Horse Racing
Updated December 3, 2023

Most Famous Racehorses of All Time: Top 15 Best Racehorses of All Time

Secretariat, Man o’ War, Seattle Slew, Seabiscuit. We talk about their legacy, records, and lineage as we discuss the best racehorses of all time. 

Even though there is no unanimous agreement, the St. Leger, which is the eldest of Great Britain’s Five Classic Races, and held its first edition in 1776, is recorded as the earliest horse race in modern times. 

Since then, many other races, like the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, in Paris, and the Dubai World Cup, in the United Arab Emirates, have attracted some of the world’s best racehorses, although one of the circuit’s pinnacles of excitement is reached with what is known as the Triple Crown: the Kentucky Derby, in Louisville, Kentucky; The Preakness Stakes, in Baltimore, Maryland; and the Belmont Stakes, in Elmont, New York. 

Some historians argue that the beginnings of sports betting and horse racing are inextricably linked, and the increased betting activity has played a role in the explosive growth of the horse racing industry. According to America’s Best Racing, the total wagers placed on horses in the United States in 2021 exceeded $12.2 billion. 

It is important to mention that the ranking below considers the horses according to their performance in flat racing, one of many types of competition, with some of the others being jump racing, harness racing, saddle trotting, and endurance racing.

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The Best Racehorses of All Time

While some horses on this list became champions from the get go, others had a slightly skewed growth trajectory, beginning with inferior performances earlier in their racing careers before ultimately scooping multiple Racehorse of the Year awards and regional and national titles.  

We’ve considered factors such as Racing Hall of Fame considerations, match races won, track records, overall career earnings and records in all three highly-coveted horse races known as the Triple Crown. 

15. SEABISCUIT

Immortalized in Gary Ross’s critically-acclaimed film featuring Jeff Bridges and Tobey Maguire, Seabiscuit’s unconventional path to success earned him a place in America’s hearts, and on this list. 

Seabiscuit grew up on Claiborne Farm, in Kentucky, and even though he was a grandson of the widely acclaimed Man o’ War, his physical conformation was considered less than ideal, and as a light bay, he was seen as too small to race. 

This, paired up with his apparent sluggishness and difficult temper, caused him to be abandoned by renowned jockey James Fitzsimmons, and to participate in lower-tier claiming races, where he would have been bought for $2,500. 

After being persuaded by trainer Tom Smith, businessman Charles S. Howard agreed to buy Seabiscuit, and together with jockey Red Pollard, who overcame alcoholism, financial ruin, and partial blindness, the three forged a prolific partnership that transformed Seabiscuit into an underdog hero, leading him to eventually defeating his uncle War Admiral, who had won the Triple Crown, in a two-horse special matchup that was labeled as “the race of the century.” 

When it comes to earnings, Seabiscuit set several records, becoming the highest-earning horse of all time in 1940, a time when America was struggling to recover from the Great Depression, and his story of hope and overcoming all obstacles earned him the accolade of the American Horse of the Year in 1938. 

14. WHIRLAWAY

Sired by Blenheim, an English Derby winner, Whirlaway’s main accomplishment was winning the Triple Crown in 1941, the year in which he also won the highly-prized Travers Stakes, a feat also known as the “superfecta,” or the Grand Slam of Thoroughbred Racing. 

Whirlaway was first ridden by jockey Eddie Arcaro, and then, by George Woolf, who also rode Seabiscuit after Red Pollard’s injury. He was trained by Ben A. Jones. 

Whirlaway’s unique features, like his long, thick tail, gave the perception of a tail flowing in synchrony with the wind, creating iconic imagery for fans and giving him the nicknames “Mr. Longtail” and “The Flying Tail.”

In 1959, Whirlaway was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Saratoga Race Course, in Saratoga, New York, has a race named in his honor. 

13. PHAR LAP

Phar Lap was another horse who rose to great heights by overcoming significant feats. 

Initially shunned by its owner David J. Davis because of the poor health with which he arrived in Australia–including a face full of warts–Phar Lap was gelded by his trainer Harry Telford, who initially had to train him for nothing upfront, exchanging his work for two-thirds of his future earnings. 

