For three consecutive Saturdays tens of thousands of spectators crowd area race tracks. Attendance on the weekends is only rivaled locally by the Battle of Aiken, a Civil War re-enactment.

The Aiken Trials

The first leg of the Triple Crown is the Aiken Trials, a race in which many prize-earning horses have gained crucial track experience over the years.

Held annually since 1942 at the Aiken Training Track off Two Notch Road, the Trials offers a chance for young racing thoroughbreds to get used to performing in front of boisterous spectators.

· Click here for our coverage of the 2005 Aiken Triple Crown

March 19, 2005: Aiken Training Track, Two Notch Rd. Contact: Aiken Jaycees, 803-648-8955. http://www.aikenjaycees.com

The Aiken Steeplechase

The second leg of the Triple Crown is the Aiken Steeplechase. Held annually at Ford Conger Field, the Steeplechase is perhaps the most attended of the three races. It also is a precursor to higher-purse events for jumper horses competing in Camden and elsewhere.

In steeplechasing, jockeys guide their horses over a series of jumps during a race, which can sometimes lead to spills. Conditions must be perfect.

Steeplechasing dates back 250 years to when English and Irish noblemen would race from one church to another.

The Aiken Steeplechase was first run in 1931, but was suspended during World War II.

Almost 40 years after its revival, the second leg of the Triple Crown has maintained enthusiastic public interest, becoming Aiken's premier sporting event.

A fall steeplechase was added 11 years ago after the success of the spring running.

March 26, 2005: Ford Conger Field. Gates open 9 am. Post time 1 pm. $10 advance, $15 gate. Children 6 and under free. Contact: Aiken Steeplechase Association, 803-648-9641. http://www.aikensteeplechase.com

Polo

Polo replaced harness racing for the third leg of the Aiken Triple Crown in 2004.

Mallets and chukkers are a radical break from harness racing, but Tom Biddle of Aiken Polo Club said spectators will enjoy the sport's non-stop pace and team atmosphere.

Aiken is fast becoming a hot-spot for polo. There are more than 19 polo fields in Aiken County, and six more are under construction.

The growth of polo in Aiken also is attracting top-flight talent. The city claims several of the country's best players, including Adam Snow, Owen Rhinehart and Matias Magrini, who train here throughout the year.

Triple Crown Terms

Here are some race terms that fans can expect to hear during the three-week run of the Aiken Triple Crown.

• Allowance race: Type of handicap race open only to horses that have won a certain number of races or a certain amount of money.

• Broodmare: Female horse used for breeding.

• Claims race:Races in which horses of the same value run.

• Colt: Male horse between the ages of 2 and 5.

• Dam: Female parent.

• Filly: Female between the ages of 2 and 5.

• Flat races: Races in which jockeys ride horses around a flat track.

• Foal: Newborn toroughbred.

• Furlong: A unit of measure used to express the distance of a horse race. One furlong is equal to 1/8 mile, or 201 meters.

• Gelding: Male horse that has been castrated to make it easier to train.

• Handicap races: In a handicap race, the amount of weight the horses are assigned to carry depends on their speed. Faster horses are required to carry more weight than slower ones to provide better competition.

• Harness races: Horses pull a driver in a small, two-wheeled vehicle called a sulky, racing at either a trot or pace.

• Mare: Female horse more than 5 years old.

• Pacer: Standard horse in a harness race that swings its right front leg and right hind leg forward at the same time, then alternates with the left legs.

• Paddock: Fenced-in area where horses are stabled.

• Place: To finish second.

• Show: To finish third.

• Sire: Male parent.

• Stallion: Male horse used for breeding.

• Standardbred: Developed for harness racing by breeding thoroughbreds with Morgans and other working-breed horses.

  · Click here for coverage of last year's Aiken Triple Crown events.