they can perform as one. Even once all the other obstacles are overcome, it can often be simple racing luck and a jockey's split-second decision that will help determine the next winner of the Triple Crown of thoroughbred horse racing.

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