In 1930, Phar Lap won the Melbourne Stakes, shortly after nearly being shot by criminals, and that year, he also won the Melbourne Cup, one of the most prestigious events in Australia. 

Ridden by jockey Billy Elliot, Phar Lap also set international records, like winning the Agua Caliente Handicap, in Tijuana, Mexico with record timing, collecting the largest money prize that was offered at the time in horse racing in North America. 

Also known as “Australia’s Wonder Horse,” Phar Lap’s remains are a national treasure in both Australia and New Zealand. The Museum of New Zealand houses his skeleton, while his mounted hide can be seen at the Melbourne Museum, and his heart is on display at the National Museum of Australia. 

12. WINX

An Australian racing Hall of Fame inductee and a four-time Australian racehorse of the year, Winx's meteoric rise to the world stage was somewhat outlandish. 

From the get-go, it was quite clear that Winx was indeed a special thoroughbred, thanks to her ability to accelerate easily at any given time in a race. 

In her maiden race, Winx annihilated her competition winning the race by more than 1100 meters. Winx would continue with her impressive run throughout her illustrious racing career, losing only six times.

The six losses of her racing career came when she was 3 years old as she was still growing into herself. 

Winx currently holds the record for being the highest-earning Australian racehorse of all time, having won over $26 million Australian Dollars. When analyzed by the International Racing Bureau methodology–which translates worldwide earnings to the British Pound standard–Winx's earnings are also a world record. 

A member of the Australian Racing Hall of Fame, Winx was famous for her intense acceleration that allowed her to make more strides per second than her competitors. 

Trained by Chris Waller and ridden by jockey Hugh Boman, Winx won some of the most prestigious races in Australia several times, like the W.S. Cox Plate (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018), the Chipping Norton Stakes and the George Ryder Stakes from 2016 to 2019, the Queen Elizabeth Stakes from 2017 to 2019, and the Warwick Stakes (now renamed as Warwick/Winx Stakes) from 2016 to 2018.

She retired in 2019 and became a broodmare. 

11. TOM FOOL

In 1953, Tom Fool was named the American Horse of the Year, following a series of victories at events like the Whitney Handicap, the Carter Handicap, and the Pimlico Special.

Due to an illness, Tom Fool could not participate in the Triple Crown races, but his triumphs, together with his New York’s Handicap Triple Crown–the Metropolitan, Suburban, and Brooklyn Handicaps–winning campaign, led him to earn $570,615 and to be syndicated for $1,750,000. 

Throughout his distinguished career, Tom Fool earned many other accolades, like being the leading broodmare sire in Great Britain and Ireland in 1965, and being inducted into the United States Racing Hall of Fame in 1960. 

Tom Fool was the sire for several champion racehorses, including Buckpasser, Silly Season, Tompion, and Tim Tam. 

10. DR. FAGER

Like Tom Fool, Dr. Fager’s accomplished career was marred by the illnesses he suffered, which kept him out of the Triple Crown races and prevented him from leaving a more lasting legacy. 

However, neither this nor his physical problems–clubbed feet and a frail knee–stopped Dr. Fager from winning four American titles in 1968, becoming the only horse to do so in a calendar year. One of his most famed victories happened in the Washington Park Handicap, where he set the world record. 

Dr. Fager was inducted into the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame in 1971, and his 1968 season is considered, by many analysts, as the best single season in the history of horseracing. 

He was named after neurosurgeon Dr. Charles Anthony Fager, who was responsible for saving the life of John Nerud, Dr. Fager’s trainer. 

9. KINCSEM

One of the most decorated racehorses of all time and a household name in European’s horse racing history, Kincsem is considered by many to be one of the best racehorses of all time. 

Foaled in Hungary in 1874, Kincsem was the most-celebrated racehorse in the empire of Austria-Hungary, and won some of Europe’s most lauded races in Europe. Some of the races won by Kincsem include the Grand Prix de Deauville, in France; the Goodwood Cup, in Sussex, England, and the Grosser Preis von Baden, in Germany. 

