The legacy of the greatest racehorses endures forever. As you remember some of the racehorses of all time, their memories come flooding back to you. They have undeniably made horse racing a beauty.
Considering their achievements, many have been led to wonder which is the greatest racehorse from the famous racehorses. From track record to world record to the number of races and so on, there is quite a lot to consider. Subsequently, bettors who love to wager on horse racing will never forget the ones that brought them great fortunes at the race track. These days though, most of them have moved to online betting where they can wager easily from the comfort of their mobile devices.
Without further ado, let’s get right into it.
1. Secretariat
Many would agree that the Secretariat is the best thoroughbred of all time. Incredibly, he won 16 of his 21 races during his entire tenure in 1972 and 1973, setting track records in each Triple Crown.
Secretariat was born on the 30th of the third month of 1970 in Caroline County, Virginia. Secretariat, likewise recognised as Big Red, was popular throughout the US.
The brown gelding not only became the fastest horse in history but also claimed the 1973 Triple Crown. The records set at the Preakness Stakes, Kentucky Derby, and Belmont Stakes are yet to be matched. He also rode to a record-setting victory in the Belmont under rider Ron Turcotte, beating the field by a margin of 31 lengths.
Under Lucien Laurin’s tutelage, Secretariat also won the Arlington Invitational and Marlboro Cup in 1973. Five Eclipse Awards and two Horse of the Year honours in 1972 and 1973 were among his many accomplishments.
The 21–22 pound heart that Secretariat was born with was his hidden weapon. He finished his tenure with a total income of $1,316,808.
2. Man o’ War
Man o’ War, according to many specialists, is the greatest thoroughbred ever. During his tenure from 1919 to 1920, the feisty chestnut won 20 of his 21 matches.
Nursery Stud at Kentucky witnessed the birth of a champion, Man o’ War on the 29th of March in the year 1917. His adoring public began to call him Big Red just as the Secretariat was called. Both the Preakness and Belmont Stakes were won by Man o’ War in 1920. However, he didn’t run in the Kentucky Derby, so he missed out on a shot at the Triple Crown.
At Saratoga Race Course, a horse appropriately called Upset defeated Man o’ War for the only time in his career. Many people were outraged by the opening of the race, and Man o’ War still managed to finish second to Upset.
In 1919, Man o’ War won both the 1919 Tremont Stakes and Keene Memorial. In 1920, he clinched the Jockey Club Gold Cup also. He once won a competition by a record-breaking 100 lengths. Man o’ War was labeled the 1920 American Horse of the Year after winning a sum of $249,465.
In 1957, he was enrolled into the United States Racing Hall of Fame. Blood-Horse Journal ranked Man o’ War as the best thoroughbred of the 20th century, thanks to his extraordinary performance.
3. Seattle Slew
Seattle Slew remains the only horse in historical memory to have never lost a race while winning the Triple Crown. He only made three starts as a toddler, but he won them all. Also, he raced three more times as a 3-year-old, with the Kentucky Derby serving as his final major challenge.
One remarkable moment for Seattle Slew can be seen when he hit his head at the start of a race. His rider Jean Cruguet had almost lost balance and fallen off. Nonetheless, he bounced back to take the lead early in the first quarter. He kept it for the remainder of the contest, eventually winning convincingly.
Seattle Slew ran the quickest first mile in Preakness annals and still won by a wide margin. He bested Iron Constitution, Run Dusty Run, and J.O. Tobin. The competition was two weeks later.
Also, at Belmont Stakes, the so-called “Test of a Champion,” arrived. Even here, he routed the field again in stunning fashion. He set a record by becoming the first Triple Crown champion to go unbeaten in the classics. During his stellar career, he was 14-for-17, and he is the only Triple Crown champion to also be a great father.
4. Winx
Without a doubt, Winx is one of the best racehorses of Australian breeding. The brown Thoroughbred horse won 33 consecutive races, and 37 of her 42 total attempts. She set a record by winning 33 consecutive events, 28 of which were Grade I competitions. For a female horse with such strength, she was an exemplary beauty of her time.
On the 14th of September 2011, Winx was brought into the world. She was raised on the Coolmore Farm in Jerrys’ Plains, New South Wales of Australia. She began her career as a colt in 2014, underneath the tutorship of Chris Waller.
She amassed $26,421,176 in reward money throughout her tenure, more than anyone else in Australia’s history. Her achievement includes the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2017–2019), the W. S. Cox Plate (2015–2018), and the Epsom Handicap (2015–2016). She also has prestigious victories in the Phar Lap Stakes (2015–2016), and the Queensland Oaks (2015–2016) among others.
Winx has been named the 2018 World’s Best Racehorse and the Australian Horse of the Year four times. She is so good at racing that she was accepted into Australia’s Hall of Fame.
5. Kelso
Kelso was truly one of a kind. He was the only horse in history to defeat a greater number of champions and racehorses inducted into the Hall of Fame. He competed in 63 events and won or placed second in 39 of them.
