The Triple Crown as we know it didn't evolve until the 1930s, which is why we find that before that time horses rarely ran in all three or even two of the races. The Belmont was the US Derby (said 'Darby'); the Kentucky Derby was a good regional race that threw up decent horses; the Preakness was a prep race of interest mainly to Marylanders.
The only 'Triple Crown' that existed before Mr Hatton christened the current trio was run entirely at New York tracks and consisted of the Withers (a mile race like the 2000 Guineas), the Belmont, and the Realization (a 14f race in the fall, like the St. Leger), consciously modeled on the English Triple Crown. Only it was never promoted as such.
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06-02-2009, 07:19 PM
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