Triple Crown Winners

*--* The horses who have won thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown -- victories in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes. Funny Cide can become 12th horse to accomplish the feat with a victory in the Belmont on Saturday: 1919: SIR BARTON Jockey: Johnny Loftus. Trainer: Guy Bedwell. Owner: J.K.L. Ross. Breeding: Chestnut colt by Star Shoot-Lady Sterling, by Hanover Story line: Sir Barton, still a maiden, set the pace in the Kentucky Derby and drew away to win by five lengths over stablemate Billy Kelly. He won the Preakness and the Belmont in the same fashion. Four days after the Derby, he won the Preakness by four lengths over Eternal. He set a U.S. record as well as a Belmont Stakes record by running the 1 3/8 miles in 2:17 2/5 for a five-length victory over Sweep On 1930: GALLANT FOX Jockey: Earl Sande. Trainer: James Fitzsimmons. Owner: Belair Stud. Breeding: A bay colt by Sir Gallahad III-Marguerite, by Celt Story line: Gallant Fox took the lead in the backstretch and won by two lengths over Gallant Knight in the Kentucky Derby. In the Preakness, he wore down pacesetter Crack Brigade in the stretch to win by three-quarters of a length. He completed the Triple Crown sweep with a three-length Belmont victory over Wichone. He had nine victories and a second in 10 starts as a 3-year-old 1935: OMAHA Jockey: Willie Saunders. Trainer: James Fitzsimmons. Owner: Belair Stud. Breeding: Chestnut colt by Gallant Fox-Flambino, by Wrack Story line: Omaha was born from the first crop by Gallant Fox, making them the only father-son combination to win the Triple Crown. In the Kentucky Derby, he was the second favorite to Nellie Flag, a filly, and closed fast to win by 1 1/2 lengths over Roman Soldier. Omaha came back a week later as the favorite in the Preakness and won by six lengths over Firethorn. He then overtook Firethorn in the stretch in the Belmont to win by 1 1/2 lengths 1937: WAR ADMIRAL Jockey: Charles Kurtsinger. Trainer: George Conway. Owner: Glen Riddle Farm. Breeding: Brown colt by Man o’ War-Brushup, by Sweep Story line: War Admiral won all eight of his starts as a 3-year-old and became the first Triple Crown winner to go unbeaten in his sophomore year. He took an early lead in the Kentucky Derby and beat Pompoon by 1 3/4 lengths. A week later in the Preakness, War Admiral and Pompoon hooked up in a terrific duel in the stretch. War Admiral held a slight lead throughout the stretch to win by a head. The Belmont was War Admiral’s easiest race of the three, as he posted a three-length victory over Sceneshifter 1941: WHIRLAWAY Jockey: Eddie Arcaro. Trainer: Ben Jones. Owner: Calumet Farm. Breeding: Chestnut colt by Blenheim II-Dustwhirl, by Sweep Story line: As a 2-year-old, Whirlaway had a tendency to run toward the outside rail when going around turns, but was cured when trainer Jones devised a blinker that prevented him from seeing the outside rail. In the Kentucky Derby, Whirlaway used a powerful stretch run for an eight-length victory and shaved Twenty Grand’s record race time of 2:01 4/5 to 2:01 2/5, a record he held for 21 years. A week later in the Preakness, he came from seventh place to take the lead at the quarter-mile mark and win by 5 1/2 lengths over King Cole. Only three horses challenged Whirlaway in the Belmont, and he won by 2 1/2 lengths 1943: COUNT FLEET Jockey: Johnny Longden. Trainer: Don Cameron. Owner: Mrs. John D. Hertz. Breeding: Brown colt by Reigh Count-Quickly, by Haste Story line: Count Fleet was the favorite in each of the Triple Crown races and led all three wire-to-wire. He posted a three-length victory in the Kentucky Derby and an eight-length victory in the Preakness, besting Blue Swords both times. Count Fleet then unleashed a powerful performance in the Belmont, winning by 25 lengths. The Belmont was his final race when it was discovered he had a bowed tendon in his right foreleg 1946: ASSAULT Jockey: Warren Mehrtens. Trainer: Max Hirsch. Owner: King Ranch. Breeding: Chestnut colt by Bold Venture-Igual, by Equipoise Story line: Assault overcame a crippled hoof and lackluster 2-year-old campaign (two victories in nine starts) to make his Triple Crown mark. He went off at 8-1 odds in the Kentucky Derby and won by eight lengths. Assault was the favorite for the first time in his career in the Preakness. He hung on to finish a neck ahead of Lord Boswell after having a four-length lead in the stretch. In the Belmont, Assault was trailing Natchez by five lengths at the eighth pole and came on in the final furlong to win by three lengths 1948: CITATION Jockey: Eddie Arcaro. Trainer: Jimmy Jones. Owner: Calumet Farm. Breeding: Bay colt by Bull Lea-Hydroplane II, by Hyperion Story line: Citation had 19 victories and a second in 20 starts as a 3-year-old -- his only loss was to Saggy in the Chesapeake Trial Stakes. Stablemate Coaltown set the pace in the Kentucky Derby and Citation took the lead at the top of the stretch and coasted to a 3 1/2-length victory. In the Preakness, he led wire-to-wire in a 5 1/2-length victory. He again led wire-to-wire in the Belmont and won by eight lengths over Better Self 1973: SECRETARIAT Jockey: Ron Turcotte. Trainer: Lucien Laurin. Owner: Meadow Stable. Breeding: Chestnut colt by Bold Ruler-Somethingroyal, by Princequillo Story line: The first Triple Crown winner in 25 years captured the attention of a nation as he set two world records, two track records and tied another as a 3-year-old. He became the only Kentucky Derby winner to finish under two minutes with a 1:59 2/5 clocking, passing rivals on the outside for a 2 1/2-length victory over Sham. Secretariat beat Sham by the same margin in the Preakness. He then posted what’s considered the greatest feat in thoroughbred racing with a 31-length victory in the Belmont Stakes. Secretariat set a world record time of 2:24 for the 1 1/2 miles, shattering Gallant Man’s record by 2 2/5seconds 1977: SEATTLE SLEW Jockey: Jean Cruguet. Trainer: Ben S. Castleman. Owner: Karen Taylor. Breeding: Dark brown colt by Bold Reasoning-My Charmer, by Poker Story line: Seattle Slew was purchased for $17,500 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Sales and was later given a world-record book value of $12 million in 1978 when a half interest was sold for $6 million. He is the only Triple Crown winner to race through the series with an unbeaten record. In the Kentucky Derby, Seattle Slew took the lead from For The Moment at the top of the stretch and held off Run Dusty Run for a 1 3/4-length victory. He ran the fastest first mile in the Preakness at 1:34 4/5 and held off a challenge by Iron Constitution for a 1 1/2-length victory. Seattle Slew then went wire-to-wire in the Belmont , posting a four-length victory over Run Dusty Run 1978: AFFIRMED Jockey: Steve Cauthen. Trainer: Laz Barrera. Owner: Harbor View. Breeding: Chest. colt by Exclusive Native-Won’t Tell You, by Crafty Admiral Story line: Followed Seattle Slew’s triumph in 1977 to mark the only back-to-back Triple Crown winners. Affirmed also had the toughest road to the Triple Crown, beating Alydar in all three races by a combined margin of less than two lengths. Affirmed came off the pace to win the Kentucky Derby by 1 1/2 lengths, the largest margin of the series. He withstood a late challenge by Alydar to win by a neck in the Preakness. In the Belmont, Affirmed and Alydar staged a classic head-to-head duel, with Affirmed winning by a head

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