Kelso was born on the Claiborne Farm on April 4, 1957. The Claiborne Farm is situated in the general vicinity of Paris, Kentucky. Dr. John Lee, his instructor, saw possibilities in the dark bay horse despite his imperceptible family. During his term in office, Kelso matched or improved upon a given record ten times.
Kelso won several prestigious races throughout his career. This includes the Jockey Club Gold Cup every year from 1960 to 1964 and the Gulfstream Park Handicap in 1963. He also won the Washington, D.C. International Stakes in 1964.
Between the years 1960 and 1964, he was awarded the title of American Horse of the Year a total of five times. In 1967, Kelso was recognised for his achievements in auto racing and admitted into the Racing Hall of Fame of America.
6. Makybe Diva
Makybe Diva was born in England. However, she moved to Australia to live with her mother Tugela when she was only a year old. She eventually became a historical figure because of her achievements, standing out as another distinctive female horse.
Makybe Diva has won more Melbourne Cups compared to any other horse in historical record. She won it three times between 2004 and 2006.
Notwithstanding, she was capable of pulling through when it truly matters at the Flemington. This race at Flemington is generally considered to be one of the greatest horse racing courses of all time and she did impressively well. This makes her record far from perfect in comparison to the records of some of the other renowned racehorses.
In 2005, Makybe Diva became only the seventh horse in the annals of equestrian competition to simultaneously win the Cox Plate and the Melbourne Cup. She was awarded the title of Champion Australian Stayer a total of three times. In 2005 and 2006, she was crowned Australia’s Horse of the Year.
7. Zenyatta
When she was sold, for only $60,000, Zenyatta was a bargain because she won 19 of her 20 events. Sports Illustrated once dubbed Zenyatta the greatest horse of all time.
Zenyatta defeated several other fillies and mares to win the Distaff race at the Breeders’ Cup in both 2008 and 2009. This race was formerly known as the Ladies’ Classic. She was able to walk away with a comfortable $2,700,000 after she triumphed over unconstrained competition and claimed the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
In 2010, the three-time American horse Champion was also named American Horse of the Year. She decided to end her racing career in 2010 after getting so close to finishing her career without losing a race.
8. Hurricane Fly
Hurricane Fly was without a doubt one of the most talented hurdlers we’ve ever seen on this side of the Atlantic. He was the first horse from the British Isles to compete in this event. He began his career on the Flat in France. Nevertheless, it was not until he returned to Ireland and entered the iconic Willie Mullins’ stable that he began to thrive.
At the Grade 1 level, Hurricane Fly competed in a total of 32 matches and emerged victorious in 22 of them. He was the leader in this exercise for quite some time, right up until one of our other famous racehorses overtook him.
He was the first horse to win the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival twice in the same year in 201. This made him the first horse to do so in 38 years. In the years 2011–2015, he broke a record by claiming victory in the Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown on each of those five occasions.
Hurricane Fly has won the Punchestown Champion Hurdle a record-setting four times in a row. As a result, he became the undisputed king of this race.
9. Black Caviar
Black Caviar is another legendary Australian thoroughbred named European Champion Sprinter. All 25 of her races in her horse racing career from 2009-2013 were victories.
On August 18, 2006, a lovely dark bay colt was birthed at the Gilgai Farm in Nagambie, Australia. She started strong and never turned back thanks to trainer Peter Moody. Incredibly, 60% of her victories were in Grade I events.
Black Caviar has won several prestigious races. This includes the 2011-2013 VRC Lightning Stakes and the 2010-2012 MVRC Australia Stakes and Diamond Jubilee Stakes. She earned the title of Australian Racehorse of the Year three times and raked in a total of $7,953,936 in prize money.
Black Caviar has been named the top sprinter in the world four times by the World Thoroughbred Racing Report (WTRR). She has received a slew of other accolades.
10. Kincsem
Kincsem was the most renowned thoroughbred ever to compete in Eastern Europe and go unbeaten throughout his entire career. This active career spanned four racing seasons between 1876 and 1879. He also set a world record with 54 consecutive wins.
This horse was victorious in competitions held in seven different countries namely; United Kingdom, Slovakia, Austria, Germany, Hungary, and the Czech Republic.
The year 1878 marked the year that she achieved her greatest level of success outside of Eastern Europe. She then won the, Grosser Preis von Baden, Goodwood Cup, and the Grand Prix de Deauville. All these victories took place in a surprisingly short period. Since then, only one other horse has been able to compete with her.
After hanging up her racing spurs, Kincsem established herself as a successful broodmare. Famous racehorses such as Polygamy and Camelot are her direct descendants. These horses won the Derby in both the United Kingdom and Ireland. They went on to become a prominent thoroughbred breeder.
