What Makes The U.S. Triple Crown Intangible For The Last Two Years?

The Triple Crown Series is one of the most popular horse racing shows in the United States that existed for more than a century. Every year, this horse racing event continues to grow bigger. In fact, the road to the Triple Crown is steep, and every racehorse must display an optimum strength and speed to win the race.

The said racing event is completed in three significant stakes races. The first leg is the Kentucky Derby, which commences every first Saturday of May. It is also the hardest leg of the series since a racehorse must gain qualifying points to secure a spot in the Derby. These qualifying points must be earned by partaking in several prep races.

Next is the Preakness Stakes. It takes place two weeks after the Kentucky Derby. Usually, the racehorses who won the first leg must also win the Preakness Stakes to be eligible for the Triple Crown. Lastly, the Belmont Stakes completes the Triple Crown Series, which settles on the second Saturday of June.

If you look at these races as a whole, it seems easy to think. However, the Triple Crown has not won since 2018, where Justify was the last titleholder. A lot of three-year-old horses tried their best every year to clinch this crown. But it seems that in the past two years, the crown has been elusive, and last year was also a controversial era for the Derby.

So, what makes the U.S. Triple Crown deceptive in recent years? Why are racehorses taking a lot in completing the Triple Crown races?

The Durability Of Each Horse

One of the most needed traits for a racehorse to win the Triple Crown and the races it consists of is speed and durability. The speed refers to the power that a racehorse showcase inside the field, which will leave all his rivals behind him. On the other hand, durability is his endurance in both the physical and mental aspects.

According to some horse racing experts, the lack of durability among horse racers is one of the reasons why the Triple Crown has been quite slippery in the past two years. Some horses who took the races last year were not able to complete the show because of health issues. Other racehorses also refused to proceed to the Preakness and the Belmont because they were disappointed in how they ended the Derby.

This year, there are new odds for the 2020 Kentucky Derby, along with the Preakness and Belmont Stakes lines. The horse racing fans are also looking forward to one of the horses successfully winning the Triple Crown this year. In fact, a lot of early reviews just came out, showing the toughest racehorses that will saddle up in the Triple Crown Series.

A Derby Winner Is Not Sure For The Preakness Stakes 

As stated, the Preakness Stakes is the second leg of the Triple Crown  Series, and it is expected the winner of the Derby must proceed to win the next racing game. It is to make sure that they take a sure spot for the Belmont Stakes and become a deserving candidate to win the Triple Crown.

However, the pattern looks different in the last two years. In 2019, the Triple Crown had faced the most challenging season when the Kentucky Derby turned out to be a controversy. A real winner was disqualified due to a “bumping at the pole” incident, which accelerated the runner-up as a winner. However, the new Derby winner was not able to participate in the 2019 Preakness Stakes because of health issues.

The Triple Crown Seems To Be Different Today

According to some horse racing experts, the Triple Crown Series in the previous years were different compared to the earlier years. Although early odds are showing the value percentage of each racehorse to win the title possibly, the flow is different compared before. Previous Triple Crown winners like Justify (2018), American Pharoah(2015), and Affirmed(1978) were special horses who proved their worth before, during, and after the Triple Crown showdown.

These horses have shown strong starts before competing in the Triple Crown. They consistently win in many stakes races, which made them legendary. This year, there are a lot of strong horses who won stakes and prep races, yet they still need a lot more.

Takeaway

In the last two years, the U.S. Triple Crown has brought every racehorse to a spotlight of showing their best skills inside the field. However, most of the horses have failed to complete the series of races that complete the Triple Crown show. It is why the crown has been elusive for quite some time. Thus, as we move closer to the newest season this year, horse racing fans are hoping for a deserving Triple Crown winner as soon as the competition kicks in.