Triple Crown Races Nigeria

 

Dark Horses and Longshots to Watch Out For

As the 2025 Triple Crown approaches, some dark horses and longshots are securing spots on watch lists. We always pay the most attention to the favorites, but in horse racing, upsets and surprises are so common that they practically have their own names. This is a situation where research and calculated risk can really pay off. Who knows? You might even hit a superfecta.

The first race of the Triple Crown, the Kentucky Derby, has a reputation for producing upset winners. Among the most recent contests, the 2006 race saw longshot Barbaro emerge victorious in the first leg of the Triple Crown. He was the 6th horse in a row to win at odds of 20-1 or better. The 2009 winner, Mine That Bird, captured the gadget-laden event despite being only the 2nd horse to do so in under 3:00. (Mine That Bird won at 50-1, the longest of the longshots, and in 2012, Union Rags, also an upset winner, crossed the finish line 4:20 after the race began).

Consider another dark horse: Dream Shake. He won his debut in impressive fashion before finishing fourth in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby. Dream Shake has shown speed and talent and could be a Triple Crown contender, especially if he continues to improve.

In the Preakness Stakes, the second race in the Triple Crown, a standout longshot to keep an eye on is Rombauer, who won preparada. He won the Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby earlier this year. Rombauer comes in at around 30-1 and shows an impressive performance tied to an upcoming result. Will he surprise like he possibly did in the earlier race?

Finally, the third and final leg of the Triple Crown is the Belmont Stakes, and one horse to watch is Known Agenda, who finished first in the Grade 1 Florida Derby in March. Known Agenda is fast and strong, but the question is whether he is capable of running 1 1/2 miles and still finishing first. If he wins the Belmont Stakes, we will have seen the best horse yet in 2021.

While popular horses like Essential Quality, Hot Rod Charlie, and Life Is Good are expected to be top contenders in the races that make up the Triple Crown, bettors willing to take a chance on dark horses and longer shots could find themselves with some potentially big payouts. As always, it's best to do your research and consider a number of pertinent factors - such as short-term performance, the person handling the horse, the horse's team, and track conditions - that could affect the outcome when making your betting decisions.

Triple Crown Betting Tips

If you're looking for bets on today's horse races, look no further. Prior to 2015 and the recent (2022) exploits of Justify, it had been a long time since a horse champion had captured the Triple Crown. As mentioned above, only 13 horses have ever accomplished this miraculous feat, a testament to the toughness of the competition. With that in mind, our experts have put together a horse racing betting guide for punters looking to back a Triple Crown winner.

• Winners of the Kentucky Derby are usually superior to all other track champions. It is the longest dirt track and the ideal test of a thoroughbred's stamina.
• Betting on horse races is not necessarily made easier by the fact that there are fewer horses in a race. Some horseplayers strategically choose which races to enter, opting not to run in all three events on the day.
• Check the history of the horses, trainers and jockeys to determine their likelihood of winning.

 

Past Triple Crown Winners

Year	Horse
2018	Justify
2015	American Pharoah
1978	Affirmed
1977	Seattle Slew
1973	Secretariat
1948	Citation
1946	Assault
1943	Count Fleet
1941	Whirlaway
1937	War Admiral
1935	Omaha
1930	Gallant Fox
1919	Sir Barton