The Triple Crown Race Winners, History & Facts

Last updated: March 20, 2023

Discover the Triple Crown winners and learn about the three jewels comprising the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred horse racing.

Triple Crown Winners

What horses have won the Triple Crown? Below you will find a list in order of most recent, to the earliest.

Please click on a name to jump to a section with more information on each horse!

2018 – Justify
2015 – American Pharoah
1978 – Affirmed
1977 – Seattle Slew
1973 – Secretariat
1948 – Citation
1946 – Assault
1943 – Count Fleet
1941 – Whirlaway
1937 – War Admiral
1935 – Omaha
1930 – Gallant Fox
1919 – Sir Barton

Download our free PDF to Meet the Triple Crown Winners

What races are in the Triple Crown?

The Triple Crown has featured the same three races, be races themselves have shifted in dates over the century. Learn more about the histories and significance of each major Classic in Thoroughbred horse racing.

Kentucky Derby
- Held at Churchill Downs Racetrack in Kentucky
Preakness Stakes
- Held at Pimlico Park Racetrack in Maryland
Belmont Stakes
- Held at Belmont Park Racetrack in New York

What should I know about the Triple Crown winners?

REILLY: Key facts on Triple Crown winners

REILLY: Pedigree fun facts: Triple Crown winners

2018 – Justify

Sire: Scat Daddy
Dam: Stage Magic
Race record: 6 starts, 6 wins, 0 seconds, 0 third
Earnings: $3,798,000
Interesting Fact: Trained like American Pharoah by Bob Baffert, the $500,000 Keeneland September yearling set an entirely different historical marker by becoming the first unraced 2-year-old to win the Triple Crown.
View Justify’s Horse Profile for his full story.

2015 – American Pharoah

Sire: Pioneerof the Nile
Dam: Littleprincessemma
Race record: 11 starts, 9 wins, 1 second, 0 third
Earnings: $8,650,300
Intersting Fact: Rebounding in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) in his career finale, American Pharoah completed an unprecedented “Grand Slam.”
View American Pharoah’s Horse Profile for his full story.

1978 – Affirmed

Sire: Exclusive Native
Dam: Won’t Tell You
Race record: 29 starts, 22 wins, 5 seconds, 1 third
Earnings: $2,393,818
Interesting Fact: Affirmed lined up against Seattle Slew twice – the only clashes between Triple Crown winners in history – and lost both but took Horse of the Year honors.
View Affirmed’s Horse Profile for his full story.

1977 – Seattle Slew

Sire: Bold Reasoning
Dam: My Charmer
Race record: 17 starts, 14 wins, 2 seconds, 0 third
Earnings:
Interesting Fact: The first Triple Crown winner to be sold at public auction, Seattle Slew brought $17,500 as a yearling at Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July.
View Seattle Slew’s Horse Profile for his full story.

1973 – Secretariat

Sire: Bold Ruler
Dam: Somethingroyal
Race record: 21 starts, 16 wins, 3 seconds, 1 third
Earnings: $1,316,808
Interesting Fact: An historical rarity to be voted Horse of the Year at two, Secretariat was syndicated as a future stallion for a then-record $6.08 million before his 3-year-old campaign.
View Secretariat’s Horse Profile for his full story.

1948 – Citation

Sire: Bull Lea
Dam: Hydroplane II
Race record: 45 starts, 32 wins, 10 seconds, 2 thirds
Earnings: $1,085,760
Interesting Fact: Citation missed his entire 4-year-old season with physical issues, but returned triumphant at five to notch his 16th straight win, and at six became the first horse to surpass $1 million in earnings.
View Citation’s Horse Profile for his full story.

1946 – Assault

Sire: Bold Venture
Dam: Igual
Race record: 42 starts, 18 wins, 6 seconds, 7 thirds
Earnings: $675,470
Interesting Fact: The first Triple Crown winner born outside Kentucky, the pride of Texas’ famed King Ranch sprang an 8-1 upset in the Derby, equaling the record margin of eight lengths.
View Assault’s Horse Profile for his full story.

1943 – Count Fleet

Sire: Reigh Count
Dam: Quickly
Race record: 21 starts, 16 wins, 4 seconds, 1 third
Earnings: $250,300
Interesting Fact: “The Fleet” was unbeatable for the rest of his brief career, reeling off 10 straight and becoming the only Triple Crown winner aside from Sir Barton to win the Withers in between jewels.
View Count Fleet’s Horse Profile for his full story.

1941 – Whirlaway

Sire: Blenheim II
Dam: Dustwhirl
Race record: 60 starts, 32 wins, 15 seconds, 9 thirds
Earnings: $561,161
Interesting Fact: Also the first Triple Crown champion to repeat as Horse of the Year as a 4-year-old, Whirlaway served on the home front in World War II, his 22-race 1942 campaign proving a real fundraiser for war relief efforts.
View Whirlaway’s Horse Profile for his full story.

1937 – War Admiral

Sire: Man o’ War
Dam: Brushup
Race record: 26 starts, 21 wins, 3 seconds, 1 third
Earnings: $273,240
Interesting Fact: Nicknamed the “The Mighty Atom,” the small, dark bay War Admiral looked nothing like his brawny chestnut sire Man o’ War, but he was his worthiest son.
View War Admiral’s Horse Profile for his full story.

1935 – Omaha

Sire: Gallant Fox
Dam: Flambino
Race record: 22 starts, 9 wins, 7 seconds, 2 thirds
Earnings: $154,755
Interesting Fact: Like his sire, Omaha was also a William Woodward homebred trained by “Sunny Jim” Fitzimmons, who became the first owner/trainer tandem to celebrate a pair of crowns.
View Omaha’s Horse Profile for his full story.

1930 – Gallant Fox

Sire: Sir Gallahad III
Dam: Marguerite
Race record: 17 starts, 11 wins, 3 seconds, 2 thirds
Earnings: $328,165
Intersting Fact: Gallant Fox achieved a feat that no other Triple Crown champion has managed: he sired a Triple Crown winner, Omaha.
View Gallant Fox’s Horse Profile for his full story.

1919 – Sir Barton

Sire: Star Shoot
Dam: Lady Sterling
Race record: 31 starts, 13 wins, 6 seconds, 5 thirds
Earnings: $116,857
Interesting Fact: Winless going into the Kentucky Derby, Sir Barton led throughout in a five-length romp over highly regarded stablemate Billy Kelly.
View Sir Barton’s Horse Profile for his full story.