LEXINGTON, Ky. — It is arguably one of the toughest feats to accomplish in all of sports, the Triple Crown. Only 11 horses have won the honor, the first in 1919 (Sir Barton) and the most recent in 1978 (Affirmed).

For those not so familiar with horse racing, the Triple Crown consists of the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes, all of which are run in a five-week period. Racing in all three is rare; winning all three has proven to be almost impossible.

But all eyes are fixed this year on the last race of the three, the Belmont, and the horse that has won the first two legs, I’ll Have Another. The Kentucky-born, Canadian-owned and California-trained Thoroughbred was originally sold for $11,000; not exactly big money, considering the average price of a yearling in 2011 was close to $50,000, according to information from the Jockey Club – the breed registry for Thoroughbred horses in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.

The horse did sell again, bringing $35,000 from current owner J. Paul Reddam. In contrast, I’ll Have Another has won more than $2 million and only finished out of the money once in seven races.

But, it should be noted that 45 other horses have also won two of the three races. The last to do so was Big Brown, a horse that raced so well in the Derby and Preakness that many in and out of the racing business felt he was the next Triple Crown winner. But that Kentucky-bred horse finished last in the Belmont, possibly because of a dislodged shoe.

While winning the Triple Crown is a rarity, the majority of the horses that have done so, or come close, have a common bond in that they were Kentucky born and bred. Eight of the 11 winners came from the Bluegrass Sate and all but one of the horses that were contenders for the honor were Kentucky-bred, according to David Switzer, executive director of the of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Assoc.

“And if I’ll Have Another wins, that will make nine out of 12!” he exclaimed.

Switzer pointed out many of these outstanding racehorses sell for “big dollars” due to exceptional pedigrees and confirmation, but a “bargain” horse like I’ll Have Another is good for the industry.

“We like to see these bargain horses because that keeps people in the middle part of the market thinking they can get a good racehorse for a fair price, for a good price,” he said.

Switzer also said many horses are being purchased by multiple owners or groups of people to help spread around the costs.

Regardless of the owners, who come from all over the world to buy these horses, Switzer said most of the Thoroughbreds in North America come from Kentucky. “We consistently produce 30 percent of the North American foal crop,” he said. “The next closest would possibly be Florida, with maybe 10 percent.”

That equates to approximately 30,000 foals each year. Switzer attributes the success Kentucky has in producing the best racehorses in the world to the infrastructure that exists here.

“One of the things that separates us from any other place in the world is the infrastructure we have,” he said. “The fact that we’ve got a concentration of world-class veterinarians, farm managers, blacksmiths, research people, nutritionists; there are excellent veterinarians and blacksmiths in other parts of the world, but not the concentration that we have in Kentucky.”

Switzer also noted a foal begins the journey to becoming a great horse almost immediately. “It starts 24 hours after they’re born, when they’re turned out for the first time. They start their training right there, going up and down our undulating fields, building muscle, and they get the best nutrition and best care in the world,” he said.

“That’s why eight of the 11 Triple Crown winners are Kentucky-bred, 76 percent of the Kentucky Derby winners are Kentucky-bred and 74 percent year-in, year-out of the Breeders Cup winners are Kentucky-bred, it’s because we know how to raise a good horse.”

The prospects for Kentucky remaining at the top when it comes to producing the best horses in the world are strong.

Much mention has been made of the fact the number of foals have decreased, along with revenues related to the industry, over the last few years. But Switzer said the desire to keep as much land in agriculture is a top priority in this state and the horse industry is still most significant.

“Understand that over 800,000 people visit the Kentucky Horse Park annually. Those tourists coming to central Kentucky to drive up and down the roads and see all the wonderful horse farms and local people that really appreciate what Lexington has to offer, they understand the importance of the industry,” he said.

“We’re always going to be in business. We may contract a little bit, but we’re not going to lose it.”