by Tricia Psarreas Murray

Created on: April 02, 2010

A quick glimpse through racing history will demonstrate that though Triple Crown wins are rare, they do happen. Or at least they used to. Names like Citation, Secretariat, and Seattle Slew still evoke the same passion in the horse racing community as they did when those horses ran their way to victory. But since jockey Steve Cauthen’s 1978 win on Affirmed, Triple Crown winners have become nothing more than memories; mere reminders that horse racing has not upheld the same standards it had 30 years ago.

So what exactly is the Triple Crown and why is it so difficult to win? Simply put, the Triple Crown is comprised of the three most famous thoroughbred horse races of the year. Starting with the Kentucky Derby in May, 20 lucky jockeys are assigned to 20 highly skilled horses who ride in a 1.25 mile race. The winning horse and jockey then race on a slightly shorter track at the Preakness Stakes. Finally, the winning duo must ride in a 1.5 mile race at the Belmont Stakes. It is an honor to win any of those prestigious races, but the likelihood of winning all three is astronomically low.

Of course, it was never easy to win a Triple Crown. The odds of one horse winning the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes is somewhat akin to Jimmie Johnson’s 2009 Sprint NASCAR Cup win – his fourth in a row. The main difference between the two events is that while a car is properly treated along the race, a horse does not have the same luxury. By the time a thoroughbred makes its way past the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness to reach the Belmont Stakes, it is simply exhausted. Standard horse races are much shorter than any of the three races in the Triple Crown and thoroughbreds are not used to running such long distances. The fact that the three races are so closely spaced does not give horses much time to recoup from any strain or injuries that may occur during a big race, either. Once these tired horses are put up against their new competition in the remaining Triple Crown races, they have often given all they have to give before the final race.

That leads to the question, what has happened since Affirmed crossed the finish line 32 years ago to all but make Triple Crown wins mythical? The answer lies in the horses themselves along with many of the people who care for them. Nowadays, most horses are simply pushed too hard from too young of an age. They are bred for speed, not for stamina, which makes it doubly hard to compete with the

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