| Total | Debut | Latest |
| 13 | 9/16/2002 | 6/9/2015 |
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
| 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Rebus | Scrab | Debut | Fresh |
| 1 | 1.60 | 69 | 34% |
Tue 6/9/2015
| W | O | M | B | A | T | | M | M | E | | C | O | S | T |
| A | P | O | L | L | O | | A | A | S | | I | N | C | A |
| R | E | D | E | E | M | | C | I | T | A | T | I | O | N |
| | | A | R | C | H | | N | E | W | Y | O | R | K |
| S | E | A | T | T | L | E | S | L | E | W | | N | E | E |
| A | X | I | S | | A | L | L | Y | | | U | S | S | R |
| G | A | D | | I | N | G | E | | S | P | A | | | |
| A | M | E | R | I | C | A | N | P | H | A | R | O | A | H |
| | | D | I | Y | | D | O | O | M | | M | R | I |
| M | U | S | S | | | A | E | R | O | | O | N | E | S |
| I | S | U | | S | E | C | R | E | T | A | R | I | A | T |
| K | E | R | O | U | A | C | | D | I | R | E | | | |
| A | F | F | I | R | M | E | D | | N | E | G | A | T | E |
| D | U | E | L | | E | D | U | | G | N | O | M | E | S |
| O | L | D | S | | S | E | E | | S | A | N | T | A | S |
Roy constructed this puzzle shortly after American Pharoah won the Preakness in May. We had an understanding: If American Pharoah wins the Belmont (and, thus, the Triple Crown) on June 6, I will then rush the puzzle into print. If not, his beautiful work will go to waste.
In a sense, Roy had a $300 paycheck riding on the outcome!
Fortunately, American Pharoah did win. The race took place on Saturday evening. I edited and typeset the puzzle on Sunday morning. The testers solved it and got me their comments by afternoon. I polished the clues. Ellen Ripstein went to the Times on Sunday night to prepare the files in all the formats for both print and online. Et voilà! Done with time to spare.
Conceivably, we could have rushed the puzzle into print on Monday, bumping the puzzle that was already scheduled then. But the Times crossword now appears in so many formats that a last-minute swap isn't easy. There would have been a serious chance for a screw-up somewhere besides. So Tuesday was safer, and the puzzle's theme and fill felt more Tuesdayish anyway.
A couple of notes on the clues:
- While the puzzle has no specific mention of the "reveal," the Triple Crown, the clues for 22A ("Home of the Belmont Stakes") and 10D ("Louisville and Baltimore") do suggest all three legs of the title. I was pleased with that.
- For 1D, WAR, I debated a long time about using the clue "___ Admiral," referring to the Triple Crown winner of 1937. I finally decided not to, as that would have muddied the theme. But I did include a backhanded reference to War Admiral's sire, and a great racehorse in its own right, with the ship reference "Man-o'-___."
- One other semi-thematic clue was "Infield, for one" (AREA), referring to the interior part of a racetrack.
Altogether I think this turned out well. Thank you, Roy (and American Pharoah)!
The previously scheduled June 9 puzzle will now appear on June 30 instead.
