Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing
Encyclopedia
The Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing, formerly known as the Filly Triple Crown, is a set of three horse races in the United States
which is open to three year old fillies
. Presently the only official Triple Tiara is the three race series in New York; they are; The Acorn Stakes
, run at Belmont Park
at a distance of 1 mile, The Coaching Club American Oaks
, run at Saratoga Race Course
at a distance of 1⅛ miles and The Alabama Stakes
, also run at Saratoga at a distance of 1¼ miles.
: the 1 mile Acorn Stakes
, the 1⅛ mile Mother Goose Stakes
and the Coaching Club American Oaks
, which varied in distance between 1¼ and 1½ miles.
Eight horses have won the series under this system:
* Denotes that the horse also won the Alabama Stakes in the same year, which was part of the Triple Tiara series from 2003 until 2006.
, a 1¼ mile race held in August at Saratoga Race Course
in Saratoga Springs, New York.
The New York Racing Association
, the operator of Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course, once offered a $2 million bonus to any filly that swept the three races. The bonus was discontinued in 2005. In 2007 the New York Racing Association reverted back to the original three races of the tiara; the Acorn, Mother Goose and Coaching Club American Oaks. No filly swept the reconfigured series.
which is open to three year old fillies
. The three races that compose the series now are The Acorn Stakes
, run at Belmont Park
at a distance of 1 mile, The Coaching Club American Oaks
, run at Saratoga Race Course
at a distance of 1⅛ miles and The Alabama Stakes
, also run at Saratoga at a distance of 1¼ miles. The current race system was implemented in 2010 by the New York Racing Association
and the series is sponsored by Betfair
and TVG
. No filly swept the reconfigured series.
to change the three races that compose the Triple Tiara. Although a great deal of prestige is attached to winning one or more of the current Triple Tiara races, all three are held at the same track at Belmont Park in the New York City area, because of this, the series is skewed to fillies that race in the northeast. Some from outside the area even modify the name of the series by calling it the "New York Triple Tiara."
Several options of races have been suggested to compose the "National Triple Tiara." The most popular proposal of races to compose a "Triple Tiara" series are The Kentucky Oaks
, run at Churchill Downs
in Louisville, Kentucky; The Black-Eyed Susan Stakes
, run at Pimlico Race Course
in Baltimore, Maryland; and The Acorn Stakes
, run at Belmont Park
in Elmont, New York. A second proposal has been to use the Kentucky Oaks, the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes and the Mother Goose Stakes
. This version would allow more time for fillies to recuperate between races. Using the Mother Goose would also allow the NYRA to keep its three races in place as its own series without interfering with the three National races.
These races in the most popular proposal are near equal distance to their Triple Crown
counterparts except for the Acorn, which is at a distance of one mile as opposed to the Belmont's mile-and-a-half distance. This series is thought to be a better choice for the Triple Tiara series, seeing that the three races are considered the most popular races for fillies. Each race receives considerable national network coverage, as it is run within 24 hours of the marquee event at each track. The Kentucky Oaks itself is known for drawing the third biggest crowds of any stakes races throughout the year, except for the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes. The Kentucky Oaks even outdraws the Belmont Stakes, the Travers Stakes and the Breeders' Cup
. Each race is also the night before their Triple Crown counterpart, except the Acorn, which is a race that immediately precedes the Belmont Stakes. (See "Triple Crown
")
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
which is open to three year old fillies
Filly
A filly is a young female horse too young to be called a mare. There are several specific definitions in use.*In most cases filly is a female horse under the age of four years old....
. Presently the only official Triple Tiara is the three race series in New York; they are; The Acorn Stakes
Acorn Stakes
The Acorn Stakes is an American Grade I race at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies. It is raced on dirt over a distance of one mile with a current purse of $250,000. It is the first leg of the US Triple Tiara and is followed by the Coaching Club American Oaks...
, run at Belmont Park
Belmont Park
Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in Elmont in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island adjoining New York City. It first opened on May 4, 1905...
at a distance of 1 mile, The Coaching Club American Oaks
Coaching Club American Oaks
The Coaching Club American Oaks is a race for thoroughbred three-year old fillies and the second leg of the Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing. Originally run at Belmont Park, the Grade I $250,000 stakes race was moved to Saratoga Race Course in 2010....
, run at Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. It opened on August 3, 1863, and is the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the United States. It is typically open for racing from late July through early September.-History:John...
at a distance of 1⅛ miles and The Alabama Stakes
Alabama Stakes
The Alabama Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race open to three-year-old fillies. Inaugurated in 1872, the Grade I race is run over a distance of one and one-quarter miles on the dirt track at Saratoga Race Course. Held in mid August, it currently offers a purse of $500,000...
, also run at Saratoga at a distance of 1¼ miles.
The New York Filly Triple Tiara (1957-2002 and 2007-2009)
The original Triple Tiara consisted of three races at Belmont ParkBelmont Park
Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in Elmont in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island adjoining New York City. It first opened on May 4, 1905...
