Every so often, someone asks me, “… so, why the name Triple Crown, Matt? Do you like to play the ponies? Are you a gamblin’ man?” “Nope!” I’ll reply,”but if you’ve got a few minutes, I’ll tell you.” When I decided to start the company several years ago, I had a clear idea of how I wanted things to be. I had worked all over the industry for a myriad of shops big and small. As I honed my skills as a plumber, pipe fitter and steam fitter, I also learned what good service and proper customer relations should be. Some shops had great service and lousy plumbers, while others did nice work when they finally showed up. Some were nasty with customers and had an us-versus-them mentality, which is quite prevalent in long-established companies. In many cases, I saw that the current generation had taken for granted what grandpa had nurtured and cultivated. I took notice of all these things and knew exactly the kind of company I wanted. Now, all I needed to come up with was a great name that would exemplify the company’s qualities.

I come from a long—line of Thoroughbred horsemen who trace their roots back to the magnificent horse-Country of County Tipperary, Ireland. For as long as anyone can remember, there was always a Bart Sweeney that had an outstanding reputation on the racing circuit. If you had a difficult horse that no one else could ride or train, you brought him to Bart. If a horse had leg problems that no one else could remedy, Bart Sweeney’s Leg poultices and homemade liniments were well-known among horsemen. As the generations passed, and new Barts entered the world, the high standards of care and love of the horse, were taught.

In 1927, My Grandfather, Bart Sweeney, was summoned to America by one of the greatest horse trainers of all- time. James “Sunny Jim” Fitzsimmons had horses stabled at several of America’s great racetracks, with a home base at Aqueduct Racetrack (Queens, New York). During an illustrious 70-Year career as a trainer, ‘Old Man Fitz,” as he was known in later years, saddled 49 Major stakes winners, and 8 Racing Hall of Fame Champions, including the only father and son horses ever to win the coveted Triple Crown Title, Gallant Fox (1930) and Omaha (1935). There have been only 11 Triple Crown Winners in history. My Grandfather soon became ‘Sunny Jim’s” right-hand-man. They worked side—by-side for the next 30 years, conditioning champions for some of America’s wealthiest families, including Ogden Mills Phipps’ Wheatley stable and William Woodward’s Belair Stud.

Although quite successful with some very good horses up to this point, in late 1929 The Fitzsimmons Stable finally had found its “big horse” as we say on the racetrack. Gallant Fox was a brilliant, but difficult 1200 lb. bay colt, who was owned by William Woodward. Sunny Jim knew Gallant Fox had great potential, and that with the right groom and handler could sweep the Three Triple Crown races of the following year, 1930.
As my Grandfather stepped off the boat, a stable employee named Dick Goff took him directly from the New York City Piers and straight to the racetrack where he met Fitzsimmons. He went right to work that same day. For 3 years he worked his way up the ranks, grooming lesser horses.