Triple Crown horse racing events are some of the most important horse races in a particular country. They include three races for three-year-old Thoroughbreds, and if a horse manages to finish first in all of them, then it has won the Triple Crown, which is one of the biggest achievements in horse racing. One of the reasons for that is because it happens very rarely. The first time a horse won the Triple Crown was in 1853 in England when West Australia was victorious in the 2,000 Guineas Stakes, the St. Leger Stakes, and the Epsom Derby. Here are some of the countries which have their versions of the Triple Crown horse racing events:
Events of the UK Triple Crown
As we mentioned earlier, the English Triple Crown was the one which originated first and inspired many other events across the world. It consists of the following races:
The 2,000 Guineas Stakes takes place at the Newmarket Racecourse during the end of April or the beginning of May. Some weeks later, the Epsom Derby is held at the Epsom Downs Racecourse. It has a reputation for being the most important race out of these three and its history dates back to 1780. The last race is the St. Leger Stakes which is held in September at the Doncaster Racecourse. It has the longest history of the Triple Crown racing events – the first race took place in 1776.
Overall, fifteen horses have managed to win the UK Triple Crown, but only one of them did it after the Second World War – Nijinsky in 1970. Since then, the only horse to even come close to replicating this was Camelot in 2012. After winning the first two events, the horse finished second even though he was a favourite.
However, that is not the only Triple Crown in Britain. There are also races for fillies like the 1,000 Guineas Stakes, the St. Leger Stakes, and the Epsom Oaks. Nine horses have won all three races, the most recent attempt being in 1950.
US Triple Crown Horse Racing Events
The US Triple Crown was officially established in 1919, even though the races existed long before that. The three events are:
One of the most famous horse racing events across the whole world is the Kentucky Derby. It is held in Louisville at the Churchill Downs Racecourse during the first Saturday of May. The first event dates back from 1875. Two weeks after the Kentucky Derby comes the Preakness Stakes. The day of the race is the third Saturday of May, and the venue is Baltimore’s Pimlico Racecourse.
The Belmont Stakes comes three weeks after the Preakness and is run on the first or second Saturday of June at the Belmont Park Racecourse located in New York. It is the oldest race of the three – dating back to 1867.
Sir Barton was the first horse that finished first in all US Triple Crown Horse Racing Events, but since then only eleven horses managed to reach this achievement. The last one to do so was called American Pharaoh and did it in 2015.
California Chrome almost won the Triple Crown in 2014, but it was fourth in the Belmont Stakes. He would have been the first horse to win it since 1978. The only trainer to have won the US Triple Crown with different horses is called Jim Fitzsimmons.
Australian Triple Crown
The Australian Triple Crown was created in 1935, and all its races are held in Sydney – one at the Rosehill Gardens Racecourse, and two at the Royal Randwick Racecourse. The horses that have finished first in all three races are Moorland, Martello Towers, Imagele, and Octaganol. The names of the racing events are the Randwick Guineas (which replaced the Canterbury Guineas in 2005), and the AJC Australian Derby.
Canadian Triple Crown
Surprisingly, the Canadian Triple Crown Horse Racing Events accept geldings, and each race is held on a different surface. It has been around since 1959, and seven horses have won all three races. The events in the Canadian region are the Queen’s Plate, the Prince of Wales Stakes, and the Breeder’s Stakes.
Hong Kong Triple Crown
There is only one winner of the Hong Kong Triple Crown Horse Racing Events, but that is because the event is relatively new and was formed in 1992. That horse is called River Verdon and the year was 1994.
The Jockey Club of Hong Kong has a big bonus for the owners of horses that have won the Triple Crown, and also for the horses which win two out of the three races, which are the Steward’s Cup, the Hong Kong Gold Cup, and the Hong Kong Champions & Chater Cup.
Japan Triple Crown
Shinzan was the horse that won the first Japan Triple Crown in 1940. Since then, six more horses have done it, the most recent one being Orfevre in 2011. The races which are a part of the Japan Triple Crown are the Satsuki Sho, the Tokyo Yushun, and the Kikuka Sho.
Irish Triple Crown
The Triple Crown in Ireland followed the example of the British one and was created in 1920. The two horses that have won it are called Windsor Slipper and Museum. The three races include the Irish 2,000 Guineas, the Irish Derby, and the Irish St. Leger.
Other Triple Crown Races
Some of the countries which have their crown events include France, Turkey, Italy, Germany, Macau, Argentina, Venezuela, Chile, Panama, and Puerto Rico.
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