Tue 12/13/2005
| S | M | O | G | | S | T | A | G | E | | M | E | S | A |
| L | A | V | A | | H | O | V | E | R | | U | S | P | S |
| A | X | E | R | | O | R | I | O | N | | E | S | A | U |
| G | I | N | G | E | R | R | O | G | E | R | S | | | |
| | | O | F | T | E | N | | | A | L | P | E | N |
| P | A | P | Y | R | U | S | | G | A | L | I | L | E | O |
| A | M | I | L | E | | | O | M | S | | | A | L | T |
| R | O | S | E | M | A | R | Y | C | L | O | O | N | E | Y |
| R | E | C | | | N | F | L | | | S | P | A | R | E |
| O | B | E | L | I | S | K | | A | M | H | E | R | S | T |
| T | A | S | E | R | | | G | O | R | E | N | | | |
| | | P | E | P | P | E | R | M | A | R | T | I | N |
| B | O | D | E | | A | I | R | T | O | | O | U | Z | O |
| M | U | I | R | | S | T | R | A | T | | A | T | O | P |
| W | I | N | S | | S | A | Y | S | O | | D | U | D | E |
Mon 10/3/2005
| A | C | M | E | | A | E | R | | T | S | E | T | S | E |
| N | O | I | R | | J | L | O | | O | P | E | R | A | S |
| D | O | N | A | D | A | M | S | | R | O | G | E | R | S |
| R | E | D | S | O | X | | S | P | A | R | | A | D | E |
| E | D | S | E | L | | E | I | G | H | T | Y | S | I | X |
| | | S | L | U | R | | A | S | Y | O | U | | |
| T | N | T | | E | E | N | Y | | | | G | R | I | T |
| W | O | U | L | D | Y | O | U | B | E | L | I | E | V | E |
| A | W | R | Y | | | | M | O | N | A | | R | Y | E |
| | B | R | U | S | H | | R | O | S | A | | | |
| S | H | O | E | P | H | O | N | E | | S | N | I | F | F |
| T | A | J | | L | A | N | E | | S | O | I | R | E | E |
| O | N | E | C | A | R | | G | E | T | S | M | A | R | T |
| R | O | T | A | T | E | | E | L | O | | A | T | M | E |
| M | I | S | T | E | R | | V | F | W | | L | E | I | S |
Wed 7/20/2005
| M | I | N | T | S | | F | I | C | A | | K | I | L | N |
| A | S | E | A | T | | A | D | A | M | | W | E | A | R |
| I | M | H | I | P | | R | O | S | A | | A | I | W | A |
| N | E | I | L | A | R | M | S | T | R | O | N | G | | |
| | | B | U | Y | S | | A | A | R | | H | S | T |
| R | E | S | A | L | E | | A | N | N | A | | T | H | E |
| E | R | I | C | | | B | R | E | T | T | | Y | O | N |
| W | A | L | K | E | D | O | N | T | H | E | M | O | O | N |
| A | S | H | | L | I | S | A | S | | | A | N | T | I |
| R | E | O | | B | E | T | Z | | C | A | R | E | S | S |
| D | R | U | | O | S | O | | B | A | E | Z | | | |
| | E | D | W | I | N | A | L | D | R | I | N | J | R |
| S | A | T | O | | R | I | L | E | | A | P | I | A | N |
| O | C | T | O | | A | V | O | N | | T | A | N | I | A |
| B | E | E | R | | E | Y | E | D | | E | N | O | L | S |
Wed 12/1/2004
| C | H | I | C | | P | A | V | E | R | | P | A | A | R |
| O | A | T | H | | A | L | I | V | E | | I | D | L | E |
| R | I | T | A | | G | O | D | E | L | | V | O | I | D |
| K | R | Y | P | T | O | N | I | S | O | T | O | P | E | |
| | | L | O | D | E | | | | A | T | T | N | |
| F | A | R | I | N | A | | M | A | R | L | A | | | |
| A | L | E | N | E | | D | I | C | K | C | L | A | R | K |
| L | E | I | | | M | U | N | R | O | | | R | A | E |
