The Triple Crown: Race Winners, History & Locations
Last updated: October 22, 2024 at 9:25 p.m. EDT
Explore the stories of horse racing's Triple Crown champions and learn the about history of the three jewels comprising the Triple Crown: the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness & the Belmont Stakes
Triple Crown Winners
What horses have won the Triple Crown? Below you will find a list in order of most recent, to the earliest. Click on a name to jump to a section with more information on each horse!
What races and locations are featured in the Triple Crown?
Though the Triple Crown has featured the same three races, the races themselves have shifted in dates over the century. Learn more about the histories and significance of each major Classic in Thoroughbred horse racing.
- Kentucky Derby
- Held at Churchill Downs Racetrack in Kentucky
- Preakness Stakes
- Held at Pimlico Park Racetrack in Maryland
- Belmont Stakes
- Held at Belmont Park Racetrack in New York
What should I know about the Triple Crown winners?
2018 - Justify
- Sire: Scat Daddy
- Dam: Stage Magic
- Race record: 6 starts, 6 wins, 0 seconds, 0 third
- Earnings: $3,798,000
- Interesting Fact: Trained like American Pharoah by Bob Baffert, the $500,000 Keeneland September yearling set an entirely different historical marker by becoming the first unraced 2-year-old to win the Triple Crown.
- View Justify's Horse Profile for his full story.
2015 - American Pharoah
- Sire: Pioneerof the Nile
- Dam: Littleprincessemma
- Race record: 11 starts, 9 wins, 1 second, 0 third
- Earnings: $8,650,300
- Intersting Fact: Rebounding in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) in his career finale, American Pharoah completed an unprecedented “Grand Slam.”
- View American Pharoah's Horse Profile for his full story.
1978 - Affirmed
- Sire: Exclusive Native
- Dam: Won't Tell You
- Race record: 29 starts, 22 wins, 5 seconds, 1 third
- Earnings: $2,393,818
- Interesting Fact: Affirmed lined up against Seattle Slew twice – the only clashes between Triple Crown winners in history – and lost both but took Horse of the Year honors.
- View Affirmed's Horse Profile for his full story.
1977 - Seattle Slew
- Sire: Bold Reasoning
- Dam: My Charmer
- Race record: 17 starts, 14 wins, 2 seconds, 0 third
- Earnings:
- Interesting Fact: The first Triple Crown winner to be sold at public auction, Seattle Slew brought $17,500 as a yearling at Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July.
- View Seattle Slew's Horse Profile for his full story.
1973 - Secretariat
- Sire: Bold Ruler
- Dam: Somethingroyal
- Race record: 21 starts, 16 wins, 3 seconds, 1 third
- Earnings: $1,316,808
- Interesting Fact: An historical rarity to be voted Horse of the Year at two, Secretariat was syndicated as a future stallion for a then-record $6.08 million before his 3-year-old campaign.
- View Secretariat's Horse Profile for his full story.
1948 - Citation
- Sire: Bull Lea
- Dam: Hydroplane II
- Race record: 45 starts, 32 wins, 10 seconds, 2 thirds
- Earnings: $1,085,760
- Interesting Fact: Citation missed his entire 4-year-old season with physical issues, but returned triumphant at five to notch his 16th straight win, and at six became the first horse to surpass $1 million in earnings.
- View Citation's Horse Profile for his full story.
1946 - Assault
- Sire: Bold Venture
- Dam: Igual
- Race record: 42 starts, 18 wins, 6 seconds, 7 thirds
- Earnings: $675,470
- Interesting Fact: The first Triple Crown winner born outside Kentucky, the pride of Texas’ famed King Ranch sprang an 8-1 upset in the Derby, equaling the record margin of eight lengths.
- View Assault's Horse Profile for his full story.
1943 - Count Fleet
- Sire: Reigh Count
- Dam: Quickly
- Race record: 21 starts, 16 wins, 4 seconds, 1 third
- Earnings: $250,300
- Interesting Fact: “The Fleet” was unbeatable for the rest of his brief career, reeling off 10 straight and becoming the only Triple Crown winner aside from Sir Barton to win the Withers in between jewels.
- View Count Fleet's Horse Profile for his full story.
1941 - Whirlaway
- Sire: Blenheim II
- Dam: Dustwhirl
- Race record: 60 starts, 32 wins, 15 seconds, 9 thirds
- Earnings: $561,161
- Interesting Fact: Also the first Triple Crown champion to repeat as Horse of the Year as a 4-year-old, Whirlaway served on the home front in World War II, his 22-race 1942 campaign proving a real fundraiser for war relief efforts.
- View Whirlaway's Horse Profile for his full story.
1937 - War Admiral
- Sire: Man o’ War
- Dam: Brushup
- Race record: 26 starts, 21 wins, 3 seconds, 1 third
- Earnings: $273,240
- Interesting Fact: Nicknamed the “The Mighty Atom,” the small, dark bay War Admiral looked nothing like his brawny chestnut sire Man o’ War, but he was his worthiest son.
- View War Admiral's Horse Profile for his full story.
1935 - Omaha
- Sire: Gallant Fox
- Dam: Flambino
- Race record: 22 starts, 9 wins, 7 seconds, 2 thirds
- Earnings: $154,755
- Interesting Fact: Like his sire, Omaha was also a William Woodward homebred trained by “Sunny Jim” Fitzimmons, who became the first owner/trainer tandem to celebrate a pair of crowns.
- View Omaha's Horse Profile for his full story.
1930 - Gallant Fox
- Sire: Sir Gallahad III
- Dam: Marguerite
- Race record: 17 starts, 11 wins, 3 seconds, 2 thirds
- Earnings: $328,165
- Intersting Fact: Gallant Fox achieved a feat that no other Triple Crown champion has managed: he sired a Triple Crown winner, Omaha.
- View Gallant Fox's Horse Profile for his full story.
1919 - Sir Barton
- Sire: Star Shoot
- Dam: Lady Sterling
- Race record: 31 starts, 13 wins, 6 seconds, 5 thirds
- Earnings: $116,857
- Interesting Fact: Winless going into the Kentucky Derby, Sir Barton led throughout in a five-length romp over highly regarded stablemate Billy Kelly.
- View Sir Barton's Horse Profile for his full story.
The Triple Crown winners' photos
Affirmed wins the 1978 Kentucky Derby. (Courtesy of the Kentucky Derby/Churchill Downs)
Seattle Slew winning the 1977 Kentucky Derby. (Courtesy of the Kentucky Derby/Churchill Downs)
Secretariat wins the 1973 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. (Courtesy of the Kentucky Derby/Churchill Downs)
Citation wins the 1948 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. (Courtesy of the Kentucky Derby/Churchill Downs)
Count Fleet after winning the 1943 Kentucky Derby. (Courtesy of the Kentucky Derby/Churchill Downs)
Whirlaway wins the 1941 Kentucky Derby (Courtesy of the Kentucky Derby/Churchill Downs)
War Admiral winning the 1937 Kentucky Derby. (Courtesy of the Kentucky Derby/Churchill Downs)
Omaha winning the 1935 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. (Courtesy of the Kentucky Derby/Churchill Downs)
Gallant Fox wins the 1930 Kentucky Derby (Courtesy of the Kentucky Derby/Churchill Downs)
Sir Barton wins the 1919 Kentucky Derby (Courtesy of the Kentucky Derby/Churchill Downs)
Assault wins the 1946 Kentucky Derby. (Courtesy of the Kentucky Derby/Churchill Downs)