The first winner of the Triple Crown was Sir Barton, in 1919, before the series was recognized as such.
After his win in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot in October 2011, Frankel was given a rating of 143 by Timeform, the highest mark awarded by the organisation in over forty years and their fourth highest of all time behind Sea Bird, Brigadier Gerard and Tudor Minstrel. Frankel retired after winning 14 times, 10 at group 1 level.
Dancer's Image was plagued by sore ankles during his career. On the Sunday prior to the 1968 Kentucky Derby, his handlers had a veterinarian give him a dose of phenylbutazone, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug commonly used to relieve inflammation of the joints. Dancer's Image's handlers believed the medication would clear his system in time for the Derby, but it was discovered in the mandatory post-race urinalysis.
In 1993, Krone captured the Belmont Stakes aboard Colonial Affair.
2015 marked the first time a Triple Crown had been won since the inception of the Breeders' Cup, and thus the first opportunity to win the so-called Grand Slam of Thoroughbred racing. American Pharoah completed the feat in a decisive wire to wire victory.
This nickname has been applied to a number of famous horses, including Secretariat, Man o' War, and Phar Lap.
The rose garland now synonymous with the Kentucky Derby first appeared in the 1896 when the winner, Ben Brush, received a floral arrangement of white and pink roses.
The Belmont Stakes is traditionally called "The Test of the Champion" because of its 1.5 mile length--by far the longest of the three Triple Crown races.
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