What horse races are included in the Triple Crown? 2025 dates, locations

Each year, when the Kentucky Derby takes place at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday of May, it is one of the most decorated events in sports, let alone horse racing in general.

But that isn’t the only thing that the Kentucky Derby is known for.

Saturday’s 151st running of the Kentucky Derby also serves as the start to the Triple Crown watch season, one of the hardest feats to achieve in horse racing for 19 different 3-year-old horses and their jockeys each year.

As stated, securing a spot in the Triple Crown category of the record book is one of the more celebrated accomplishments in the sport’s history, as there have been just over two handfuls of horses that have conquered it.

The reason for the difficulty and the celebration that comes with it has to do with the fact, a horse and its jockey have to win the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes in straight order.

Here’s what you need to know about the Triple Crown leading into the 2025 Kentucky Derby:

What is the Triple Crown?

The Triple Crown is considered one of horse racing’s greatest achievements, as it marks the completion of winning each of the three major horse races in one season. The first of the three races is the Kentucky Derby, followed by the Preakness Stakes and then the Belmont Stakes.

The origin of the term “Triple Crown” dates back to the 1920s. It didn’t really pick up its usage until 1930, when Gallant Fox became just the second ever horse to win each of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes.

Since then, there have been only 11 other horses to have accomplished the feat in the history of the sport, with the last horse to do so being Justify in 2018. The first horse to pull off the Triple Crown was Sir Barton in 1919.

What races make up the Triple Crown in horse racing?

Kentucky Derby
Preakness Stakes
Belmont Stakes

The three races that comprise the Triple Crown in horse racing include the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes.

Where are the Triple Crown races in horse racing?

Kentucky Derby: Churchill Downs (1 1/4 miles)
Preakness Stakes: Pimlico Race Course (1 3/16 miles)
Belmont Stakes: Belmont Park* (1 1/2 miles)

* Belmont Stakes in 2025 will be held at Saratoga Race Course

The three races that make up the Triple Crown are held at Churchill Downs in Louisville (Kentucky Derby); Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore (Preakness Stakes); and, in a typical year, Belmont Park in Elmont, New York (Belmont Stakes).

For the second straight year, the Belmont Stakes will be held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York, due to construction at Belmont Park. The distance at Saratoga Race Course is 1 1/8 miles.

When is the Kentucky Derby 2025?

Date: Saturday, May 3
Location: Churchill Downs (Louisville)

The Kentucky Derby will run on Saturday, May 3 at Churchill Downs in Louisville. Dating back to 1875, the Kentucky Derby is the “youngest” of the Triple Crown races.

When is the Preakness Stakes in 2025?

Date: Saturday, May 17
Location: Pimlico Race Course (Baltimore)

The Preakness Stakes is set to take place on May 17 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore this year. Dating back to its first iteration in 1873, the Preakness Stakes is the second oldest of the three Triple Crown races, only behind the Belmont Stakes.

When is the Belmont Stakes in 2025?

Date: Saturday, June 7
Location: Saratoga Race Course (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.)

Of the three Triple Crown races, the Belmont Stakes is always the last one to take place. The 2025 Belmont Stakes will run on Saturday, June 7 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York, due to the ongoing construction down the Taconic State Parkway at Belmont Park.

The Belmont Stakes is also the oldest of the three races, as the first iteration of it took place in in 1867 — six years before the Preakness Stakes debuted and eight years before the first Kentucky Derby.

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