Thirteen horses have won the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes in the same year, the American Triple Crown. The most recent was Justify, in 2018; the gap since is the longest in the Triple Crown's modern era (every winner from 1930 to 1948 was separated by at most seven years). Secretariat's 1973 sweep, including a 31-length, 2:24.00 Belmont that remains the race's speed record, is still the standard every later winner is measured against.

All 13 Triple Crown winners

Triple Crown winners, 1919 to 2018

13 rows
YearHorseJockeyTrainerOwnerBelmont time
1919Sir BartonJohnny LoftusH. Guy BedwellJ. K. L. Ross
1930Gallant FoxEarl SandeJim FitzsimmonsBelair Stud
1935OmahaWillie SaundersJim FitzsimmonsBelair Stud
1937War AdmiralCharley KurtsingerGeorge ConwayGlen Riddle Farms
1941WhirlawayEddie ArcaroBen JonesCalumet Farm
1943Count FleetJohnny LongdenDon CameronFannie Hertz
1946AssaultWarren MehrtensMax HirschKing Ranch
1948CitationEddie ArcaroBen JonesCalumet Farm
1973SecretariatRon TurcotteLucien LaurinMeadow Stable2:24.00
1977Seattle SlewJean CruguetBilly Turner Jr.Karen Taylor
1978AffirmedSteve CauthenLaz BarreraHarbor View Farm
2015American PharoahVictor EspinozaBob BaffertZayat Stables2:26.65
2018JustifyMike SmithBob BaffertChina Horse Club, Head of Plains Partners, Starlight Racing, WinStar Farm2:28.18

Belmont times are given only where confirmed against a results report; left blank elsewhere rather than guessed. No horse won the Triple Crown between 1948 (Citation) and 1973 (Secretariat), a 25-year gap, or between 1978 (Affirmed) and 2015 (American Pharoah), a 37-year gap.

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The 22 that came up short at the Belmont

Winning the Derby and the Preakness is hard enough that only a horse with a real shot at the Triple Crown gets to try the Belmont with the title on the line. Most of them don't make it. Since 1932, 22 horses have won the first two legs and then lost, didn't finish, or didn't even start the Belmont.

Won the Derby and Preakness, missed the Belmont

22 rows
YearHorseWhat happened at the Belmont
1932Burgoo KingDid not start (tendon injury)
1936Bold VentureDid not start (bowed tendon, retired)
1944Pensive2nd, beaten less than half a length by Bounding Home
1958Tim Tam2nd, fractured a sesamoid bone during the race
1964Northern Dancer3rd, six lengths behind Quadrangle
1966Kauai King4th
1968Forward Pass2nd, beaten a length and a half by Stage Door Johnny
1969Majestic Prince2nd, beaten 5 1/2 lengths by Arts and Letters
1971Canonero II4th
1979Spectacular Bid3rd
1981Pleasant Colony3rd
1987Alysheba4th, 14 1/4 lengths behind
1989Sunday Silence2nd to Easy Goer
1997Silver Charm2nd, beaten three-quarters of a length
1998Real Quiet2nd, beaten a nose
1999Charismatic3rd
2002War Emblem8th
2003Funny Cide3rd
2004Smarty Jones2nd
2008Big BrownDid not finish, eased in the stretch
2012I'll Have AnotherScratched the day before (tendon injury)
2014California Chrome4th (dead heat)

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The 2027 series

The 2027 Triple Crown

  1. Sat, May 1
    Kentucky Derby

    Churchill Downs, 1 1/4 miles.

  2. Sun, May 23
    Preakness Stakes

    Pimlico, 22 days after the Derby, the first Triple Crown race ever run on a Sunday.

  3. Sat, Jun 5
    Belmont Stakes

    The new Belmont Park, 13 days after the Preakness.

The spacing between the three races changes for 2027: 22 days from the Derby to the Preakness, then 13 from the Preakness to the Belmont, a different gap than the five weeks the series has run on in recent years.