Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing
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The Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing, formerly known as the Filly Triple Crown, is a set of horse races in the United States which is open to three year old fillies. Until recently, the three races that compose the series are The Acorn Stakes, run at Belmont Park at a distance of 1 mile, The Mother Goose Stakes, run at Belmont Park at a distance of 1 1/8 miles and The Coaching Club American Oaks, also run at Belmont Park at a distance of 1 1/4 miles (it used to be 1 1/2 miles). In 2003, the Triple Tiara was reconfigured to consist of the Mother Goose Stakes, Coaching Club American Oaks, and the Alabama Stakes, a 1 1/4 mile race held in August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The New York Racing Association, the operator of Belmont Park, once offered a $2 million bonus to the filly that swept the three races. The bonus was discontinued in 2005.
Thus far, only seven horses have won the Triple Tiara:
- Dark Mirage (1968)
- Shuvee (1969)
- Ruffian (1975)
- Davona Dale (1979)
- Mom's Command (1985)
- Open Mind (1989)
- Sky Beauty (1993)
[edit] Possible future of The Triple Tiara
In recent years, many owners of fillies have submitted proposals to the National Thoroughbred Racing Association to change the three races that compose the Triple Tiara.
The most popular proposal of races to compose the series are, The Kentucky Oaks, run at Churchill Downs, The Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, run at Pimlico Race Course, and The Acorn Stakes, run at Belmont Park.
These races are near equal distance to their Triple Crown counterparts (save for the Acorn, which is at a distance of one mile, as opposed to the Belmont's mile-and-a-half distance), and are thought to be a better choice for the Triple Tiara series, seeing that the three races are considered the most popular races for fillies (The Oaks is known for drawing a bigger crowd than the Preakness Stakes, the Belmont Stakes, and the Breeders Cup itself). Each race is also the night before their Triple Crown counterpart, besides the Acorn, which is a race that immediately precedes the Belmont Stakes. (See "Triple Crown")
| The Triple Crown of Horse Racing |
| United States, Thoroughbred Horses: Kentucky Derby | Preakness Stakes | Belmont Stakes |
| United States, Harness Racing Pacers: Cane Pace | Messenger Stakes | Little Brown Jug |
| United States, Harness Racing Trotters: Hambletonian | Yonkers Trot | Kentucky Futurity |
| United Kingdom: Two Thousand Guineas Stakes | Derby Stakes (also known as Epsom Derby) | St. Leger Stakes |
| Canada, Thoroughbred Horses: Queen's Plate | Prince of Wales Stakes | Breeders' Stakes |
| See Also: Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing | Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Pacers | Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Trotters | Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing* |
| *Series is still under review for races. See page for details on race proposals. |
