Betting on the Triple Crown involves wagering on the best thoroughbred races in the world. This list includes betting on the Kentucky Derby, the Belmont Stakes, and the Preakness Stakes. Getting the correct order in these three very hard to win races has only happened 13 times in my lifetime (and probably yours). Of course, the order of the winners I just mentioned is not (or has not been) the right order for either of us to collect on our bets. Horse racing wizards have helped us with this problem.

These statistics show how difficult it is to win the Triple Crown. For a list of potential 2025 Triple Crown winners (thoroughbreds with a good chance of winning all three races), click here. And if you want to bet on their chances, you can find a list of New Zealand horse racing bookmakers here.

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What is the Triple Crown?

The Triple Crown of US Thoroughbred Racing is a competition for the fastest three-year-old Thoroughbreds. It consists of three prestigious races held in America. These races take place every year and exist in a unique time frame that spans almost all of May and most of June. As you might expect, each race is held at a different track, adding to the excitement. And what makes the races themselves even more fantastic is the majesty of the horses and the images of their cavalries leaping into the air. Countless horse racing enthusiasts over the years have encountered, if not directly seen, at least one image of these same endorsements in the common Triple Crown conversation.

Bet on the Triple Crown Odds

The order of the Triple Crown starts with the Kentucky Derby. You can find the top horse racing betting sites that offer promotions and bonuses for the event on the Internet. These days, you can watch and bet on horse races without ever setting foot outside your front door. Here's a full rundown of the hurdles that contenders must overcome to win the Triple Crown: horse racing challenge.

The 13 Legendary Triple Crown Winners

Achieving the rare and remarkable honor of winning the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred racing places a horse in the elite stratosphere of the sport's history-a very select club of only 13 members dating back nearly a century. The first horse to win the title was Sir Barton in 1919. Justify won it most recently in 2018. Their successes remain part of the inspiration and allure of American horse racing. When a horse wins the Triple Crown, it writes its name in the history books alongside some of the sport's most unforgettable stars. When a horse wins the Triple Crown, its name is instantly synonymous with greatness.

Bet on the Kentucky Derby

During the first half of May, horse racing enthusiasts and bettors around the world experience the thrill of betting on three-year-olds competing in the premier events of the Triple Crown. The first of these races, the Kentucky Derby, is run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, which was founded in 1875. In 2022, the winner of the Kentucky Derby, in impressive fashion as a 2-1 favorite, was Rich Strike. The amount of the Kentucky Derby pot that goes to the winning connections has grown to a whopping $3 million, but the number is even higher when you count the actual winnings from the large number of tickets that were cashed.

Kentucky Derby

Preakness Betting Online

The 2025 Preakness wagering will soon follow at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. The total number of Thoroughbreds competing in the race is reduced to 14. The race is only 1 mile of dirt around an oval track, making it an even tighter contest between the Thoroughbreds that have qualified for the race.

Preakness Stakes

Betting on Belmont Stakes

Check out the latest 2025 Belmont Stakes odds and place your bets from the comfort of your home or favorite bookmaker. As the final leg of horse racing's Triple Crown, the Belmont offers a clear look at the relative strengths and weaknesses of the contenders. Run over an intimidating one-and-a-half mile course, the contest also tests the mettle of 16 of thoroughbred racing's best.

Belmont Stakes

 

Dark Horses and Longshots to Watch Out For

Dark horses and longshots to watch as the 2025 Triple Crown races approach: Despite the spotlight on the likely winners, horse racing is nothing if not unpredictable. Upsets and upsets are the order of the day, and informed bettors who aren't afraid to take a few risks can sometimes reap rewards well worth the effort.

The first jewel of horse racing's Triple Crown, the Kentucky Derby, is notorious for producing upset winners from low-probability contenders. Several times over the decades, horses at odds of 30-1 or more have come from behind the starting gate to win the Derby. This weekend's edition of the Derby, the 148th, could pull off a similar electrifying stunt among the excited afternoon fans. To help you plan your watch party or evening of live wagering, we've highlighted a few likely also-rans that could very well pull off an upset on Saturday night.

A long shot to consider is Dream Shake, who won his first race in impressive fashion before finishing fourth in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby. Dream Shake has shown talent and speed and could be a Triple Crown contender, especially if he improves the way he should.

In the Preakness Stakes, the second race of the Triple Crown, one longshot to watch is Rombauer, who won the Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby earlier this year. He's currently listed at about 30-1, but his impressive performance in the El Camino Real Derby makes it look like he could very well surprise bettors in the Preakness.

Finally, in the Belmont Stake, the third and final race of the Triple Crown, there is a horse to watch: Known Agenda. He won the Grade 1 Florida Derby earlier this year. Known Agenda has tremendous speed and stamina and could be a strong contender in the Belmont. He may also be able to handle the longer distance of the race, something not all horses can do with success.

Although favorites such as Essential Quality, Hot Rod Charlie and Life Is Good are expected to be among the top contenders in the Triple Crown events, more adventurous bettors may find some appealing options among the dark horses and longshots. As always, be sure to do your due diligence and consider pertinent elements such as recent performance, quality of rider, and the myriad of other factors that can influence a horse's success or failure when making your bets.

Triple Crown Betting Tips

Today's horse bets are right here, so look no further. Prior to 2015 and last year's (2022) heroics by Justify, it had been a long time since a champion had won the Triple Crown. (As mentioned, only 13 horses have ever accomplished the feat, which speaks to the difficulty of the competition.) As a result, our expert tipsters have put together a horse betting guide for Triple Crown fans:

  • Winners of the Kentucky Derby tend to perform much better than winners of any other race. It is the longest dirt track and the ideal race to test a thoroughbred's stamina.
  • The smaller field does not necessarily make betting on the sport of kings any easier. Some horseplayers hand-pick their events and opt out of all three.
  • Regularly check the past performance of not only the horses, but also the trainers and jockeys to get a better idea (and a more informed basis) for your bets.

 

Past Triple Crown Winners

Year Horse
2018 Justify
2015 American Pharoah
1978 Affirmed
1977 Seattle Slew
1973 Secretariat
1948 Citation
1946 Assault
1943 Count Fleet
1941 Whirlaway
1937 War Admiral
1935 Omaha
1930 Gallant Fox
1919 Sir Barton