Grand Slam of Thoroughbred racing
The Grand Slam of Thoroughbred racing is an informal name for the winning of four major Thoroughbred horse races in one season in the United States. The term has been applied to at least two different configurations of races, both of which include all three races in the Triple Crown: the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes. The fourth race is either the Travers Stakes or the Breeders' Cup Classic.
The first known completed grand slam, which pertains only to eligible three-year-old thoroughbred horses, occurred in 1941 when Whirlaway won the four major races that season (Kentucky Derby, Preakness, Belmont and Travers).[1] Winning these four races is also sometimes called the superfecta[2] or quadruple crown.[3]
The other winner of a grand slam was American Pharoah, who won the Triple Crown and the Breeders' Cup Classic, the last of which is not limited to three-year-old thoroughbreds.[4][5]
It has been suggested by racing historian Peter Lee that winning all five races (a feat yet to be accomplished) could be considered the winner of the “Quintuple Crown”.[6]
Background[]
- Travers Stakes configured
The Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes constitute the American Triple Crown of thoroughbred horse racing, and since 1919, only 13 horses have accomplished the feat. The Travers Stakes, which follows the Triple Crown races, is the third-ranked race for American three-year-olds according to international classifications, behind only the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes.[7] These four races are the oldest for three-year-olds in the United States, with the Travers (1864) being the oldest, followed by the Belmont (1867), Preakness (1873), and Kentucky Derby (1875). These four races were termed the “grand slam” by racing historian Edward Hotaling when describing a winner of the four races.[1]
Four horses that have won the triple crown attempted to complete the grand slam. Whirlaway accomplished the feat in 1941, while Gallant Fox (1930), Affirmed (1978), and American Pharoah (2015) came up short in their attempts. Due to the lack of success in winning what is unofficially considered the fourth leg of the triple crown,[8] the Travers Stakes has been coined the “Graveyard of Favorites”.[9] Over the years, 21 three-year-old thoroughbred horses have won three of the four legs of this configuration of the grand slam, with only Whirlaway having accomplished the feat of winning all four.[10][8]
- Breeders' Cup Classic configured
The Breeders' Cup series of year-end championship races began in 1984,[5] with the Breeders' Cup Classic differing from the Triple Crown, other than in its relative newness, in that the location can change each year, similar to golf's major championships, where three of the four venues change each year, and 13 times it has been held at the same venue as a Triple Crown race.
The newly minted term for this configuration of the "Grand Slam" to describe the four-race sequence was used by sports writer Bob Ehalt of ESPN following American Pharoah's win in the 2015 Belmont Stakes, when owner Ahmed Zayat committed the colt to racing for the remainder of the 2015 season rather than immediately retiring the horse to stud.[11] The concept of the term was used by others, adding to the excitement of American Pharoah’s pursuit.[12]
The Breeders' Cup Classic, in contrast to the races in the Triple Crown, is not restricted to any age group and has traditionally been contested by three-, four-, and five-year-old horses. The preliminary use of the term has suggested that a horse would have to win all four races in the same year to claim a Grand Slam title.[4] To do so means that after the Triple Crown, the horse would have to compete against, and defeat, older, more physically developed and more experienced horses to win the Breeders' Cup Classic.[11]
American Pharoah is the only horse to attempt both grand slam configurations, having lost in his attempt in the Travers Stakes,[9] but winning the Breeders' Cup Classic.[13]
Grand Slam races[]
| Race | Date | Current Track | Location | Distance | Background | Trophy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky Derby "The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports" |
