Last Year's Triple Crown Winners
 

Combined 0-11 since their wins.

Impressive.
What are the odds this year's will never win another race?

Even beyond the winners there isn't a lot of meat on this bone. Battle Of Midway won the BC Dirt Mile, not much beyond that from any of the three fields of horses.

In 2005 there were 35,050 foals. That figure sank to 20,850 in 2015 and 2016. That's a 40% drop. It might explain the general lack of star power in recent years. It easily explains the ever shrinking field sizes in races not named the Kentucky Derby... and the talent is watered down in that event. No wonder it's been a chalkfest. I suspect it also makes it easier for a standout like AP or Justify to win the Triple Crown.

Undoubtedly. I've heard this same argument used (foal crop size) against Man o' War and there is definitely some merit there.

With the harsh triple crown run, and the incentive to win now, and the ease with which these trainers develop a new top horse,... the triple crown trail has almost been a distinctly separate career path.

Anything after the triple crown trail is a bonus. A new group of good horses is developed for late-season and 4yo+ as they pop up.

I tend to agree with this. Long term futures of many of these horses are sacrificed for short term gain.

That is the Pletcher MO in its entirety. Probably Baffert to a lesser extent but he has had some pretty good success with older horses.