Triple Crown guide, Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes
Triple Crown

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The Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes have some of the best traditions in sports, and there's few things more exciting than watching a young horse try for the Triple Crown.

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Background

The Triple Crown represents the pinnacle of achievement in American horse racing, and its winners are celebrated as legends of the sport, immortalizing their names in the annals of racing history.

1. The Kentucky Derby: The first leg of the Triple Crown, held on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. This race, also known as "The Run for the Roses," covers a distance of 1¼ miles (2,012 meters) and has been a prominent event since its inception in 1875.

2. The Preakness Stakes: The second leg takes place two weeks after the Kentucky Derby at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. Dubbed "The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans," this race has been held since 1873 and covers a slightly shorter distance of 1 3/16 miles (1,911 meters).

3. The Belmont Stakes: The final leg, held three weeks after the Preakness Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Known as "The Test of the Champion," this race has been run since 1867 and is the most demanding of the three, covering a distance of 1½ miles (2,414 meters).

Winning the Triple Crown is a rare and challenging feat, requiring a horse to possess exceptional speed, stamina, and versatility to triumph in these three races with varying distances and conditions. Since the first Triple Crown winner, Sir Barton, in 1919, only 13 horses have managed to capture this prestigious title. Some notable winners include Secretariat (1973), who set remarkable time records in all three races, and American Pharoah (2015), who ended a 37-year Triple Crown drought.


Resources

Official Site of the Kentucky Derby
Go to this site, watch and listen to the famous races and photo finishes of the Derby’s colorful history. View countless pictures and read up on the contenders and the Derby history as well, or kill some time at work by clicking on the “Derby Experience” to find out who will be sitting on millionaire’s row watching the horses blaze by. And most importantly, learn how to make that famous mint julep!

Official Site of the Preakness Stakes
The official site of the 130th Preakness Stakes still needs some updating for the 2005 race. But you will find news, ticket information and racing history. Click on the “Preakness Celebration 2005” icon in the top left to take you to this year’s festivities, and use the interactive calendar to follow events up to race day. The “Visitor and Local Information” link needs to be updated but check back if you are planning that road trip.

Official Site of the Belmont Stakes
You’ll of course find all the history of the Belmont Stakes on the race’s official site, including comprehensive lists of all the jockeys, trainers and owners as well as the event’s all-time records. Plus, you can access various photos and video, find info on Belmont Park and pick up your official Belmont Stakes merchandise.

Triple Crown links
This isn’t the most visually stimulating site but it has comprehensive and interesting information. Read about the 11 Triple Crown winners and those who won the first two races but couldn’t get the job done at the Belmont. And who were the spoilers that came out of no where in the Belmont? See pictures and facts for the 2005 contenders, and keep up on your trivia and the latest injury reports for 2005.

BloodHorse.com
This is the horse racers’ magazine online version. See racing news, auction updates, breeding/sire lists, comprehensive calendars for industry events, stakes, sales, races, televised events and more. Go to the home page and click on “Triple Crown Mania” for the latest on the run up to the derby. Go to the “contenders” page for a detailed listing of each horse, its trainer and earning history to find out who you’d like to throw down on.

Kentucky Derby Party Information
Here is all your party information for the Derby. You will find recipes for all of those great drinks and food dishes, recipes and more recipes. Get party planning tips and ideas, order invitations, follow the links to buy supplies, order Kentucky Derby music or a t-shirt.


Videos

Secretariat's Triple Crown Races. It's amazing how great this horse performed in these races.

This is a fun simulation - Kentucky Derby 2020 at Home: All Triple Crown winners compete in Triple Crown Showdown.


Articles

Enjoy dressing up with your date at the Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is more than just a horse race. It's an event. Dress appropriately!

What factors make it difficult to win the Triple Crown?
Only 13 horse have parlayed a Kentucky Derby win into a Triple Crown.

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