11. Affirmed
Affirmed is known to have brought the adolescent rider Steve “The Kid” Cauthen to fame. It is also remembered for shattering the heart of the brave Alydar in all three Triple Crown races. As a two-year-old, Affirmed was successful in seven of nine races.
Throughout the Triple Crown, both horses offered spectators the excitement of a lifetime with their courageous efforts. However, Affirmed ultimately prevailed.
As Sensitive Prince sped off to an early lead in the Kentucky Derby, Affirmed settled for third. He ultimately went past Believe It and secured the lead at the starting line. In the stretch, Alydar covered a lot of ground. He only could outpace Believe It for a fraction of a second, as Affirmed won just by 1.5 lengths.
Before the half-mile pole of the Preakness, Alydar encountered Affirmed, who was then in the lead. Five lengths back from the leader, Alydar challenged Affirmed on the bend for the finish line. Affirmed barely won by a whisker, and Believe it came in third place once again.
At the Belmont Stakes, Affirmed jumped out to an early advantage. However, with more than half a mile to go, Alydar caught up to him and began to fight. They battled it out to the finish, trading the lead several times before Affirmed prevailed by the head.
12. Citation
As a two-year-old, “The Big Cy” won eight of his nine races making him one of the greatest racehorses of all time. His stablemate Coaltown would be his most formidable opponent at the Kentucky Derby. As a result of their efforts, only four competitors remained to face off against the Calumet Farm entrant.
Coaltown had a six-length lead at the half-mile start, but Eddie Arcaro got to work on Citation. The latter overtook the leader at the top of the straight and won by 3.5 lengths.
Again outstanding, Citation won the Preakness by 5.5 lengths over Vulcan’s Forge after leading the entire race. The Belmont Stakes was his last chance. However, before the Test of a Champion, he won the Jersey Stakes by 11 lengths.
Even after his numerous achievements, some doubted his vigor. However, everything was settled when Citation pulled away down the stretch and triumphed by eight lengths. He was the 1948 Triple Crown winner with a cumulative margin of victory of 17 lengths, matching Count Fleet’s stakes mark of 2:28.20.
13. Assault
Assault, whose right front foot was malformed after he landed on a pointed item as a baby, was nicknamed “The Club-Footed Comet.” However, he went on to win two of the nine races he made at age 2.
This horse was the fourth favourite to win the Kentucky Derby, with Lord Boswell as the odds-on favourite. To win the Derby, Assault overtook and passed the early winner Spy Song. He then pulled away to a record-tying eight-length victory margin, previously held only by Whirlaway.
Assault challenged Lord Boswell and eight other competitors at the Preakness and was the wagering favourite. He ran into traffic early on and had to slow down. The horse was forced to act ahead of schedule, but he managed to stave off Lord Boswell’s threat by a hair’s breadth.
Lord Boswell’s strong showing in the Preakness made him the odds-on favourite to win the Belmont Stakes. After stumbling at the gate, Assault lost eight lengths of the ground by the final turn. However, in the final strides, he caught Natchez and won by three lengths.
Unfortunately, he was discovered to be infertile after retirement. This makes him the only horse of Texas breeding to win the Triple Crown races.
14. War Admiral
War Admiral is probably best recognised from his portrayal in the film “Seabiscuit.” Here, he is the intimidating antagonist horse to Seabiscuit’s heroic underdog. Seabiscuit was heavier than War Admiral even though they were the same height.
He’s the enemy now, but he was the champion horse rider once. War Admiral won all 3 phases of the Triple Crown with authority.
After delaying Derby’s start by eight minutes, War Admiral seized the lead at the outset and never looked back. He eventually defeated the two-year-old champion Pompoon by one and a half lengths.
In the Preakness, Pompoon gave War Admiral a run for his money when the two were neck-and-neck near the final turn. War Admiral ultimately prevailed.
Again, he was late to the starting line for the Belmont, where he eventually stumbled and sliced his right heel. Regardless, War Admiral blew away the competition and matched the distance mark with a time of 2:28.60. He was undefeated in eight attempts as a four-year-old, losing only to Seabiscuit in the Pimlico Special.
Conclusion
You’ve just come across the greatest racehorses of all time from the Champion Sprinter to the Horse of the Year, etc. Their track record, world record, and others make these exclusive sets the greatest racehorses of all time among other achievements. Some casinos like Bet999 offers a sports section where players can wager on several sports. There are also free bet options to help boost wining chances.
FAQs
Which horse has the most racetrack data?
Most race course records is held by Secretariat. It became Triple Crown winner by setting a new mark in each race with an average pace of 37.7 mph.
How fast can a horse run?
Domestic horses typically run 30 mph. (mph). Horses can be taught to run at 40 mph or more, but this isn’t their peak pace.
Which horse racing breeds are indeed the right choice?
There are numerous horse racing breeds that are ideal for you. However, Thoroughbreds are widely regarded as the world’s quickest racehorses. Also, Arabian horses are renowned for their intelligence and stamina on the trail.
