Spotlight articles and Snapshot blogs bring America's eleven thoroughbred Triple Crown champions into larger focus. Learn more about the champs' historic lives.

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