| K | E | N | T | S | T | A | T | E | | J | E | R | R | Y |
| | | R | O | A | D | S | | R | I | N | S | E | S |
| S | P | E | D | | | | D | E | B | T | | | |
| M | A | N | A | N | D | S | U | P | E | R | M | A | N |
| J | O | L | T | | E | X | C | E | L | | E | L | L | A |
| O | L | E | O | | R | I | A | T | A | | E | L | I | S |
| E | T | O | N | | D | I | T | S | Y | | S | E | T | H |
Tue 8/3/2004
| S | A | H | I | B | | O | P | E | R | A | | B | A | R |
| A | M | I | N | O | | W | A | L | T | S | | O | N | O |
| P | I | C | K | Y | P | I | C | K | E | T | | N | I | B |
| | | | C | E | N | T | S | | A | U | N | T | Y |
| R | A | P | S | O | N | G | S | | L | I | B | Y | A | N |
| E | R | U | P | T | S | | | C | A | R | I | B | | |
| S | T | P | A | T | | B | O | O | Z | E | | O | O | F |
| T | O | P | S | | S | A | R | G | E | | E | N | T | R |
| S | O | Y | | B | A | R | B | S | | P | E | N | T | A |
| | P | U | L | S | E | | | H | I | R | E | O | N |
| T | A | U | R | U | S | | A | N | A | L | Y | T | I | C |
| A | P | P | L | E | | E | R | O | D | E | | | | |
| L | A | P | | J | U | N | K | Y | J | U | N | K | E | T |
| I | R | E | | A | N | G | I | E | | P | I | A | N | O |
| A | T | T | | Y | A | R | N | S | | S | A | N | D | Y |
Thu 7/15/2004
| R | O | B | T | | P | A | L | E | | U | P | F | O | R |
| U | T | A | H | | E | N | I | D | | H | U | R | O | N |
| T | O | T | E | | T | U | T | U | | A | L | O | H | A |
| H | O | T | D | W | I | T | H | C | S | U | P | | | |
| A | L | L | S | E | T | | | O | I | L | | M | I | A |
| N | E | E | | E | I | D | E | R | S | | T | E | R | R |
| N | S | C | | N | O | U | N | | | A | V | A | S | T |
| | R | A | I | N | C | S | A | N | D | D | S | | |
| G | E | E | S | E | | | O | L | A | V | | U | S | D |
| T | R | E | K | | D | E | R | I | V | E | | R | O | O |
| O | A | K | | S | O | X | | | I | N | T | E | R | N |
| | | D | C | C | H | E | R | S | T | R | U | C | K |
| T | W | E | E | T | | A | L | I | T | | E | P | E | E |
| N | O | V | A | E | | L | A | N | A | | A | T | R | Y |
| T | O | E | R | R | | E | N | G | R | | T | O | Y | S |
Sun 3/21/2004 MOVIE SEQUELS THAT WERE NEVER MADE
| T | V | A | | F | R | I | A | R | S | | S | P | C | A | | F | A | B | L | E |
| V | I | C | | L | A | N | D | H | O | | M | O | O | N | | A | F | T | E | R |
| S | S | T | | I | N | L | I | E | U | | A | L | M | S | | D | E | W | A | R |
| T | H | I | R | T | E | E | N | A | N | G | R | Y | M | E | N | | W | E | G | O |
| A | N | N | O | | E | T | S | | D | A | T | | O | L | E | | B | L | U | R |
| R | U | G | B | Y | | | | C | L | U | E | I | N | | P | E | E | V | E | S |
| | | B | A | N | G | T | H | E | D | R | U | M | F | A | S | T | E | R | |
| S | M | U | | Y | A | H | O | O | S | | | M | A | L | L | E | T | | | |
| H | I | N | D | | C | A | L | | S | E | P | | N | O | I | | E | M | S | |
| O | S | B | O | U | R | N | E | S | | X | J | S | | | | E | R | A | T | O |
| T | H | E | G | R | E | A | T | E | S | T | S | H | O | W | O | N | M | A | R | S |
| S | A | N | D | L | | | | T | O | R | | U | N | A | N | G | E | L | I | C |
