Triple Crown Winners: Every Horse to Complete the Historic Sweep
Only 13 Triple Crown winners have captured the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes in the same season. Sir Barton became the first in 1919, while Justify remains the most recent after completing the sweep in 2018.
The achievement demands more than raw speed. A three-year-old must handle three major races over different distances, at different tracks and within a demanding five-week period. Some winners dominated from the front. Others survived close finishes, changing conditions or rivals specifically prepared to stop them in the Belmont Stakes.
Complete List of American Triple Crown Winners
| Year | Horse | Trainer | Jockey |
| 1919 | Sir Barton | H. Guy Bedwell | Johnny Loftus |
| 1930 | Gallant Fox | James Fitzsimmons | Earl Sande |
| 1935 | Omaha | James Fitzsimmons | Willie Saunders |
| 1937 | War Admiral | George Conway | Charles Kurtsinger |
| 1941 | Whirlaway | Ben A. Jones | Eddie Arcaro |
| 1943 | Count Fleet | Don Cameron | Johnny Longden |
| 1946 | Assault | Max Hirsch | Warren Mehrtens |
| 1948 | Citation | Ben A. Jones | Eddie Arcaro |
| 1973 | Secretariat | Lucien Laurin | Ron Turcotte |
| 1977 | Seattle Slew | William H. Turner Jr. | Jean Cruguet |
| 1978 | Affirmed | Laz Barrera | Steve Cauthen |
| 2015 | American Pharoah | Bob Baffert | Victor Espinoza |
| 2018 | Justify | Bob Baffert | Mike Smith |
The list contains several remarkable patterns. James Fitzsimmons and Bob Baffert each trained two winners. Eddie Arcaro remains the only jockey to ride two different horses through the full series. Gallant Fox also became the only Triple Crown champion to sire another winner of the same title when Omaha completed the sweep five years later.
Justify Ended His Career Unbeaten in 2018
Justify entered racing history after a remarkably short campaign. The chestnut colt did not race as a two-year-old, yet progressed quickly enough to win the Santa Anita Derby before defeating a large field in the Kentucky Derby.
He then survived a close, fog-covered Preakness at Pimlico. In the Belmont Stakes, Mike Smith sent Justify directly to the lead and controlled the pace. Gronkowski closed from the back of the field, but Justify maintained enough of an advantage to complete the Triple Crown.
Pedigree: Scat Daddy – Stage Magic, by Ghostzapper
Owner group: China Horse Club, Head of Plains Partners, Starlight Racing and WinStar Farm
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Jockey: Mike Smith
Justify became the 13th Triple Crown winner and only the second undefeated horse to complete the series after Seattle Slew.
American Pharoah Ended a 37-Year Wait
American Pharoah’s 2015 campaign ended the longest gap between Triple Crown winners. No horse had completed the sweep since Affirmed in 1978, despite numerous runners arriving at Belmont Park with victories in the first two legs.
American Pharoah won the Kentucky Derby after a demanding stretch drive and handled a rain-soaked Preakness with ease. In the Belmont Stakes, Victor Espinoza placed him at the front and gradually increased the pressure on the chasing field.
The colt pulled away in the final stretch, turning a tense historical opportunity into a decisive victory.
Pedigree: Pioneerof the Nile – Littleprincessemma, by Yankee Gentleman
Owner: Zayat Stables
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Jockey: Victor Espinoza
Later that year, American Pharoah also won the Breeders’ Cup Classic. That additional victory created what became known as the Grand Slam of Thoroughbred racing.
Affirmed Survived One of Racing’s Greatest Rivalries
Affirmed’s Triple Crown cannot be separated from Alydar. The two colts met in all three races in 1978, finishing first and second each time.
Affirmed won the Kentucky Derby by one and a half lengths. The Preakness margin was narrower, with Alydar finishing only a neck behind. Their Belmont confrontation became a prolonged duel that began well before the final turn.
Steve Cauthen kept Affirmed narrowly in front while Alydar applied constant pressure. The horses raced almost level through the stretch, but Affirmed held on by a head.
Pedigree: Exclusive Native – Won’t Tell You, by Crafty Admiral
Owner: Harbor View Farm
Trainer: Laz Barrera
Jockey: Steve Cauthen
Cauthen was only 18 years old, making him the youngest jockey to win the American Triple Crown.
