American Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing - National Triple Tiara Proposals

National Triple Tiara Proposals

In recent years, many owners and trainers of fillies have submitted proposals to the National Thoroughbred Racing Association to change the three races that compose the Triple Tiara. Although a great deal of prestige is attached to winning one or more of the current Triple Tiara races, all three are held in New York; because of this, the series is skewed to fillies that race in the northeast. Some from outside the area even modify the name of the series by calling it the "New York Triple Tiara."

Several options of races have been suggested to compose the "National Triple Tiara." The most popular proposal of races to compose a "Triple Tiara" series are the Kentucky Oaks, run at Churchill Downs in Louisville; the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, run at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore; and the Acorn Stakes, run at Belmont Park. A second proposal has been to use the Kentucky Oaks, the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes and the Mother Goose Stakes. This version would allow more time for fillies to recuperate between races. Using the Mother Goose would also allow the NYRA to keep its three races in place as its own series without interfering with the three National races.

• In 1979 Davona Dale was the only filly to have won the Kentucky Oaks, the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes and the Acorn Stakes.

These races in the most popular proposal are near equal distance to their Triple Crown counterparts except for the Acorn, which is at a distance of one mile as opposed to the Belmont's mile-and-a-half distance. This series is thought to be a better choice for the Triple Tiara series, seeing that the three races are considered the most popular races for fillies. Each race receives considerable national network coverage, as it is run within 24 hours of the marquee event at each track. The Kentucky Oaks itself is known for drawing the third biggest crowds of any stakes races throughout the year, except for the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes. The Kentucky Oaks even outdraws the Belmont Stakes, the Travers Stakes and the Breeders' Cup series. Each race is also the night before its Triple Crown counterpart, except the Acorn, which is a race that immediately precedes the Belmont Stakes. (See "Triple Crown")