Throughout her illustrious racing career, Kincsem won all the 52 races she took part in, setting the world record for undefeated races. 

Trained by Robert Hesp and ridden by jockey Elijah Madden, Kincsem’s earnings were a total of 199,754.50 Austro-Hungarian guldens, which would translate to 2.5 million Euros if translated to their 2020 value. 

Kincsem was known to be very particular, refusing to drink water unless it had a certain quality and refusing to eat grain or hay that did not come from the farm of her owner, Ernö Blaskovich. 

8. AFFIRMED

Sired by Exclusive Native and having the undefeated racehorse Raise a Native as his grandsire, Affirmed was groomed to be a successful racehorse from the very beginning. 

Foaled in 1975, Affirmed had a heated rivalry with Alydar, a racehorse whose grandsire was also Raise a Native. 

Despite this, Affirmed went on to win the Triple Crown–Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes–in 1978, becoming the last racehorse to do so until American Pharoah did so in 2015. 

Affirmed won titles in the three years in which he raced, and he was inducted into the United States Racing Hall of Fame in 1980. He earned $2,393,818 throughout his career and won 22 races out of 29. The Affirmed Handicap, at Hollywood Park, and the Affirmed Stakes, at Calder Race Course, are named after him. 

He was trained by Laz Barrera. 

7. BLACK CAVIAR

Foaled in August 2006 in Nagambie, Victoria, Australia, Black Caviar went undefeated in the 25 races in which she competed. 

Amongst these titles were 15 Group One races, including the Diamond Jubilee Stakes in Great Britain in 2012, the Schweppes Stakes in 2010 and 2011, and the Lightning Stakes, which she won from 2011 to 2013 and has now been renamed as the Black Caviar Lightning. 

Black Caviar was trained by Peter Moody, and according to some reports, she was raised and trained in a very supportive environment, in which she was never whipped. 

Throughout her career, Black Caviar earned $7,953,936, ranked first in the World Thoroughbred Rankings of 2013, and won the Australian Racehorse of the Year award three times. 

6. SEATTLE SLEW

Foaled in 1975 in Lexington, Kentucky, a city with a strong horse racing tradition, Seattle Slew went on to become one of the most prominent racehorses in the history of the sport in the United States. 

Even though he was initially described as unattractive and compared to a mule, Seattle Slew, whose original name was going to be Seattle Slough, rose to prominence by winning 14 out of the 17 races in which he started. 

By the time he won the Triple Crown–the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes–in 1977, Seattle Slew was still undefeated, the only horse to accomplish that together with Justify. 

The following year, in 1978, Seattle Slew had a spectacular duel against fellow Triple Crown Winner Affirmed, at the Marlboro Cup Invitational Handicap, in which Seattle Slew emerged victorious. 

He was known for his electrifying connection with the crowd, developing a phenomenon that was described as “Slewmania.” In 1977, he was the Horse of the Year, and he earned a total of $1,208,726. 

Seattle Slew was inducted into the United States Racing Hall of Fame in 1981. 

5. RIBOT

Arguably one of the greatest racehorses of all time, Ribot was bred in Italy by Federico Tesio, a critically-acclaimed master breeder. 

Throughout his illustrious racing career, Robot would go undefeated, winning all 16 races that he participated in, including the prestigious Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in Paris, the 1956 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. 

Named after French artist Théodule-Augustin Ribot, he was described as a horse with a deep heart, a smart wit, and a balanced temperament, which contributed to his wins. Ribot triumphed in races in England, France, and Italy, and in a poll by the Italian paper La Gazzetta dello Sport, Ribot was voted as the fourth-greatest Italian athlete of the 20th century. 

For two consecutive years, Ribot would be named the European Horse of the year in 1955 and 1956. 

Unfortunately, Federico Tesio died before Ribot made his competitive debut and went on to rewrite the European horse racing history books. 

By end of his career, Ribot had accumulated a whooping $214,414 in career earnings, making him one of the most successful thoroughbreds at the time. 

Ribot was also the leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland in 1963, 1967, and 1968. 