Seattle Slew Was the First Unbeaten Champion
Seattle Slew arrived at the 1977 Kentucky Derby without a defeat. His Derby began badly when he broke slowly and had to force his way into position, but he recovered and won.
The Preakness demonstrated his tactical speed, while the Belmont became a test of whether he could control a longer race. Jean Cruguet placed Seattle Slew near the lead and allowed him to settle before drawing clear.
Pedigree: Bold Reasoning – My Charmer, by Poker
Owners: Mickey and Karen Taylor with Jim and Sally Hill
Trainer: William H. Turner Jr.
Jockey: Jean Cruguet
Seattle Slew became the first horse to win the Triple Crown while still undefeated. His racing record and later influence as a sire strengthened his place among the most important American Thoroughbreds.
Secretariat Redefined the Belmont Stakes
Secretariat’s 1973 Belmont Stakes remains the most famous performance associated with the Triple Crown.
After setting a track record in the Kentucky Derby and surviving an unusual official timing controversy in the Preakness, Secretariat faced five rivals in the Belmont. Ron Turcotte allowed him to race alongside Sham through an extremely fast opening section.
Instead of weakening, Secretariat continued to accelerate. He won by 31 lengths and completed the 1½-mile race in 2:24, a record that still stands.
Pedigree: Bold Ruler – Somethingroyal, by Princequillo
Owner: Meadow Stable
Trainer: Lucien Laurin
Jockey: Ron Turcotte
The performance made Secretariat the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years and established a benchmark that later Belmont winners have never matched.
Citation Completed a Dominant 1948 Campaign
Citation was already regarded as an exceptional racehorse before the Triple Crown began. He won the Kentucky Derby comfortably, defeated stablemate Coaltown in the Preakness and arrived at Belmont as the clear favourite.
In the final leg, Citation moved to the lead and resisted a challenge from Better Self before drawing away again. His victory made him the eighth winner of the series.
Pedigree: Bull Lea – Hydroplane II, by Hyperion
Owner: Calumet Farm
Trainer: Ben A. Jones
Jockey: Eddie Arcaro
Citation extended his winning sequence after the classics and became the first American Thoroughbred to earn more than $1 million during his career.
Assault Was the “Club-Footed Comet”
Assault overcame a significant hoof injury suffered as a young horse. The damage left his right front hoof misshapen and contributed to an uneven walking gait, although it did not prevent him from competing at the highest level.
He won the 1946 Kentucky Derby by eight lengths before taking the Preakness in a much closer finish. In the Belmont, Assault briefly appeared vulnerable but regained momentum and pulled clear.
Pedigree: Bold Venture – Igual, by Equipoise
Owner: King Ranch
Trainer: Max Hirsch
Jockey: Warren Mehrtens
Assault remains the only Texas-bred horse to complete the American Triple Crown.
Count Fleet Overwhelmed His Competition
Count Fleet entered the 1943 classics as the dominant colt of his generation. He won the Kentucky Derby by three lengths and the Preakness by eight.
Only two opponents challenged him in the Belmont Stakes. Count Fleet controlled the race and won by 25 lengths, completing one of the most commanding Triple Crown campaigns.
Pedigree: Reigh Count – Quickly, by Haste
Owner: Fannie Hertz
Trainer: Don Cameron
Jockey: Johnny Longden
Count Fleet suffered an injury during the Belmont and never raced again. His brief career nevertheless secured his reputation, while his later stud record extended his influence through future generations.
Whirlaway Was Famous for His Late-Race Charge
Whirlaway was talented but difficult to control. He had a tendency to drift wide, forcing trainer Ben Jones to experiment with his equipment and preparation.
In the Kentucky Derby, Eddie Arcaro guided Whirlaway through the field before the colt accelerated sharply and won by eight lengths. He followed with a Preakness victory and faced only three opponents in the Belmont.
Whirlaway moved to the front before the final turn and finished comfortably ahead.
Pedigree: Blenheim II – Dustwhirl, by Sweep
Owner: Calumet Farm
Trainer: Ben A. Jones
Jockey: Eddie Arcaro
Whirlaway later became the first Triple Crown winner to earn Horse of the Year honours in two separate seasons.
War Admiral Won the Belmont Despite an Injury
War Admiral was a son of Man o’ War, one of the most influential racehorses in American history. Smaller than his famous sire, he built his own reputation through speed and determination.
