The last of the Triple Crown’s three stakes races will be run at Belmont Park tomorrow. In the history of the Triple Crown, its winners number only eleven–will there be a twelfth added to this illustrious group of thoroughbreds on Saturday? If American Pharoah wins the Belmont Stakes, he’ll be the first to take the crown since 1978. As you’ll read below, it was not until War Admiral’s win in 1937 that the term “Triple Crown” was used to describe the “great turf stakes of the season.” Here’s a look back at the eleven horses who managed the exceptional feat as seen through the Richmond Times Dispatch:
Sir Barton, 1919
Richmond Times Dispatch, 12 June 1919.
Gallant Fox, 1930
Richmond Planet, 08 June 1930.
Omaha, 1935
Richmond Times Dispatch, 09 June 1935.
War Admiral, 1937
Richmond Planet, 06 June 1937.
Richmond Planet, 06 June 1937.
Whirlaway, 1941
Richmond Planet, 08 June 1941.
Count Fleet, 1943
Richmond Planet, 06 June 1943.
Assault, 1946
Richmond Planet, 02 June 1946.
Citation, 1948
Richmond Planet, 13 June 1948.
Secretariat, 1973
Richmond Planet, 10 June 1973.
Richmond Planet, 10 June 1973.
Richmond Planet, 10 June 1973.
Seattle Slew, 1977
Richmond Planet, 12 June 1977.
Affirmed, 1978
American Pharaoh did it!!! It was interesting to see all but one of these great athletes had “easy” Belmont wins.