Watch Secretariat's iconic 1973 win at the Belmont Stakes
Screenshot
Thirty-six years have come and gone since the last Triple Crown winner.
Tonight, California Chrome will try to break the streak at Belmont Park. The horse, once considered an underdog, galloped to decisive victories at both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness. But Chrome and jockey Victor Espinoza face a crowded field with plenty of competitors that chose to forgo one of the two previous races in an effort to remain fresher. Co-owner Steve Coburn dislikes the cherry-picking approach, but he says he is focused on Chrome's race.
"I think triple means three," he told USA Today. "It's all or nothing."
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While Affirmed was the most recent Triple Crown winner, in 1978, the benchmark is still Secretariat, the "miracle horse" that won in 1973.
Below, watch the full race, an iconic moment in American history that California Chrome will attempt to match tonight. --Sarah Eberspacher
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Sarah Eberspacher is an associate editor at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked as a sports reporter at The Livingston County Daily Press & Argus and The Arizona Republic. She graduated from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.
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