| P | T | A | | I | D | A | | S | A | D | | E | S | S | | N | O | V | A |
| | | Y | E | M | E | N | I | | | I | T | R | I | E | D | | X | E | R |
| S | L | E | E | P | I | N | G | I | N | S | E | A | T | T | L | E | | | |
| C | H | E | V | R | E | | U | N | T | O | L | D | | | | I | M | A | C | S |
| R | A | B | E | | L | I | L | | A | R | I | | M | O | S | | I | S | L | E |
| U | L | A | N | | S | O | M | E | L | I | K | E | I | T | H | O | T | T | E | R |
| T | A | N | I | A | | T | E | R | I | | I | N | A | T | U | B | | H | A | I |
| C | L | O | N | E | | A | N | N | A | | N | O | T | O | N | E | | M | T | A |
| H | A | N | G | S | | S | T | E | N | | G | L | A | S | S | Y | | A | S | L |
Wed 2/4/2004
| R | E | B | A | | A | D | M | A | N | | M | O | L | S |
| I | C | O | N | | D | O | O | Z | Y | | A | R | A | T |
| B | O | B | K | E | E | S | H | A | N | | R | A | R | E |
| | B | L | T | S | | A | L | Y | | S | T | E | R |
| A | S | Y | E | T | | O | W | E | | A | B | O | D | E |
| C | A | P | T | A | I | N | K | A | N | G | A | R | O | O |
| L | U | I | S | | R | E | S | | A | R | R | | | |
| U | R | N | | F | I | G | | M | C | A | | F | O | P |
| | | T | I | S | | A | A | H | | O | E | N | O |
| C | L | O | W | N | H | A | L | L | O | F | F | A | M | E |
| Z | A | X | I | S | | U | L | T | | E | F | R | E | M |
| E | B | B | S | | C | R | O | | O | U | R | S | | |
| C | R | I | T | | H | O | W | D | Y | D | O | O | D | Y |
| H | E | R | E | | A | R | I | S | E | | A | M | O | S |
| S | A | D | R | | N | A | N | T | Z | | D | E | A | L |
Sun 2/1/2004 FILM SOUNDS
| A | S | P | I | C | | D | R | O | S | S | | S | C | H | W | A | S | | | C | A | R |
| S | C | U | B | A | | E | E | R | I | E | | E | I | D | E | R | S | | W | A | N | E |
| H | A | L | E | S | | A | M | I | G | A | | P | A | T | R | O | N | | H | T | T | P |
| A | L | L | T | H | E | R | I | G | H | T | M | O | O | V | E | S | | D | A | N | I | O |
| R | I | O | | | T | H | X | | E | B | A | Y | | | | E | X | O | T | I | C | S |
| P | A | N | A | C | H | E | | | D | E | O | | S | H | A | | E | L | A | P | S | E |
| | | D | R | E | A | M | T | | L | I | S | T | E | D | | N | I | B | | | |
| T | H | E | P | U | R | R | F | E | C | T | S | T | O | R | M | | A | N | O | D | A | L |
| A | I | D | | | | T | A | C | H | | M | E | L | V | I | N | | G | U | I | D | E |
| G | E | O | R | G | E | | S | H | I | M | | T | I | E | R | E | D | | T | R | I | O |
| | | I | S | N | T | | N | E | R | F | | | | E | A | U | | B | E | E | N |
| H | I | S | S | T | O | R | Y | O | F | T | H | E | W | O | R | L | D | P | A | R | T | I |
| A | M | O | K | | R | E | E | | | | A | X | O | N | | S | E | G | A | | | |
| L | A | D | Y | | M | A | S | C | O | T | | P | O | E | T | | S | A | B | I | N | E |
| A | R | A | B | S | | T | O | R | A | H | S | | S | T | E | P | | | | R | E | A |
| L | I | S | Z | T | S | | R | O | S | I | E | T | H | E | R | I | B | B | I | T | E | R |
| | | Z | A | P | | N | O | I | S | E | S | | N | A | P | L | E | S | | | |
