Triple Crown Spotlight, Snapshots
America's Thoroughbred Classic Series Has Eleven Champions
May 11, 2007 BarbaraAnne Helberg
Connections and Stats: TC Winners
The eleven thoroughbreds who won the American Triple Crown between 1919 and 1978 are often compared and conversationalized. Triple Crown Spotlight articles on the triplers, plus Triple Crown Snapshots, blogs with more informal looks at the horses and the people around them, keep horse racing tradition alive for new generations.
Facts and figures, picks and pans on winners and losers in the triple champs' eras are greatly debated even today, years beyond the actual history making races. The last three-classic champion was Affirmed in 1978. The twenty-nine year drought is the longest period in history without a new triple champ emerging.
How are the champions ranked? What were their yearly records? When did they appear, and how long did they stay? Some interesting statistics follow.
1978 - Affirmed
Career Yearly Record: 1977---9 starts; 7 firsts; 2 seconds; 0 thirds; 0 unplaced (off the board);1978---11--8--2--0--1; 1979---9--7--1--1--0
Foaled: February 21, 1975, Harbor View Farm, Florida-----Died: January 12, 2001, Jonabell Farm, Lexington, Kentucky
Ranking---12th (from The Blood-Horse magazine's Top 100 Race Horses of the 20th Century)
1977 - Seattle Slew
Career Yearly Record: 1976---3--3--0--0--0; 1977---7--6--0--0--1; 1978---7--5--2--0--0
Foaled: February 15, 1974-----Died: May 7, 2002, Hill'n Dale Farm, Midway, Kentucky
Ranking---9th
1973 - Secretariat
Career Yearly Record: 1972---9--7--1--0--1; 1973---12--9--2--1--0
Foaled: March 30, 1970, Meadow Farm, Doswell, Virginia-----Died: October 4, 1989, Claiborne Farm, Kentucky
Ranking---2nd
1948 - Citation
Career Yearly Record: 1947---9--8--1--0--0; 1948---20--19--1--0--0; 1949---injured; 1950---9--2--7--0--0; 1951---7--3--1--2--1
Foaled: 1945, Calumet Farm, Lexington, Kentucky-----Died: August 8, 1970, Calumet Farm
Ranking---3rd
1946 - Assault
Career Yearly Record: 1945---9--2--2--1--4; 1946---15--8--2--3--2; 1947---7--5--1--1--0; 1948---2--1--0--0--1; 1949---6--1--1--1--3; 1950---3--1--0--1--1
Foaled: March 26, 1943, King Ranch, Kingsville, Texas-----Died: September 1, 1971, King Ranch
Ranking---33rd
1943 - Count Fleet
Career Yearly Record: 1942---15--10--4--1--0; 1943---6--6--0--0--0
Foaled: March 24, 1940, Stoner Creek Stud, Paris, Kentucky-----Died: December 3, 1973, Stoner Creek Stud
Ranking---5th
1941 - Whirlaway
Career Yearly Record: 1940---16--7--2--4--3; 1941---20--13--5--2--0; 1942---22--12--8--2--0; 1943---2--0--0--1--1
Foaled: 1938-----Died: April 6, 1953, southern Normandy, France
Ranking---26th
1937 - War Admiral
Career Yearly Record: 1936---6--3--2--1--0; 1937---8--8--0--0--0; 1938---11--9--1--0--0; 1939---1--1--0--0--0
Foaled: May 2, 1934, Faraway Farm, Lexington, Kentucky-----Died: 1959
Ranking---13th
1935 - Omaha
Career Yearly Record: 1934(United States)---9--1--4--0--4; 1935(United States)---9--6--1--2--0; 1936(England)---4--2--2--0--0
Foaled: 1932, Belair Stud, Kentucky-----Died: April 24, 1959, Nebraska(buried at AKsarben Rack Track, Omaha, Nebraska
Ranking---61st
1930 - Gallant Fox
Career Yearly Record: 1929---7--2--2--2--1; 1930---10--9--1--0--0
Foaled: 1927, Claiborne Farm, Paris, Kentucky-----Died: November 13, 1954, Claiborne Farm
Ranking---28th
1919 - Sir Barton
Career Yearly Record: 1918---6--0--1--0--5; 1919---13--8--3--2--0; 1920---12--5--2--3--2
Foaled: 1916, Madden & Gooch, breeders, Kentucky-----Died: October 30, 1937, a Laramie, Wyoming ranch--later moved and buried with honors at Washington Park, Douglas, Wyoming as first Triple Crown winner
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