American Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing

The Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing, formerly known as the Filly Triple Crown, is a set of horse races in the United States which is open to three year old fillies. Until recently, the three races that compose the series are The Acorn Stakes, run at Belmont Park at a distance of 1 mile, The Mother Goose Stakes, run at Belmont Park at a distance of 1 1/8 miles and The Coaching Club American Oaks, also run at Belmont Park at a distance of 1 1/4 miles (it used to be 1 1/2 miles). In 2003, the Triple Tiara was reconfigured to consist of the Mother Goose Stakes, Coaching Club American Oaks, and the Alabama Stakes, a 1 1/4 mile race held in August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The New York Racing Association, the operator of Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course, once offered a $2 million bonus to the filly that swept the three races. The bonus was discontinued in 2005.

Thus far, only eight horses have won the Triple Tiara:

* Dark Mirage (1968)
* Shuvee (1969)
* Chris Evert (1974)
* Ruffian (1975)
* Davona Dale (1979)
* Mom's Command (1985)
* Open Mind (1989)
* Sky Beauty (1993)

Possible future of The Triple Tiara

In recent years, many owners of fillies have submitted proposals to the National Thoroughbred Racing Association to change the three races that compose the Triple Tiara.

The most popular proposal of races to compose the series are The Kentucky Oaks, run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky; The Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, run at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland; and The Acorn Stakes, run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.

These races 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. The Kentucky Oaks itself is known for drawing a bigger crowd than the Preakness Stakes, the Belmont Stakes, and the Breeders' Cup. Each race is also the night before their Triple Crown counterpart, except the Acorn, which is a race that immediately precedes the Belmont Stakes. (See "Triple Crown")