Triple Crown

American  

[trip-uhl kroun] / ˈtrɪp əl ˈkraʊn /

noun

1. an unofficial title held by a horse that wins the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont Stakes in a single season.

2. a usually unofficial title held by someone who wins three major awards, achievements, or championships in the same year.

   She's the youngest player to have won the league's pitching triple crown (wins, ERA, and strikeouts) two years in a row.

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triple crown British  

noun

1. RC Church the Pope's tiara

2. horse racing the winning of three important races in one season

3. (often capitals) rugby Union a victory by Scotland, England, Wales, or Ireland in all three games against the others in the annual Six (formerly, Five) Nations Championship Compare grand slam

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Example Sentences

Ireland achieving their fourth Triple Crown in five years is reflected in the selection of centre Stuart McCloskey and forwards Tadhg Beirne, Caelan Doris and Jack Conan.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

In the modern game, the Triple Crown doesn't mean as much as it used to, not to the nations who are used to winning it, that is.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

The first Triple Crown race is in eight weeks, and trainers will be looking for their horses to earn qualifying points starting this weekend at Santa Anita Park.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 7, 2026

The trip to Dublin was already a Triple Crown decider.

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026

Not all races are handicaps—in the Triple Crown, for example, all male horses carry 126 pounds—but most top races for older horses, including the Santa Anita Handicap, are handicaps.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand