Triple Crown
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The Triple Crown of thoroughbred horse racing consists of winning the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes. As I write this, American Pharoah is the latest in a long line of horses that have won the first two legs and is trying to complete the difficult task of winning the third.
Uploaded by rohdefineart.com.
When you think of the Triple Crown, you remember some of the greatest horses in history – Gallant Fox, Omaha, War Admiral, Whirlaway, Citation, Secretariat. Only 11 horses have accomplished the feat in a century, and none in the past 37 years.
From the mint juleps at Churchill Downs to the black-eyed susans at Pimlico in Maryland to the blanket of carnations draped over the winner at New York’s Belmont Park, the pageantry of the Triple Crown masks the troubles facing thoroughbred racing today. But in those moments when hooves thunder down the stretch with the ultimate prize at stake, industry troubles are forgotten and the excitement and beauty of the competition is what draws America to the spring ritual of the Triple Crown.