4. CITATION

Foaled at the celebrated Calumet Farm in Lexington, Kentucky in 1945, and boasting European pedigree, Citation was not only one of the most famous racehorses of all time but also the first racehorse in history to earn more than $1 million. 

His illustrious career included winning the 1948 Triple Crown, the 1948 American Derby, and the 1951 Hollywood Gold Cup. He won 16 consecutive races and triumphed in 32 out of 45 starts. 

Citation’s impressive display in 1948 was capped off by numerous No. 1 finishes that would see the horse named the 1948 horse of the year. 

During his three-year racing career, Citation managed to win 32 races out of 44, with his lowest ranking being 5th. 

Citation would ultimately stay out of the racing track as he suffered from osselet and tendon injuries due to strain. In 1950, Citation would begin his second stint winning his first race since coming back from his rather long hiatus in January 1950. He would go on to win his second race in February the same year. 

However, despite a rather impressive start, Citation finished second in all the remaining seven outings that he took part in, in 1950. At this point in time his overall career earnings was just shy of $1 million by less than $70,000.

During this period, Citation was just but a former shadow of himself, falling short in some of the races that he would have been the outright winner earlier on in his career. 

The new owner was more than determined to keep his promise to Wright (Citation former owner) to make Citation the first ever millionaire in horse racing history. 

In 1951, Citation ultimately made history by becoming the first horse to win $1 million by winning the Hollywood Gold cup. This would mark the end of his illustrious racing career. 

Citation was trained by the Hall of Famers father-and-son team of Ben and Jimmy Jones, and after the tragedy that resulted in the death of his initial jockey Al Snider, was also ridden by Eddie Arcaro, who had previously ridden Whirlaway, and by Steve Brooks.

Citation was the 1948 Horse of the Year and a 1959 inductee of the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame. The Citation family of business jets, manufactured by the aviation company Cessna Aircraft, are named after him. 

In August 1970, Citation passed on and was laid to rest in Lexington, Kentucky. 

3. FRANKEL

Frankel is a British racehorse bred by House of Saud member Khalid Abdullah and his firm Juddmonte Farms, who accomplished the feat of having an undefeated career in 14 starts.

In 2011, Frankel was the top-rated racehorse in the world, and in 2012, after he won the Queen Anne Stakes, his rating was the highest that Timeform–the rating organization–had ever given. 

Other titles he won include the 2000 Guineas Stakes, in 2011, the Sussex Stakes, in 2011 and 2012, and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes in 2011. 

Frankel was trained by Sir Henry Cecil and after competing, he became a highly sought-after sire, counting British Classic champions like Anapurna, Adayar, and Hurricane Lane as his offspring. 

In 2021, he was inducted into the British Champions Series Hall of Fame. 

2. SECRETARIAT

Also known as Big Red, Secretariat was a record-breaking horse that is significantly regarded as one of the best racehorses of all time. 

Foaled in 1970 in Virginia, Secretariat’s major achievement was his 1973 Triple Crown title, in which he set the fastest time record in the three races: the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes. As of now, Secretariat still holds that record, and his triumph at the Belmont Stakes, which he conquered by 31 lengths, is one of the most-remembered races in the history of horse racing. 

Apart from setting the world record at the 1973 Triple Crown races, Secretariat was also named the American Horse of the Year in 1972 and 1973. 

Following his impressive display in all outings during the first half of 1973, Secretariat attracted unprecedented attention while attaining an unprecedented celebrity status. Secretariat’s new fame was capped off by a short proclamation by the Chicago Mayor, declaring the Arlington Invitational race of 1973 as “Secretariat Day”. 

Owned and bred by Christopher and Penny Chenery, trained by Lucien Laurin, and ridden by Ron Turcotte, Secretariat was considered a powerful horse with a perfect physical conformation, and his oversized heart, which Dr. Thomas Swerczek described as “the largest he had ever seen in a horse,” was considered a strength that propelled him to great heights. 

Secretariat won five Eclipse Awards, earned $1,316,808 in earnings.. He was the leading broodmare sire in North America in 1992 and was syndicated for $6.08 million (which in 2021 would be over $37 million) when he was three years old. 

