--- description: Learn about the Triple Crown in less time than it takes to run the Belmont Stakes title: A Dummy's Guide to the Triple Crown image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt64c1400e0144a521/6986967506f2c1086332f5ba/488043697.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Horse Racing](/tag/horse-racing/) ## Horse Racing Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # A Dummy's Guide to the Triple Crown by [Harry Swartout](/author/harry-swartout/) ## Harry Swartout Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jun 6, 2014 12:18 PM CUT  LOUISVILLE, KY - MAY 03: Jockey Victor Espinoza celebrates atop of California Chrome #5 after crossing the finish line to win the 140th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 3, 2014 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) LOUISVILLE, KY - MAY 03: Jockey Victor Espinoza celebrates atop of California Chrome #5 after crossing the finish line to win the 140th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 3, 2014 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)Matthew Stockman—Getty Images by [Harry Swartout](/author/harry-swartout/) ## Harry Swartout Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jun 6, 2014 12:18 PM CUT Before people paid money to watch cars drive in a circle, they paid to watch horses run in a circle. Horse racing has been a popular pastime from Roman chariot races to thoroughbred racing in Elizabethan England. The “Sport of Kings” has fallen out of fashion of late, but there are three races that still command America’s attention – the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes. With the Derby and Preakness being claimed by California Chrome and the Belmont just around the corner, now’s the time to get back in the saddle and brush up on your Triple Crown knowledge. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/2830532/triple-crown/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/2830532/triple-crown/"},"headline":"A Dummy's Guide to the Triple Crown","datePublished":"2014-06-06T12:18:04.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-21T08:15:14.036Z","description":"Learn about the Triple Crown in less time than it takes to run the Belmont Stakes","url":"https://time.com/2830532/triple-crown/","keywords":["Horse Racing"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt64c1400e0144a521/6986967506f2c1086332f5ba/488043697.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Harry Swartout","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/harry-swartout/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt64c1400e0144a521/6986967506f2c1086332f5ba/488043697.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"140th Kentucky Derby","caption":"140th Kentucky Derby","creditText":"Matthew Stockman—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/horse-racing/","name":"Horse Racing"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/2830532/triple-crown/","name":"A Dummy's Guide to the Triple Crown"}}]}] ```