First Saturday in May | Churchill Downs | Louisville, Kentucky | 1+1⁄4 miles (2,000 m) | Inaugurated in 1875, the race was originally 1+1⁄2 miles (2,400 m) until 1896 when it was shortened to its current distance. It is the only one of the four races to have been continuously run from its inception. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds (57 kg) and fillies 121 pounds (55 kg). The field has been limited to 20 horses since 1975. |  The Kentucky Derby Trophy |
| Preakness Stakes "The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans" |
Third Saturday in May | Pimlico Race Course | Baltimore, Maryland | 1+3⁄16 miles (1,900 m) | Inaugurated in 1873 and continuously run since 1894, it is the shortest of the four races. Pimlico was the home of the race from 1873 to 1889 and again from 1908 until the present. The Preakness was not run from 1891 to 1893. Weights are the same as for the Derby. Field is limited to 14 horses. |  The Woodlawn Vase |
| Belmont Stakes "The Test of the Champion" |
Third Saturday following the Preakness (first or second Saturday in June) |
Belmont Park | Elmont, New York | 1+1⁄2 miles (2,400 m) | Inaugurated in 1867, though not held in 1911 and 1912 due to anti-gambling legislation in New York. Race was held at various New York tracks until 1905 when Belmont Park became the permanent location. Distance varied from 1+5⁄8 to 1+1⁄8 miles until set at 1+1⁄2 miles in 1926. Weight assignments are the same as the other two races. Field is limited to 16 horses. |  The August Belmont Trophy |
| Travers Stakes "Mid-summer Derby" |
Last Saturday in August |
Saratoga Race Course | Saratoga Springs, New York | 1+1⁄4 miles (2,000 m) | Inaugurated in 1864, though not held in 1896, 1898, 1899, or 1900 due to financial difficulties, and 1911 and 1912 due to anti-gambling legislation in New York. Distance varied from 1+1⁄8 to 1+3⁄4 miles until set at 1+1⁄4 miles in 1904. |  The Man o' War Cup |
| Breeders' Cup Classic | Last Saturday in October or the first Saturday in November | Different location each year | 1+1⁄4 miles (2,000 m) | Inaugurated in 1984, it is the same length as the Kentucky Derby. The race is held at various different tracks, Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California has hosted the most with nine. The Breeders' Cup Classic differs from the other races in the Grand Slam, as it allows 3 year olds and up to participate. The field is limited to 14 horses. |  The Breeders' Cup Trophy | |
Triple Crown series plus Travers Stakes winners[]
|
Denotes winner of the Grand Slam |
| * | Denotes Triple Crown winner who entered the Travers Stakes but lost in the attempt for the Grand Slam |
Note: Every thoroughbred horse that won at least three of the four Grand Slam event races was declared American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse except Shut Out in 1942 who was overshadowed by Alsab (winner of the Preakness Stakes) for that honor.
Triple Crown series plus Breeders Cup Classic winners[]
| Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Breeder | Colors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | American Pharoah | Victor Espinoza | Bob Baffert | Ahmed Zayat | Ahmed Zayat | 
|
An ongoing challenge for young horses who win races in the Triple Crown series is remaining sound and healthy for future races. In the case of their owners, it can also be difficult to resist the temptation to protect a valuable horse from future risk of injury and retire them early to stud following a major win.[11]
Since the Breeders' Cup Classic was first run in 1984, most of the winners were older than three-year-olds.[14] Overall, fewer than half of the Breeders' Cup Classic winners of any age had entered any of the Triple Crown races when they were three-year-olds. Less than a dozen horses had also won at least one of the Triple Crown series races. Some did not win in the same three-year-old season, but did so as older horses.[14]
Of the few horses to win at least one Triple Crown race and the Classic in the same three-year-old season, the first was Sunday Silence, who won the Derby and the Preakness, and was second in the Belmont. He was the horse who came the closest to winning the Grand Slam prior to American Pharoah's success.[15] The only other horse to win three of the four Grand Slam races was Alysheba, but that horse won the Classic as a four-year-old.[16] Other horses that won a Triple Crown series race and then the Classic in their three-year-old season include: Unbridled, A. P. Indy, Curlin and Authentic. Unbridled and Curlin contested the Classic again as four-year-olds, but did not win.[17][18][19]
