Will we see another triple crown winner?

[BigMac12]

It's been 33 years since the last horse won the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes in the same year. Will we see a Triple Crown winner, or will Affirmed be the last horse to pull off this feat?

[NJTank]

Im sure one day it will happen, but I thin the horse that had the best chance this year went down before the derby and that was Uncle Mo.

[NEW.ERA]

Yes on all accounts with Tank. Uncle Mo could have done it, really wanted to see Animal Kingdom pull it off though.

One thing that will come of this is again ABC will get killed in the ratings for the Belmont.

[dfwabel]

I am not sure. It is three races in five weeks and every three year old horse goes into the Derby without racing in a 1.25 mile race, the Kentucky Derby distance.

Big Brown was possibly the best recent horse to have a shot to win, but DNF in the Belmont. In terms of breed, one of the best horses to not win it I give it to Swale (1984) as he won the Derby and the Belmont.

Owners will put good horses in to the Preakness because they have a shot at winning it due to distance and nothing else, meanwhile others will place a somewhat unworthy horse in the Kentucky Derby in just for the prestige and they can pay the entry fee.

[pmoehrin]

I would never say never, but the way the horses are breed nowadays, its far more unlikely. There's just too much emphasis placed on speed and not enough on endurance or strength. You need a horse that is good at all three to win it. Being the fastest quarter horse in the world isn't going to help you much over the course of three races like that and that's what trainers and owners are tying to do now. Its not a coincidence that alot of the horses that have won the Belmont in recent years skipped out of either the Kentucky Derby, Preakness or even both races and the winning times have been pretty bad as well. Its also not a coincidence that the combo always seems to be win the Kentucky and the Preakness. Not too many horses are winning the Belmont and Kentukcy, or the Belmont and Preakness.

The last horse that I thought had a real shot at winning it was Barbaro. He never lost a race until the Preakness. But again he broke his foot in 20 places just running and I think the breeding of today was definately a contributing factor to it. I'm surprised injuries like that haven't been more frequent.