Triple Crown successes and failures

Twelve 3-yearolds have won the Triple Crown (Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes). Twenty have failed by losing in the Belmont. How they raced in the Belmont.

SUCCESS

2015 — American Pharoah ends a record 37-year drought leading all the way to finish 5 1/2 lengths ahead of Frosted. 1978 — Affirmed duels with archrival Alydar for about the final five-eighths of a mile and beats him by a head. The other three starters finish far back. 1977 — Seattle Slew has no problems disposing of seven rivals, leading all the way and winning by 4 lengths. 1973 — In probably the greatest performance ever by a racehorse, Secretariat wins by from 31 to 45 1/4 lengths over four rivals in 2:24, which still stands as a world record for 1 1-2 miles on dirt. 1948 — Citation leads seven rivals every step of the way and wins by 8 lengths. 1946 — Third with about an eighth-mile remaining, Assault charges to victory by 3 lengths in a seven-horse field. 1943 — Count Fleet gets no competition from two rivals and wins by 25 lengths. 1941 — Whirlaway opens a 7-length lead at midpoint, then finishes in hand for a 2 1/2 length win in a four-horse field. 1937 — War Admiral takes lead shortly after start and holds it for a 3-length win in sevenhorse field. 1935 — Shuffled back at the start, Omaha overtakes Firethorn in the stretch and wins by 1 1/2 lengths in a field of four. 1930 — Gallant Fox leads almost all the way and wins by 3 lengths in a four-horse field. 1919 — Sir Barton has no trouble beating only two rivals, winning by 5 lengths over 1 3-8 miles. Distance becomes 1 1-2 miles in 1926.

FAILURE

2014 — California Chrome, fourth with five furlongs to go, is well off the rail on the far turn. Ranges up and sets down coming five wide into the stretch, but fails to pick up the pace to finish in a dead-heat for fourth with Wicked Strong. 2008 — Big Brown finishes last to Da’ Tara, the longest shot on the board. Big Brown is rank at the start and fails to respond when Kent Desormeaux asks him to run in the last turn. At that point, Desormeaux eases him up. 2004 — Smarty Jones extends his lead approaching the quarter pole and maintains a clear lead inside the furlong marker. Fights gamely into deep stretch then yields grudgingly while weakening in the late stages to finish second, a length behind Birdstone. 2003 — Funny Cide leads to the far turn, relinquishes the lead to Empire Maker at the three-sixteenths pole, battles along the inside to the top of the stretch then weakens finishing third, five lengths back. 2002 — War Emblem stumbles badly out of the gate then bumps Magic Weisner at start in an 11-horse field. Is rank for three-quarters of a mile and takes brief lead nearing the half-mile pole. Remains a factor to the turn and gives way finishing eighth, 19 1/2 lengths back. 1999 — Charismatic takes the lead briefly at the turn but Lemon Drop Kid and Vision and Verse fly by him on the outside and he finishes third 1 1/2 lengths back. 1998 — Four lengths ahead with an eighth-mile remaining, Real Quiet gets nipped by a nose at the wire by Victory Gallop in a nine-horse field. 1997 — Silver Charm fails to hold off Touch Gold in the final eighth-mile and finishes second three-quarters of a length back, in a seven-horse field. 1989 — Sunday Silence can’t match Easy Goer in final quarter of a mile and finishes second, eight lengths back in a 10-horse field. 1987 — Checked sharply on final turn, Alysheba finishes fourth, 14 lengths behind winner Bet Twice in a 10-horse field. 1981 — Pleasant Colony, never better than third, finishes a little more than 1 1/2 lengths behind Summing, with Highland Blade second in an 11-horse field. 1979 — The 1-5 favorite, Spectacular Bid leads with a quarter-mile left, but weakens to finish third in an eighthorse field, 3 1/4 lengths behind Coastal and another head behind Golden Act. 1971 — Canonero II leads 12 rivals for the first mile before finishing fourth, 4 1/4 lengths behind winner Pass Catcher. 1969 — Majestic Prince closes to second in a six-horse field with an eighth-mile remaining, but he can’t catch Arts And Letters and is beaten by 5 1/4 lengths. 1968 — Forward Pass leads until eighth-pole, then finishes second by 1 3/4 lengths to Stage Door Johnny in nine-horse field. 1966 — Leading 10 rivals with a quarter-mile remaining, Kauai King fades to fourth, 7 lengths behind winner Amberoid. 1964 — Northern Dancer is second in a nine-horse field with an eighth-mile remaining, but he finishes third 6 lengths behind Quadrangle and 4 lengths behind Roman Brother. 1961 — Carry Back never gets into contention and finishes seventh in a nine-horse field, 13 3/4 lengths behind winner Sherluck. 1958 — Tim Tam is unable to cut in Cavan’s lead and finishes second by 6 lengths in an eighthorse field. 1944 — Pensive leads with a quarter-mile remaining, but he loses by a half-length to Bounding Home in a seven-horse field.