The last Triple Crown winner in U.S. Thoroughbred horse racing was Justify in 2018.

Quick Scoop: When was the last Triple Crown winner?

If you’re asking “when was the last triple crown winner” in the context of U.S. horse racing, you’re talking about the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes.

  • The most recent horse to win all three was Justify in 2018.
  • Justify completed the Triple Crown by winning the 150th Belmont Stakes in June 2018.
  • Only 13 horses in history have ever achieved this feat, with Justify being the 13th.
  • Before Justify, the previous Triple Crown winner was American Pharoah in 2015 , ending a long 37-year drought since 1978.

In other words: as of now, 2018’s Justify is still the last Triple Crown winner.

Mini timeline of recent Triple Crown winners

  • 2015 – American Pharoah : First Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.
  • 2018 – Justify : Undefeated Triple Crown winner and the latest to do it.

These two modern stars revived Triple Crown excitement for a new generation of fans.

TL;DR: When someone asks “when was the last triple crown winner” in U.S. horse racing, the answer is 2018 , with the horse Justify.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.