How Many Triple Crown Winners Have Raced In Preakness?
Just two weeks after Mage came away with an upset win at the Kentucky Derby — with 15-1 closing odds at Churchill Downs — horse racing bettors must determine whether he’s a candidate to pad his resume at the Preakness for a shot at a Triple Crown. With that in mind, let’s break down how often this feat occurs among Triple Crown winners.
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History Of Triple Crown Winners
Interestingly enough, the term “Triple Crown” wasn’t officially put into use until Gallant Fox won the three events (Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes) in 1930. Charles Hatton of the Daily Racing Form initially began employing it as a customary term. However, Sir Barton was actually the first of 13 Triple Crown winners in 1919.
Here is the full list of Triple Crown winners since then. All three races are open to both colts and fillies, but none of the victors have represented the latter breed.
| Year | Horse | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1919 | Sir Barton | Johnny Loftus | H. Guy Bedwell |
| 1930 | Gallant Fox | Earl Sande | Jim Fitzsimmons |
| 1935 | Omaha | Willie “Smokey” Saunders | Jim Fitzsimmons |
| 1937 | War Admiral | Charles Kurtsinger | George Conway |
| 1941 | Whirlaway | Eddie Arcaro | Ben A. Jones |
| 1943 | Count Fleet | Johnny Longden | Don Cameron |
| 1946 | Assault | Warren Mehrtens | Max Hirsch |
| 1948 | Citation | Eddie Arcaro | Horace A. “Jimmy” Jones |
| 1973 | Secretariat | Ron Turcotte | Lucien Laurin |
| 1977 | Seattle Slew | Jean Crugruet | William H. Turner, Jr. |
| 1978 | Affirmed | Steve Cauthen | Laz Barrera |
| 2015 | American Pharoah | Victor Espinoza | Bob Baffert |
| 2018 | Justify | Mike Smith | Bob Baffert |
Biggest Takeaways From Triple Crown Winners
For starters, Justify is the most recent conquistador in this group. He finished Preakness, set at a mile and three-sixteenths, in 1 minute, 55.93 seconds. Moreover, Justify’s Preakness odds closed at 2-5 while his Triple Crown odds went off at 3-2 after his Kentucky Derby victory.
On top of that, the controversial Bob Baffert, along with fellow trainer Jim Fitzsimmons, are the lone instructors to win the Triple Crown with two different horses. In attempt to move ahead of Fitzsimmons in 2021, Baffert’s filly Medina Spirit failed a post-Derby drug test and died months later.
The Hall of Fame trainer was slapped with two-year suspension as a result. Although Mandaloun was crowned the Kentucky Derby champion, only Medina Spirit’s 12-1 odds cashed that day.
Nevertheless, Mandaloun didn’t race in the Preakness. Trainer Brad Cox felt the need to rest him, following a quick turnaround.
Mage’s Triple Crown Odds
At some shops, the chestnut colt is priced at +650 to accomplish this feat. Meanwhile, Mage is the 8-5 favorite to win the Preakness Stakes, according to the morning-line odds.
This year, Pimlico Race Course’s main event will get underway at approximately 6:47 p.m. EST on Saturday — broadcasted on NBC, NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports app, and Peacock. What time do the other Preakness Stakes races start? Click this link to stay up to date on the schedule for the Run for the Black-Eyed Susans.
Below is the draw for the 2023 Preakness Stakes, along with the rest of the morning-line odds.
| Post Position | Horse | Jockey | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | National Treasure | John Velazquez | 3-1 |
| #2 | Chase the Chaos | Sheldon Russell | 30-1 |
| #3 | Mage | Javier Castellano | 4-5 |
| #4 | Coffeewithchris | Jamie Rodriguez | 20-1 |
| #5 | Red Route One | Joel Rosario | 8-1 |
| #6 | Perform | Fergal Lynch | 12-1 |
| #7 | Blazing Sevens | Irad Ortiz Jr. | 5-1 |
| SCR | First Mission | Luis Saez | SCR |
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