As you may or may not know, the Triple Crown is a series of three horse races in the USA. The three Triple Crown horse races make up some of the most significant and prestigious races of all. And they all take part during the summertime in North America.
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These are sometimes referred to as the Triple Crown of thoroughbred racing too, as the races are only open to thoroughbreds that are three years of age. Of course, this means that the races are rather specialized and selective regarding who can actually enter.
And as we are now approaching the Triple Crown horse races in , we figured now is a good time to share some details on what these races involve, what you can expect, and how to bet on them – if that’s something you’d like to do. So without further ado, let us now provide you with a breakdown of the three Triple Crown horse races scheduled for this summer.
Triple Crown horse races – a breakdown of each
The Triple Crown is one of the most exciting chains of events in horse racing for North America. These races are widely regarded as some of the most prestigious in the world, and the fact that they each take place in America is an added bonus. Between the three races, prize money runs deep into the millions. And when it comes to Triple Crown betting, the numbers are even more staggering. We will be getting to all of that a little later. But for now, let’s run through each of the Triple Crown horse races in :
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is the first leg of the Triple Crown. And as it happens, the Kentucky Derby is right around the corner! This race is scheduled to be held this Saturday, May 7th. The venue is the Churchill Downs, a course in Louisville, Kentucky. As for the actual structure of the race, horses must cover 2.0km of track, and the winner takes home close to $2 million – according to prize money figures for the Kentucky Derby .
The race might only take a few minutes to complete for the horses, but with dirt being the surface and 20 horses taking the track, it rarely disappoints! So if you want to tune in for the first leg of the Triple Crown horse races, make sure you keep your Saturday clear.
Bet on Belmont Stakes >Preakness
Following on from the Kentucky Derby, we come to the Preakness – or the Preakness Stakes as many call it. The Preakness Stakes is usually held on the third Saturday in May, and this schedule is still on track for . Just to confirm, the Preakness is scheduled for Saturday, May 21st. It’s a long way away from the previous Triple Crown horse race, however. The Preakness Stakes is held in Maryland, and the prize money is a little over $1.5 million, split between the competitors.
The race itself is actually even shorter than the Kentucky Derby, not even crossing the 2km mark. So as you might expect, the race is usually a very short, but very exciting spectacle. Of course, you can already see some Triple Crown betting odds for this race at major sportsbooks too.
Bet on Belmont Stakes >Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is the last of the Triple Crown horse races in . Sticking with the North East of the USA, the Belmont Stakes takes place in New York. For the final race of the Triple Crown, horses get a nice three-week break following the Preakness Stakes. As for the Belmont Stakes, the race is due to be held on Saturday, June 11th. Many consider this to be the biggest of the Triple Crown for thoroughbred racing too, but this is subject to personal opinion.
It’s a dirt track that swings to the left, and the maximum number of horses that can compete in this one is 12. As for the prize money, it also holds firm at $1.5 million.
Bet on Belmont Stakes >Betting on the Triple Crown horse races
As promised, we’d like to now run through some details when it comes to Triple Crown betting. In the USA, as you may be aware, sports betting regulations have been largely relaxed in many states. This means that there is a good chance that you may be based in a state where online sports betting is fully legal. Sure, you must be over 21 to do so, but if you are – you can already check out the Triple Crown betting odds and horse racing picks at major sportsbooks. As for what you may want to bet on, we have a few ideas for you:
Winning horse
The main market for horse racing betting, as it is for most sports, is the Moneyline market. This is where you can wager on which horse might win any of the three Triple Crown horse races mentioned here.
To place
Not really feeling the Moneyline market? If not, you could always bet on any of the competing horses to place. Should you pick this market, your horse must finish inside the top three (unless there is a promotion on the table) for your bet to come through.
Each way
The final market you may want to think about relates to the each-way options. This market is actually a combination of the first two markets. When you back a horse with an each-way option, you are placing part of your stake on the horse to win and the other part on the horse to place.
Triple Crown winner’s horse
To actually win the Triple Crown, a horse must win each of the three Triple Crown races. Of course, this is an incredibly difficult thing to do. But amazingly, a total of 13 horses have won the Triple Crown over the years. In fact, we’ve seen two Triple Crown winners in the last 10 years:
- Justify – 2018
- American Pharoah – 2015
While Justify was the last horse to win the Triple Crown, we could see another if a horse steps up to the plate in 2022!