# of Starts of Previous Triple Crown winners
The 11 previous winners of the Triple Crown raced an average of 30 times each. Gallant Fox and Seattle Slew raced the fewest times, 17. Whirlaway raced an amazing 60 times:
Horse........ Starts
Sir Barton... 31
Gallant Fox.. 17
Omaha....... 22
War Admiral. 26
Whirlaway... 60
Count Fleet. 21
Assault...... 42
Citation..... 45
Secratariat. 21
Seattle Slew. 17
Affirmed..... 29
This is the main reason I can't get excited about an AP Triple Crown. He will almost certainly retire with somewhere between 8 and 11 starts.
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Curlin and Hard Spun finish 1,2 in the 2007 BC Classic, demonstrating how competing in all three Triple Crown races ruins a horse for the rest of the year...see avatar
photo from REUTERS/Lucas Jackson
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