: the 1 mile Acorn Stakes
Acorn Stakes
The Acorn Stakes is an American Grade I race at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies. It is raced on dirt over a distance of one mile with a current purse of $250,000. It is the first leg of the US Triple Tiara and is followed by the Coaching Club American Oaks...
, the 1⅛ mile Mother Goose Stakes
Mother Goose Stakes
The Mother Goose Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies held at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Raced on dirt, the Grade I race offers a purse of $250,000. Inaugurated in 1957 at a mile and a sixteenth, it was lengthened to a mile and an eighth in 1959...
and the Coaching Club American Oaks
Coaching Club American Oaks
The Coaching Club American Oaks is a race for thoroughbred three-year old fillies and the second leg of the Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing. Originally run at Belmont Park, the Grade I $250,000 stakes race was moved to Saratoga Race Course in 2010....
, which varied in distance between 1¼ and 1½ miles.
Eight horses have won the series under this system:
- Dark MirageDark MirageDark Mirage was an American Hall of Fame Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. Small in stature at just 15.1 hands, Dark Mirage proved big on the race track. Although her 1967 campaign as a two-year-old produced only two minor wins in fifteen starts, at three she completely dominated her female...
(1968) - ShuveeShuveeShuvee was an American Thoroughbred Champion Hall of Fame racehorse who was the second filly to ever win the U.S. Filly Triple Crown...
* (1969) - Chris EvertChris Evert (horse)Chris Evert was an American Hall of Fame Champion Thoroughbred filly racehorse. Carl Rosen , owner of clothing manufacturer Puritan Fashions Corp., purchased the filly at a Keeneland yearling sale. He named her for the rising young star tennis player Chris Evert, whom he had signed to endorse his...
(1974) - RuffianRuffian (horse)Ruffian was an American champion thoroughbred racehorse. Ruffian is considered by many to be the greatest female racehorse in history. Ruffian is among the greatest U.S. racehorses of all time. Her story was told in 2007 film Ruffian.- Career :An almost coal black filly of 16 and a half hands,...
(1975) - Davona DaleDavona DaleDavona Dale is an American Hall of Fame Champion Thoroughbred filly racehorse. Owned and bred by Calumet Farm, her sire descends from Nearco and her damsire is Hall of Famer Tim Tam who won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes....
(1979) - Mom's CommandMom's CommandMom's Command was a multiple Grade I-winning American Thoroughbred race horse. Her breeder and owner was Peter Fuller of Runnymede Farms in in North Hampton, New Hampshire, son of a former governor of Massachusetts...
* (1985) - Open MindOpen Mind (horse)Open Mind was an American Thoroughbred racing filly. In 1988, at two years of age, she won the Eclipse Award for American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly. In 1989, at three, she won the award as American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly...
* (1989) - Sky Beauty* (1993)
The New York Filly Triple Tiara (2003–2006)
In 2003, the Triple Tiara was reconfigured for a time to consist of the Mother Goose Stakes, Coaching Club American Oaks, and the Alabama StakesAlabama Stakes
The Alabama Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race open to three-year-old fillies. Inaugurated in 1872, the Grade I race is run over a distance of one and one-quarter miles on the dirt track at Saratoga Race Course. Held in mid August, it currently offers a purse of $500,000...
, a 1¼ mile race held in August at Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. It opened on August 3, 1863, and is the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the United States. It is typically open for racing from late July through early September.-History:John...
in Saratoga Springs, New York.
The New York Racing Association
New York Racing Association
The New York Racing Association, Inc. is the not-for-profit corporation that operates the three largest thoroughbred horse-racing tracks in the state of New York. It runs Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park, Queens, Belmont Park in Elmont, Long Island , and Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga...
, the operator of Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course, once offered a $2 million bonus to any filly that swept the three races. The bonus was discontinued in 2005. In 2007 the New York Racing Association reverted back to the original three races of the tiara; the Acorn, Mother Goose and Coaching Club American Oaks. No filly swept the reconfigured series.
The New York Filly Triple Tiara (2010–present)
The Triple Tiara is now a set of three horse races in the New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
which is open to three year old fillies
Filly
A filly is a young female horse too young to be called a mare. There are several specific definitions in use.*In most cases filly is a female horse under the age of four years old....
. The three races that compose the series now are The Acorn Stakes
Acorn Stakes
The Acorn Stakes is an American Grade I race at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies. It is raced on dirt over a distance of one mile with a current purse of $250,000. It is the first leg of the US Triple Tiara and is followed by the Coaching Club American Oaks...
, run at Belmont Park
Belmont Park
Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in Elmont in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island adjoining New York City. It first opened on May 4, 1905...
at a distance of 1 mile, The Coaching Club American Oaks
Coaching Club American Oaks
The Coaching Club American Oaks is a race for thoroughbred three-year old fillies and the second leg of the Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing. Originally run at Belmont Park, the Grade I $250,000 stakes race was moved to Saratoga Race Course in 2010....
, run at Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. It opened on August 3, 1863, and is the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the United States. It is typically open for racing from late July through early September.-History:John...
at a distance of 1⅛ miles and The Alabama Stakes
Alabama Stakes
The Alabama Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race open to three-year-old fillies. Inaugurated in 1872, the Grade I race is run over a distance of one and one-quarter miles on the dirt track at Saratoga Race Course. Held in mid August, it currently offers a purse of $500,000...
, also run at Saratoga at a distance of 1¼ miles. The current race system was implemented in 2010 by the New York Racing Association
New York Racing Association
The New York Racing Association, Inc. is the not-for-profit corporation that operates the three largest thoroughbred horse-racing tracks in the state of New York. It runs Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park, Queens, Belmont Park in Elmont, Long Island , and Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga...
and the series is sponsored by Betfair
Betfair
Betfair is the world's largest Internet betting exchange. The company is based in Hammersmith in West London, England. Since Betfair was launched in June 2000 it has become the largest online betting company in the UK and the largest betting exchange in the world. Betfair claim to have over 3...
and TVG
TVG Network
TVG Network is an American specialty channel dedicated to horse racing. The company broadcasts from Los Angeles, California and is available in the United States on Dish Network and DirecTV as well as select cable companies...
. No filly swept the reconfigured series.
National Triple Tiara Proposals
In recent years, many owners and trainers of fillies have submitted proposals to the National Thoroughbred Racing AssociationNational Thoroughbred Racing Association
The National Thoroughbred Racing Association is a broad-based coalition of horse racing interests consisting of leading thoroughbred racetracks, owners, breeders, trainers and affiliated horse racing associations, charged with increasing the popularity of horse racing and improving economic...
to change the three races that compose the Triple Tiara. Although a great deal of prestige is attached to winning one or more of the current Triple Tiara races, all three are held at the same track at Belmont Park in the New York City area, because of this, the series is skewed to fillies that race in the northeast. Some from outside the area even modify the name of the series by calling it the "New York Triple Tiara."
Several options of races have been suggested to compose the "National Triple Tiara." The most popular proposal of races to compose a "Triple Tiara" series are The Kentucky Oaks
Kentucky Oaks
The Kentucky Oaks is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies staged annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. The race currently covers 1⅛ miles at Churchill Downs; the horses carry 121 pounds . The Kentucky Oaks is held on the Friday before the Kentucky Derby each year...
, run at Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs, located in Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, is a Thoroughbred racetrack most famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby annually. It officially opened in 1875, and held the first Kentucky Derby and the first Kentucky Oaks in the same year. Churchill Downs...
in Louisville, Kentucky; The Black-Eyed Susan Stakes
Black-Eyed Susan Stakes
The Black-Eyed Susan Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. The race is open to three-year-old fillies willing to race one and one-eighth miles on the dirt and currently offers a purse of $250,000...
, run at Pimlico Race Course
Pimlico Race Course
Pimlico Race Course is a horse racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, most famous for hosting the Preakness Stakes. Its name is derived from the 1660s when English settlers named the area where the facility currently stands in honor of Olde Ben Pimlico's Tavern in London...
in Baltimore, Maryland; and The Acorn Stakes
Acorn Stakes
The Acorn Stakes is an American Grade I race at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies. It is raced on dirt over a distance of one mile with a current purse of $250,000. It is the first leg of the US Triple Tiara and is followed by the Coaching Club American Oaks...
, run at Belmont Park
Belmont Park
Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in Elmont in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island adjoining New York City. It first opened on May 4, 1905...
in Elmont, New York. A second proposal has been to use the Kentucky Oaks, the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes and the Mother Goose Stakes
Mother Goose Stakes
The Mother Goose Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies held at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Raced on dirt, the Grade I race offers a purse of $250,000. Inaugurated in 1957 at a mile and a sixteenth, it was lengthened to a mile and an eighth in 1959...
. This version would allow more time for fillies to recuperate between races. Using the Mother Goose would also allow the NYRA to keep its three races in place as its own series without interfering with the three National races.
These races in the most popular proposal are near equal distance to their Triple Crown
Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing consists of three races for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses. Winning all three of these Thoroughbred horse races is considered the greatest accomplishment of a Thoroughbred racehorse...
counterparts except for the Acorn, which is at a distance of one mile as opposed to the Belmont's mile-and-a-half distance. This series is thought to be a better choice for the Triple Tiara series, seeing that the three races are considered the most popular races for fillies. Each race receives considerable national network coverage, as it is run within 24 hours of the marquee event at each track. The Kentucky Oaks itself is known for drawing the third biggest crowds of any stakes races throughout the year, except for the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes. The Kentucky Oaks even outdraws the Belmont Stakes, the Travers Stakes and the Breeders' Cup
Breeders' Cup
The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Thoroughbred horse races, most but not all Grade I, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event; starting in 2007, it expanded to two days. The location...
. Each race is also the night before their Triple Crown counterpart, except the Acorn, which is a race that immediately precedes the Belmont Stakes. (See "Triple Crown
United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
In the United States, the "Triple Crown" is usually the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, a series of three Thoroughbred horse races for three-year-old horses run in May and early June of each year consisting of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes.While Daily Racing Form...
")