Triple Crown Winners Memorabilia

For those who love proud horseflesh, there are none quite so revered as the select club of Triple Crown winners. Since 1919, there have been only 11 horses who have achieved the singular honor, making memorabilia relating to the Triple Crown winners some of the hottest selling merchandise among the collectors of horse racing memorabilia. In addition to horse racing photos and race memorabilia signed by the jockeys who rode them to victory, a number of the famous horses have inspired movies, which has inspired another entire line of movie memorabilia related to the winners of the Triple Crown.

The Triple Crown isn’t an easy accolade to earn. In order to become a member of the elite club of horse racers, a horse must win three races – the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes. All three races are confined to three-year-olds, so a horse has precisely one season in which he can take the crown. In the 125 years of formal racing history, only 11 horses have achieved that goal. Of those, only three have managed it since 1948, all of them in the 1970s.If you’re looking for a special collectible for someone who loves the ponies, consider a purchase of framed art or other memorabilia of one of these famous horses.

Triple Crown wins seem to come in spates. The first Triple Crown winner, Sir Barton, took the crown in 1919 and held it until 1930, a full 11 years. The next winner, Gallant Fox, was unseated in just five years by Omaha, who won the Triple Crown in 1935 and was defeated in turn, just two years later by War Admiral. Those wins were followed by Whirlaway in 1941, Count Fleet in 1943, Assault in 1946 and Citation in 1948. Triple Crown memorabilia from those early races is scarce and quite valuable.

The racing world waited 25 years before seeing another horse who would take the Triple Crown honors. In 1973, Secretariat, ridden by Ron Turcotte, stormed down the course at the Derby and the Preakness to take each race by 2 ½ lengths. In the Belmont Stakes, Secretariat took fire and won the course by a dramatic 31 lengths in a breakaway that still leaves people breathless. A 2010 move, Secretariat, immortalizes the relationships between the horse, his rider and his owner, and contributes even more Secretariat memorabilia for collectors to treasure.

Just four years later, Seattle Slew, ridden by Jean Cruguet, took the Derby and the Preakness by 1 ¾ and 1 ½ lengths, then won the Belmont by a full 4 lengths. The dramatic photo of Slew, crossing the finish line with Cruguet standing in the saddle in triumph, is a treasured piece of horse racing memorabilia.

The last winner of the Triple Crown, Affirmed, won the crown in 1978. No other horse has managed the feat since, though a few have come close.

Some of the most treasured pieces of horse racing memorabilia include portraits or photos of all three 1970s Triple Crown winners, signed by their jockeys. If you have a horse racing fan on your gift list, you can't go wrong with a gift like that.