I agree. The “Triple Crown” isn’t a real event in itself – it’s three separate and wholly independent events that we, the fans and media, group into something more special. But the Preakness and Belmont are individual races, and running in the Kentucky Derby isn’t a requirement to run in the Preakness anymore than competing in Wimbledon is a requirement to play in the U.S. Open.
And as you (I think) mentioned before, at one time the Preakness preceded the Kentucky Derby; it has also, I believe, occurred on the same day as the Kentucky Derby, which would make winning the mythological “Triple Crown” really difficult. The “Triple Crown” as we know it settled into its current form in the early 1930s even though the Kentucky Derby, the newest of the three races, dates back to the 1870s. In all that time, there have been eleven “Triple Crown” winners, one prior to the 1930s, seven between 1930 and 1948, and then just the three in the 1970s including Secretariat and the only two back-to-back winners, Seattle Slew and Affirmed. That group of three may be misleading us into assuming that winning the “Triple Crown” was common in the past, but after the war years there was a twenty-four year gap before Secretariat. Or looking at it another way, perhaps we should consider “Triple Crown” winners more as statistical freak events since in the sixty-five years since 1948 there have only been three horses that have won all three races.
As far as times, we’re in an era where, as you said, we breed and train horses for sprint speed over stamina, just like we condition pitchers for six innings. Remember when a “quality start” was a complete game? Now they’re doing well if they consistently pitch long enough to be the pitcher of record, and horses are trained for runs of under a mile.
Finally, while Secretariat’s Belmont run is legendary, his Preakness was equally spectacular. Always a slow starter, he is in last place heading into the first turn but all Ron Turcotte had to do is to move him to the outside and “send him” and by the time they come out of the first turn, he’s passed the entire field – on the outside of the turn. As stunning as his Belmont run was, in my mind what fans call “the move” (not to be confused with “The Decision”®) is his dominant moment.
(Skip ahead to about 12:30 for the Preakness and 18:00 for the Belmont)