| Z | S | A | Z | S | A | | O | K | S | | S | A | P | | | S | E | V | E | R | E | R |
| Y | E | N | N | I | N | G | | | | L | A | R | A | | J | Q | A | | | E | X | E |
| D | A | N | E | S | | R | E | B | E | L | W | I | T | H | O | U | T | A | C | A | W | S |
| E | M | U | S | | V | E | R | O | N | A | | S | T | A | K | E | | N | O | L | I | E |
| C | E | L | S | | S | E | L | D | O | M | | T | O | S | E | A | | T | H | E | F | T |
| O | R | S | | | O | D | E | S | S | A | | S | N | A | R | K | | S | O | R | E | S |
Thu 1/22/2004
| R | A | P | | S | L | A | Y | S | | S | T | E | I | N |
| A | C | E | | T | O | S | E | A | | I | G | L | O | O |
| L | T | R | | A | C | T | A | S | | L | I | K | U | D |
| S | U | I | T | Y | O | U | R | S | E | L | F | | | |
| T | A | S | K | S | | D | O | E | R | S | | C | N | N |
| O | T | H | O | | R | E | F | R | Y | | Z | H | O | U |
| N | E | A | | B | E | N | T | | | B | O | A | S | T |
| | B | A | R | S | T | H | E | D | O | O | R | | |
| A | A | L | T | O | | | E | R | I | N | | L | A | W |
| K | I | E | V | | S | O | M | N | I | | P | E | L | E |
| A | R | S | | S | O | D | O | I | | A | I | M | E | E |
| | | B | U | S | I | N | E | S | S | C | A | R | D |
| A | T | A | R | I | | S | K | E | I | N | | G | T | O |
| D | I | G | I | N | | T | E | L | L | A | | N | E | U |
| Z | E | R | O | G | | S | Y | S | O | P | | E | D | T |
Tue 7/8/2003
| N | A | A | C | P | | E | M | M | A | | D | O | O | R |
| O | C | C | U | R | | M | O | A | T | | A | N | N | E |
| T | H | R | E | E | R | I | N | G | C | I | R | C | U | S |
| E | Y | E | | P | O | G | O | | H | O | N | E | S | T |
| | | F | A | I | R | | F | I | N | | | | |
| J | E | R | R | Y | L | E | W | I | S | | L | A | M | A |
| A | L | I | A | S | | | I | D | O | | A | V | I | D |
| N | O | D | S | | F | E | L | O | N | | B | E | A | M |
| E | P | E | E | | A | D | M | | | N | O | R | M | A |
| T | E | R | R | | D | E | A | N | M | A | R | T | I | N |
| | | | P | E | N | | E | A | T | S | | | |
| A | N | G | O | R | A | | M | E | N | U | | J | A | I |
| H | O | L | L | Y | W | O | O | D | O | R | B | U | S | T |
| O | P | E | D | | A | L | O | E | | A | O | R | T | A |
| Y | E | N | S | | Y | A | R | D | | L | O | Y | A | L |
Mon 9/16/2002
| S | A | L | S | A | | I | R | I | S | | S | W | A | P |
| A | V | A | I | L | | S | I | L | K | | L | A | C | E |
| D | O | U | B | L | E | S | O | L | I | T | A | I | R | E |
| E | N | D | | T | A | U | T | | P | U | T | T | E | R |
| | | L | O | S | E | | F | O | R | E | | | |
| S | M | A | L | L | E | R | H | A | L | F | | P | T | A |
| N | O | M | A | D | | | O | D | E | | W | O | E | S |
| A | T | O | M | | G | A | P | E | S | | H | U | R | T |
| K | O | N | A | | R | O | E | | | R | I | N | S | E |
| E | R | G | | R | A | N | D | O | M | O | R | D | E | R |
| | | B | O | N | E | | T | S | A | R | | | |
| R | O | T | U | N | D | | N | O | R | M | | R | C | A |
| U | N | B | I | A | S | E | D | O | P | I | N | I | O | N |
| I | C | A | L | | O | P | A | L | | N | I | T | R | O |
| N | E | R | D | | N | I | K | E | | G | L | E | N | N |
