RDAU_2026-ISSUE0809_DIGITAL MAGAZINE

Off to the Races 1 The Triple Crown is one of the most elusive titles in sports. To achieve it, a Thoroughbred must win three races: The Kentucky Derby kicks it off the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Two weeks later, the Preakness Stakes takes place at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. And three weeks after that, the Belmont Stakes is run at Belmont Park outside of New York City. (The final two legs will be held elsewhere this year as Pimlico Race Course and Belmont Park undergo renovations.) 2 All three races have existed since the 1870s. But it wasn’t until the 1930s, when Daily Racing Form sports writer Charles Hatton started referring to them as the triple crown, that the term became popular. It became official in 1950, when the Thoroughbred Racing Associations retroactively awarded the title to Sir Barton, the first horse to win all three races (in 1919). 3 The Kentucky Derby is often called the most exciting two minutes in sports, but only two horses have finished it in that time. Monarchos ran it in 1:59.97 in 2001, and Secretariat put up the best time of 1:59.4 in 1973. Only three fillies (female horses) have won, and the biggest long shot to pull it off did so at odds of 91-1. Americans bet more than $10 billion on BY Moira and Tom Fanning reader ’ s digest 40   August/september 2026 illustration by Serge Bloch 13 THINGS horse racing each year. Churchill Downs saw $349 million in wagers last Derby Day alone. 4 Arguably the greatest racehorse of all time, Secre- tariat is one of 13 horses that have won the Triple Crown. He won 16 of his 21 races, and placed lower than third only once—in his very first race. In its list of the 100 best athletes of the 20th century, ESPN put him at 35th, just behind Lou Gehrig. Secretariat isn’t the only racehorse on the list, but he’s the highest ranking by a mile—a familiar feeling for him. 5 Secretariat ’ s heart weighed about 22 pounds, nearly triple the aver- age of 81/2 pounds, which greatly aided his stamina. It’s said that none of Secretariat’s sons inherited his huge heart, but some of his daughters did. All 19 entrants in last year’s Kentucky Derby were his descendants. 6 Up to 20 horses can compete in the 1.25-mile Kentucky Derby and race for its $5 million purse, which is spread across the top five finishers. Owners usually collect 80% of their horse’s winnings; the jockey and trainer split the remaining 20%. Both the 1.19-mile Preakness Stakes (with up to 14 entrants) and the 1.5-mile Belmont Stakes (up to 16) boast $2 million purses. The Belmont Stakes usually has the fewest entrants since it’s the last and longest race, making it the hardest to win. Thoroughbreds get just one chance at the Triple Crown because only 3-year-old horses are eli- gible for its three races. 7 A horse ’ s height is measured in hands, a unit of about 4 inches. To mea- sure, hold your hands horizontally and count as you stack from the ground up to the bony ridge above the horse’s shoulder blades, an area called the withers. Thoroughbreds usually stand 16 hands and weigh 1,000 pounds. 8 Jockeys typically stand between 4 foot 10 and 5 foot 6. John “Red” Pollard, who rode the famously undersized Seabiscuit, was consid- ered big for a jockey at 5 foot 7. It may seem that the horse is doing all the work, but jockeys are amazing athletes. Try holding a low squat for an entire race. It’s hard enough in your liv- ing room, let alone atop a half-ton horse thun- dering along at 40 mph. 9 In harness rac- ing, horses either trot or pace while pulling drivers behind them in lightweight two-wheeled “sulkies.” Trotting horses move their opposite fore and hind legs forward at the same time, while pacers move the legs on the same side of their bod- ies simultaneously. Since pacing is faster, pacers and trotters race separately. The sport’s readersdigest.com.au     41 Art of Living