Secretariat was inducted to the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame in 1974 and to the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007, and was the subject of J.A. Estes’ poem “Big Red” as well as of Disney’s 2010 movie Secretariat, starring Diane Lane and John Malkovich. 

1.MAN O’ WAR

With multiple titles under his belt, an impressive career earning and an unprecedented winning record on the racing tracks, Man O’ War is arguably the best racehorse of all time. 

Foaled in 1917 at Nursery Stud, in Kentucky, and bred by financier August Belmont Jr, Man o’ War is considered by many to be one of the greatest racehorses of all time. 

Described as a high-energy, deeply-spirited horse who could have a wild and explosive character, Man o’ War was later sold to Samuel D. Riddle, who refused to let him compete in the Kentucky Derby, hindering Man o’ War’s chances to conquer the Triple Crown. 

However, in those races in which he participated, Man o’ War tended to dominate his rivals. He won both the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes in 1920, and in the same year, at the Lawrence Realization Stakes, he won by over 100 lengths. 

Like Secretariat, Man o’ War was also nicknamed Big Red. By the end of his illustrious racing career, Man ‘O War had won 20 out of 21 outings he took part in, suffering only one defeat, which came at Sanford Memorial racing tracks in his first year as a racing horse. The loss would come at the hands of a colt who ironically was named Upset.

While this defeat came at an unprecedented time, Man O’ War would prove all the naysayers wrong, as he would not only win all the other races he participated in but in a rather impressive and convincing fashion. 

Despite all the major accomplishments he won along the way, Man O’ War never became a Triple Crown champion. His owner, Samuel Doyle Riddle had always been hesitant to place any of his horses in the Churchill Downs racing track as he disliked racing in the “West.”

This was one of the major reasons why Man O’ War never got to participate in the Kentucky Derby. 

Nonetheless, Man O’ War would go on to dominate the other Triple Crown races at The Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes, while setting a new world track record in the process. 

Man O’ War would ultimately retire to stud after being in the racing tracks for close to three years. Even in retirement, Man O’ War’s legacy would go on as his son, The Admiral would end up becoming a Triple Crown Champion in 1937 and his grandson, Seabiscuit also making a name for himself as one of the best racehorse of all time. 

Man O’ War was named the American Horse of the Year in 1920, and in 1957, he became a member of the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame. 

His career earnings were $249,965, which would be over $3.3 million in 2021 dollars. When he retired, Man o’ War was the highest-earning horse of all time. 

In Lexington, Kentucky, the Man O’ War Boulevard was named after the thoroughbred, as was the Man O’ War Stakes race at Belmont Park in New York.

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SUCCESSFUL RACEHORSE BONUS: BIGGEST HORSE ALL TIME

Standing at an impressive 21.5 hands (over 7 feet tall) and weighing over 3,000 lbs, Sampson still holds the record for the biggest horse of all time. Widely known by his moniker “The Mammoth”, Sampson was an extremely popular horse back in the early 19th century. 

Because of his incredible height and size, Sampson drew throngs of onlookers in his hometown of Bedfordshire, England and whenever he went. People would travel far and wide to come and marvel at one of the rarest and largest horses at the time. 

From time to time, Sampson would be made to pull carriages, which was one of the ways of displaying his massive and agile strength to the public. 

Bred and owned by Samuel Benett, Sampson was gelded when he was only 1 year old, a move that would contribute heavily to his incredible growth spurt. 

Sampson’s gigantic size can as well be largely attributed to genetics (Shire horse) and his incredible appetite, which saw him consume large amounts of barley and oats daily. 

Shire horses are one of the seven major draft breeds, a breed of horse widely known for their massive strength and ability to grow to impressive heights. Apart from being gentle temperament, shire horses also tend to form a close bond with their owners. 

That being said, despite standing at over 7 feet tall, Sampson always remained gentle and calm. 

At 20 years, Sampson passed on after suffering from colic. He was laid to rest in a large grave and a monument that still stands to date was built on top of his grave. 

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Comments (1)
@alcrth6
1/4 3:11 AM
0
Not having Flightline or Zenyatta or American Pharoah… horse racing still exists beyond Frankel today.
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