He won the Kentucky Derby from the front and survived a close Preakness. At Belmont, War Admiral struck the starting gate and injured his right front hoof as the race began.
Despite bleeding during the contest, he led throughout and completed the Triple Crown.
Pedigree: Man o’ War – Brushup, by Sweep
Owner: Glen Riddle Farm
Trainer: George Conway
Jockey: Charles Kurtsinger
War Admiral is also remembered for his 1938 match race against Seabiscuit, although that defeat came after his championship season.
Omaha Followed His Father Gallant Fox
Omaha became the third Triple Crown winner in 1935. His achievement carried an unusual bloodline connection: his sire, Gallant Fox, had completed the same series in 1930.
Omaha won a muddy Kentucky Derby, handled another wet track in the Preakness and faced four opponents in the Belmont. Willie Saunders allowed him to settle behind the early pace before moving forward and winning comfortably.
Pedigree: Gallant Fox – Flambino, by Wrack
Owner: Belair Stud
Trainer: James Fitzsimmons
Jockey: Willie Saunders
The Gallant Fox–Omaha pairing remains the only father-and-son combination among American Triple Crown winners.
Gallant Fox Established the Fitzsimmons Legacy
Gallant Fox entered the 1930 Kentucky Derby after winning the Wood Memorial. He captured the Preakness, which was held before the Derby that year, and then added the Kentucky classic.
At Belmont Park, Earl Sande kept Gallant Fox close to the pace before taking control. The victory completed the second recognized sweep of the three races.
Pedigree: Sir Gallahad III – Marguerite, by Celt
Owner: Belair Stud
Trainer: James Fitzsimmons
Jockey: Earl Sande
Five years later, Fitzsimmons trained Omaha to the same achievement, making him the first trainer with two Triple Crown winners.
Sir Barton Became the First Before the Title Existed
Sir Barton won the three races in 1919, before the term “Triple Crown” had become established in American racing.
He entered the Kentucky Derby as a maiden and was expected to set the pace for stablemate Billy Kelly. Instead, Sir Barton led throughout and won. Four days later, he captured the Preakness Stakes.
His Belmont victory came over a smaller field, completing what was later recognized as the first American Triple Crown.
Pedigree: Star Shoot – Lady Sterling, by Hanover
Owner: J. K. L. Ross
Trainer: H. Guy Bedwell
Jockey: Johnny Loftus
Sir Barton’s achievement was formally recognized retrospectively once the three races became widely understood as a unified championship series.
Why the Triple Crown Is So Difficult to Win
The challenge comes from the complete sequence rather than any single race.
The Kentucky Derby places a large field of three-year-olds into a demanding 1¼-mile contest at Churchill Downs. Two weeks later, the Preakness requires horses to return over a shorter distance at Pimlico. The Belmont traditionally tests stamina in the final leg.
A contender must remain healthy, recover quickly and adapt tactically. The horse may face different track conditions, pace scenarios and rivals in each race. Some fresh competitors skip the Derby or Preakness and enter the Belmont specifically to defeat the Triple Crown challenger.
The historical gaps show the scale of the task. Twenty-five years separated Citation and Secretariat. Another 37 years passed between Affirmed and American Pharoah.
The Records Behind the 13 Champions
Several people and bloodlines appear more than once in Triple Crown history:
- Bob Baffert trained American Pharoah and Justify.
- James Fitzsimmons trained Gallant Fox and Omaha.
- Eddie Arcaro rode Whirlaway and Citation.
- Ben Jones trained Whirlaway and Citation, although Citation was officially associated with the Calumet training operation managed by Jones.
- Calumet Farm owned Whirlaway and Citation.
- Gallant Fox sired Omaha.
- Seattle Slew and Justify completed the series while undefeated.
As of 2026, the official list still contains 13 horses. No winner has been added since Justify in 2018.
The Standard Every New Generation Must Meet
Every spring creates new speculation about the next Triple Crown winner. The conversation becomes serious only after one horse wins both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness.
The Belmont then changes the test. The pressure increases, the field may include rested rivals, and the final distance demands a different balance of speed and stamina.
That is why the list remains short. Thirteen horses have managed to win all three races, but each did it through a different combination of pace, durability, tactical position and racing ability. The names range from Sir Barton to Justify, yet the requirement has remained the same: win every leg when there is no opportunity to try again.