Of special note: Invasor won the 2006 Classic, and had been the 2005 winner of Uruguay's Triple Crown. Invasor won his Triple Crown by November 2005 and won the Classic in the ensuing year (the Uruguay version races through the time period that the Classic is raced, so he swept the three races in 2005 and then finished it off in his first Classic opportunity at four years of age).[20]
|
|
Denotes winner of the Grand Slam |
| * | Denotes other winners of any combination of 2 out of the 4 Grand Slam races |
[Fy] denotes a filly
[#] denotes winner of two Triple Crown races as 3 year old and Classic as 4 year old
| Year | Kentucky Derby | Preakness Stakes | Belmont Stakes | Breeders' Cup Classic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Swale * | Gate Dancer | Swale * | Wild Again |
| 1987 | Alysheba * # | Alysheba * # | Bet Twice | Ferdinand |
| 1988 | Winning Colors[Fy] | Risen Star * | Risen Star * | Alysheba # |
| 1989 | Sunday Silence * | Sunday Silence * | Easy Goer | Sunday Silence * |
| 1990 | Unbridled * | Summer Squall | Go And Go | Unbridled * |
| 1991 | Strike the Gold | Hansel * | Hansel * | Black Tie Affair (IRE) |
| 1992 | Lil E. Tee | Pine Bluff | A.P. Indy * | A.P. Indy * |
| 1994 | Go for Gin | Tabasco Cat * | Tabasco Cat * | Concern |
| 1995 | Thunder Gulch * | Timber Country | Thunder Gulch * | Cigar |
| 1997 | Silver Charm * | Silver Charm * | Touch Gold | Skip Away |
| 1998 | Real Quiet * | Real Quiet * | Victory Gallop | Awesome Again (CAN) |
| 1999 | Charismatic * | Charismatic * | Lemon Drop Kid | Cat Thief |
| 2001 | Monarchos | Point Given * | Point Given * | Tiznow |
| 2002 | War Emblem * | War Emblem * | Sarava | Volponi |
| 2003 | Funny Cide * | Funny Cide * | Empire Maker | Pleasantly Perfect |
| 2004 | Smarty Jones * | Smarty Jones * | Birdstone | Ghostzapper |
| 2005 | Giacomo | Afleet Alex * | Afleet Alex * | Saint Liam |
| 2007 | Street Sense | Curlin * | Rags to Riches[Fy] | Curlin * |
| 2008 | Big Brown * | Big Brown * | Da' Tara | Raven's Pass |
| 2012 | I'll Have Another * | I'll Have Another * | Union Rags | Fort Larned |
| 2014 | California Chrome * | California Chrome * | Tonalist | Bayern |
| 2015 | American Pharoah
|
American Pharoah
|
American Pharoah
|
American Pharoah
|
| 2018 | Justify * | Justify * | Justify * | Accelerate |
| 2020 | Authentic * | Swiss Skydiver | Tiz the Law | Authentic * |
See also[]
- American thoroughbred racing top attended events
- Grand Slam of Grass
- Grand Slam (horse)
- Superfecta (betting)
References[]
- ^ a b Whirlway and Alsab
- ^ "2016 Travers Stakes at Saratoga: August 27". www.saratogaracetrack.com. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
- ^ Tiz the Law Tries for Second Leg of 'Quadruple Crown' in Runhappy Travers
- ^ a b Knight, Matthew (January 20, 2016). "From Triple Crown 'sweetheart' to $200K stud". CNN. Retrieved September 28, 2017.
- ^ a b Bieler, Des (October 31, 2015). "Watch American Pharoah win horse racing's first-ever Grand Slam at Breeders' Cup". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
- ^ Triple Crown with an asterisk?
- ^ The World's Top 100 G1 Races for 3yo's and upwards
- ^ a b When will the Travers Run?
- ^ a b American Pharoah Unsuccessful in Travers
- ^ Facts Worth Knowing About the Travers
- ^ a b c Ehalt, Bob. "A new target for American Pharoah". ESPN. Retrieved May 8, 2021{date=September 2, 2015.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=(help) - ^ Lintner, Jonathan (June 9, 2015). "Odds open for Pharoah's 'Grand Slam' attempt". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
- ^ American Pharoah Wins Breeders Cup
- ^ a b "Breeders' Cup Stats". stats.breederscup.com. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
- ^ "Sunday Silence". Equibase. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
- ^ "Alysheba". Equibase. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
- ^ "Unbridled". Equibase. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
- ^ "A.P. Indy". Equibase. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
- ^ "Curlin". Equibase. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
- ^ "Connections Salute Invincible Invasor". Sporting Life. July 24, 2006. Retrieved June 20, 2012.
- Breeders' Cup
- Racing series for horses
- Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing