Should changes be made to horse racing’s Triple Crown?

The debate rages on: Do we keep the Triple Crown series the way it is, or is it too strenuous for the horses to run three races at three different tracks and distances in a five-week span?

Sir Barton was the first horse to sweep the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont in 1919 before it was ever labeled the Triple Crown. Some journalists began using the term in 1923, but it wasn’t until 1930 when Gallant Fox swept the three races that Charles Hatton of the Daily Racing Form adopted the name and it became common use.

Winning the Triple Crown is one of the most difficult achievements in all of sports. Only 13 horses have turned the trick, and there was a 37-year span between Triple Crown winners Affirmed in 1978 and American Pharoah in 2015. Justify was the most recent winner in 2018.

Some argue that if we gave the horses a three- or four-week break between the Derby and Preakness, it might encourage more owners and trainers who ran in the Run for the Roses to tackle the second leg of the Triple Crown rather than sit and wait for the Belmont. There are others who will counter with the suggestion that it’s not right to mess with tradition.

Count Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey among horsemen who subscribe to the latter camp’s way of thinking. He says to leave the current format alone, although at least he’s willing to listen to alternatives.

“I’m pretty much of a traditionalist and I’ve always been the kind that I didn’t wanna change it,” McGaughey said during a teleconference with racing media Thursday.

But here’s where the 72-year-old McGaughey, who won the Derby with Orb in 2013 and the Belmont with Easy Goer in 1989, shows his willingness to compromise.

“I did see a format presented the other day on Twitter or something where they ran the Derby first, then in July they ran the Preakness and then in October they ran the Belmont,” he said. “I didn’t think that was that bad of an idea. I don’t know that it’s something that I’d vote for or not, but if they came up with it I don’t think I’d fight it too much. I hate to see us keep changing a lot of different things, but it’s different times now. Sometimes, no matter who you are or what you are, you gotta (compromise) and do what’s best for racing and what’s best for the horses.”

Steve Asmussen, who trained two-time Horse of the Year Curlin and campaigned the ultra-talented Rachel Alexandra, is much like McGaughey. He’s a traditionalist, but he also realizes it’s not up to him or other trainers to make decisions like shaking up the Triple Crown series.

“We are rarely in the room when any of these decisions are made,” Asmussen said.

Much like when California and New Jersey amended their rules on the use of whips. Experienced and talented riders the likes of Mike Smith and John Velazquez were not consulted when the powers that be decided to act on their own.

“As trainers, we focus on the horses that are in our care, (but) I do believe there are positives and negatives to both (sides of the Triple Crown debate),” Asmussen said.

John Piassek, communications manager for Maryland Thoroughbred, offered this suggestion on Twitter:

• First Saturday in May the Kentucky Derby.
• First Saturday in June the Preakness.
• First Saturday in July the Belmont.
• First Saturday in August the Haskell.
• First Saturday in September the Travers
• First Saturday in October the Pennsylvania Derby.
• First Saturday in November the Breeders’ Cup.

While McGaughey is not opposed to listening to such ideas, he also likes the Triple Crown series the way it is. Remember, he’s a traditionalist.

“I do think it’s exciting and throws a little bit of intrigue into it with these horses having to run back in two weeks,” he said. “Usually with that, we get some decent horses that haven’t run in the Kentucky Derby. It’s hard to get to the Kentucky Derby and I think sometimes it can take its toll on (the horses). Mentally, to run in a race like that, to train up to a race like that, to run in a race like that on a day like that and then have to come back and ship over to a new place to run a different distance, there are a lot of exciting things about it.”

McGaughey then added something we can probably all agree upon.

“I’m not really in favor of seeing a Triple Crown winner every year,” he said.

Follow Art Wilson on Twitter @Sham73.