Can anyone win the Triple Crown?

Question

IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAPPEN AGAIN?!

Answer 1

Yes....

In horse racing...anything can happen, and it usually does !

Answer 2

Only 3 year old thoroughbreds are eligible to race in the three races that make up the Triple Crown (KY Derby, Preakness and Belmont). Both males (colts) and females (fillies) may run these races. However, the Derby limits the starters to graded stakes races earnings, so if a horse doesn't have any major wins, more than likely he is not going to get to run in the Derby which eliminates any chance at capturing the Triple Crown.

Is it possible to happen again -absolutely. There was a 25 year span between Citation and Secretariat and you had the same thoughts going on then; change the race lengths, change the time span, etc. Then you had 3 winners in one decade. It will happen again and it will be a special horse that does it!

Answer 3

Of course it's possible to happen again. The many close calls shows just how difficult it is. Secretariat and Seattle Slew made it look relatively easy. Affirmed's determination pushed him through. In well over 100 years it's been done not that often. Three times in the '70s and it seemed far too easy.
There's many differences today too. TBs now have a focus on sales - the yearling sales and all mean breeding for what sales. Those may or may not be *race winners* and there's many a million dollar yearling that didn't have races of note much less a Classic win. It means an outstanding early spring (anymore one can't get in the Derby without money earnings - only the top 20 money earning 3 year olds can get in. Horses like Sunriver, closed out of the Derby by money earnings. They then must race in a different state at a different distance two weeks later. Then they must be able to go to a third state, three weeks after that and hold up to the longest race any will probably ever compete at - and do it with the speed and endurance to hold on. It's absolutely possible to do. The BREEDER who breeds for RACING - soundness, speed, trainability and, yes, temperment - definitely has a chance to win it. I don't look for it to come from a high $$ sales purchase. Pretty is as pretty does. Brother Derek is not a "pretty" horse but he's solid - he's consistent. He didn't rise to the top but turned in solid efforts.

Truly it would not surprise me in the least to see a Triple Crown winner come from the Sheik or from Japan. They breed for RACING. Here if a retired stallion doesn't have a "big horse" right out of the box they're sold sometimes out of the country. Japanese breeders scooped that up with Sunday Silence - yes our near-Triple Crown winner. They also now have Silver Charm. Two more well bred young horses went to Argentine - one was out of champion Serena's Song the other out of a daughter of Affirmed. We want instant success and things don't happen instantly. The hot sires of sale 2 year olds in training recently:
Belong to Me
Songandaprayer
Johannesburg
Deputy Commander
Cherokee Run
Orientate
Two Punch
Silver Charm (now in Japan!)
Officer
Northern Afleet

How many of these retired with soundness issues?
The leading 2nd crop sires:
APTITUDE
EL CORREDOR
CITY ZIP
BROKEN VOW
FOREST CAMP
TRIPPI
POINT GIVEN
SONGANDAPRAYER
FIVE STAR DAY
DELAWARE TOWNSHIP

Only one horse made both of those top ten lists. This is fact on statistics. Discount the second crop and look at over all and NONE of them are in the hunt. Overall top sires:
RED RANSOM (1987, Roberto),
DYNAFORMER (1985, Roberto),
PLEASANT TAP (1987, Pleasant Colony),
A.P. INDY (1989, Seattle Slew),
FORESTRY (1996

They don't sire something hot right away and they're sold - Charismatic and Silver Charm both in Japan. Bold Reasoning - can anyone name who he sired besides Seattle Slew? One hot horse is history. Bold Ruler was an old horse when Secretariat was born...and yet I've often heard a horse is "too old to sire anything" Look at the ages above. :-D The top 4 all time sires - I guess they weren't told that either.

Answer 4

Horses undergo rigorous training to culminate in one race of the Triple Crown. Trying to win multiple races would require an extraordinary specimen and a combination of luck, weak competition, and expert riding. I believe it will happen again before 2010, but it is very rare.

Answer 5

The recent close calls:

2002 War Emblem 8th (Sarava)
2003 Funny Cide 3rd (Empire Maker)
2003 Smarty Jones 2nd (Birdstone)

Answer 6

Not this year.

A horse needs to win all 3 big races and two different horses won the first two. Neither one is racing in the big race today

Answer 7

Yes

Answer 8

albert pujols had a chance but he got hurt i guess well hav 2 wait till next year n c

Answer 9

It is possible but very unlikely. Unfortunately it's not going to be this year.

Answer 10

not this year