Let's Talk About The Triple Crown

Churchill Downs, Home of the Kentucky Derby

Me - The Triple Crown, wow! Most of the year, I don't watch horse racing. I only watch the three races in the Triple Crown. I don't even always watch the Kentucky Derby including this year I didn't watch it. It is not interesting to me until the second race when I know what horse to root for. This year, I watched the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes. They were really cool! It was exciting that a horse finally won the triple crown again. The last time there was a triple crown winner, my mom was the age I am now. The only other horse that I know which won the Triple Crown was Secretariat and that was because I saw the movie, Secretariat. I am really glad I actually got to see a horse win the Triple Crown this time even if I only saw it on TV.

Pimlico, Home of the Preakness

Mom - I don't usually pay much attention to horse racing unless I am at the track, and I can't remember the last time I was there. I have only been a few times in my life. I only care about the Triple Crown races. I usually don't even watch the Kentucky Derby, and I didn't this year. To me, it only gets interesting after the Kentucky Derby when you know which horse to root for in the other two races. If the same horse, doesn't win the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, I don't even bother watching the Belmont Stakes. I was a kid the last time a horse won the Triple Crown. I was the same age my daughter is now. At the time, I never paid attention to any of the horse races. I never knew anything about the Triple Crown. It wasn't until I was older that I learned about it and started watching the races. Especially after we saw the movie, Secretariat, my girls and I became more interested in the Triple Crown, and we (including my husband) started watching the races together. However, for a while, it seemed like there was never going to be another Triple Crown winner. At least, it felt that way until American Pharoah came along. The minute I saw him win the second race, the Preakness, I had a good feeling that he would be able to win the Triple Crown. He reminded me of Secretariat, the way he was so far ahead of the rest of the field so it didn't surprise me when I found out he won by the third largest margin in history. It was really exciting to have a Triple Crown winner again for the first time in so long. Even people like us who normally don't talk about or pay attention to horse racing were talking about it. I am really glad I got to see a horse win the Triple Crown especially in case there is not another Triple Crown winner in my lifetime. After all, there have only been 12 ever and the last one was over 30 years ago so you never know when and if there could be another.

Belmont Park, Home of the Belmont Stakes

And that's our view. What is something you can think of that hasn't happened in over 30 years?

photo credits:
photo credit 1: KY Derby entrants heading to the Paddock via photopin (license)
photo credit 2: Preakness via photopin (license)
photo credit 2: Racing at Belmont Park  (LOC) via photopin (license)