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Adam Haynes

Triple Crown picks are single wagers for a horse to win all three legs of Thoroughbred Racing’s historic three-race series. If you bet a horse in this market – and they triumph in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes – you win.

That’s the basics. Our guide covers more of what there is to know about winning all three Triple Crown races – as well as what it takes when betting on it. We provide some expert picks for this year’s race, too!

The Races All Triple Crown Picks Must Win

Triple Crown bets markets are available at the best Kentucky Derby racebooks and sportsbooks. To win your wagers, you’ll need a Thoroughbred horse to triumph in all three of these Grade I races.

  • Kentucky Derby – America’s oldest horse race, founded in 1875, is held in Louisville, Kentucky on the first Saturday of May. The first leg of the Triple Crown, “The Run for the Roses” at Churchill Downs is also considered the most prestigious.
  • Preakness Stakes – First run in 1873, the Preakness Stakes ranks second in equestrian-based attendance to the Kentucky Derby. Held at Pimlico Race Course on the third Saturday in May.
  • Belmont Stakes – Inaugurated in 1867, the first or second Saturday of June sees the third and final Triple Crown event held at Belmont Park, New York. 2024 and 2025 will see the race moved to Saratoga while renovations to the traditional home are carried out.

Triple Crown betting markets are made available around the same time odds for the Kentucky Derby hit the slate. While some bookies will allow you to bet on the Triple Crown after the first race, lines will not be as favorable.

What Triple Crown Horses Need to Do

To land the Triple Crown, a horse must win the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico, and finish with victory at the Belmont Stakes. This is a three-leg campaign that kicks off, according to the schedule of the Kentucky Derby, in May before finishing in early June.

Secretariat

These three Grade I races are all as vital as one another. They do, however, test different attributes of the Thoroughbred horse. In America’s favorite horse race, runners will look to show their class at Churchill Downs in Kentucky.

All previous Kentucky Derby winners will have seen their odds slashed for a Triple Crown before the final two legs. The Preakness Stakes emphasizes speed, with horses demanded to up the pace over a shorter distance of 1316 miles (9.5 furlongs).

A horse with wins from those two events will then be required to exhibit world-class stamina in the Belmont Stakes, which is run over 112 miles (12 furlongs). As this takes place at Saratoga while Belmont Park undergoes renovation, however, the race has a reduced one-and-a-quarter miles.

Latest Triple Crown Odds

Before making your Triple Crown picks, it’s always worth checking out the odds first. Comparing prices across different offshore sites is a good way of ensuring you are getting the right deal. Many bookies offering Kentucky Derby betting odds have specials worth looking at, such as these.

Frankie Dettori to Win the 2024 Triple Crown

Can the legendary jockey, Frankie Dettori, win the Triple Crown? BetOnline is offering odds of +2000 for the Italian – who in 2000 rode China Visit to an 8th place finish in his last visit to Louisville – to carve his name in the annals of American Thoroughbred history.

  • No -8000
  • Yes +2000

Will There Be a Triple Crown Winner?

BetUS has a tasty-looking prop to consider – will we see a Triple Crown winner in 2024? Odds of +1200 are available if you believe there will be a winner of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes this year.

  • Yes +1200
  • No -2500

Find the best horse racing Triple Crown odds and specials across more of our recommended offshore bookies. Doing so can help you secure the best prices for the big race.

Our Experts’ Triple Crown Picks 2025

Could one of this year’s horses win all three Triple Crown races? Will we see a candidate emerge to become the first to complete a hat trick of wins in America’s greatest thoroughbred series? Here are our expert picks for the Triple Crown in 2025:

Burnham Square

Burnham Square silksTopped rankings on the Road to the Kentucky Derby in 2025 after getting up before the wire in the Blue Grass Stakes down the outside. Bred for the Triple Crown races through damsire Justify, who beat everything in them against him.

An exciting prospect for a similar bid now and perhaps the best trained in the Ian Wilkes barn since Fort Larned. Keeneland trial that confirmed him with most points not the strongest recent trial, though.

Journalism

Journalism silks altVersatile-looking pedigree and $825,000 price tag give hope for tackling the Triple Crown. Arrives for first leg in great form with four consecutive wins including Santa Anita Derby in California latest.

It’s how he does away from the West Coast and Deep South, moving eastwards and then north. Given big conglomerate of owners, he could run in the Preakness and Belmont Stakes,

Sandman

Sandman silks alt A little wayward in Arkansas Derby success, but definitely bred for the Belmont Stakes. Cost connections a pretty penny at $1,200,000, but could well pay them back if bidding for Triple Crown glory.

Yet to do better than show in three runs at Churchill Downs, and that’s the concern. If he can dispel doubts about handling the Kentucky Derby track, then he has a chance.

Sovereignty

Sovereignty silksClosing with every stride as the wire approached in the Florida Derby latest. Too good for Sandman earlier in the season, so has to be in the conversation for potential Triple Crown horses this year.

Represents powerful owner-breeders operating the world over, and the clear pick of their two Kentucky Derby runners. Should run well at Churchill Downs and then connections take it from there.

Where Can I Place Triple Crown Bets?

You can make online Triple Crown picks at our recommended offshore betting sites. Odds tend to be released when Kentucky Derby post positions and other necessary information has been confirmed by race organizers. In addition to finding Triple Crown specials, there are some real advantages to betting with online sportsbooks.

  • Get to compare the best Triple Crown betting odds.
  • Claim multiple bonuses to use on Triple Crown markets.
  • Make Triple Crown picks from anywhere with an internet connection.
  • Deposit and withdraw with cards, crypto, and other top payment methods.

All our recommended sportsbooks are 100% safe and reputable places to bet. If you don’t have tickets for the Kentucky Derby, consider signing up with one or more for the chance to wager online.

What Handicappers Consider When Making Triple Crown Picks

Triple Crown races are among the toughest in the world to win. As such, expert handicappers must dig deep and tune in to assess the factors that truly matter most. No o eligible to are some of the most crucial areas to consider.

  • Winning Prep Races – One of the greatest insights a horse racing handicapper has is the performance of horses in prep races. The Road to the Kentucky Derby may offer answers on how to bet on Triple Crown races.
  • Pedigree and Stock – Horses with previous winners or high-performing sires and dams in their lineage are worth looking at. Handicappers will always look to establish what a horse has running through its veins.
  • Trainer and Barn – Successful trainers, especially those with previous wins in Triple Crown races, can be vital to how handicappers make Triple Crown picks. If the involvement of both has led to results in the past, they could be instrumental this year.
  • Suitability for Races – A horse may be an incredible specimen with envious speed and endurance. But they may simply not be suitable for the variety of tests and demands that a Triple Crown campaign requires.
  • Potential Weaknesses – Some eagle-eyed handicappers may spot weaknesses in a horse’s armor. These could be anything from possible personality to quirks to a myriad of potential physical shortcomings.
  • Conditions and Weather – Some horses may not have the profile necessary to navigate difficult conditions. Extreme weather may also prove to be the kryptonite to some contenders’ aspirations.
  • Training and Shape – A horse may have peaked in prep races and shown a gradual decline as we approach Churchill Downs. On the flip side, some animals go from strength to strength and forge incremental, upward trajectories.

FAQs

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Adam Haynes

Our racebook reviewer Adam Haynes knows what best in class looks like and gives a balanced view of all those betting sites that appear here. If you want to know the pros and cons of wagering with a firm, he knows them from every angle.