The 20 Greatest Racehorses of All Time (2024)

Even though racers are recognized during horse racing and honored with trophies and cash, the horse deserves more recognition. The history of horse racing has seen some of the most extraordinary horses that set records that have never been broken. The racehorses have become part of human life as they can connect with their owners and the fans during the competitions. Delving into the history of racehorses shows us some of the greatest racehorses that have been on the tracks. These animals have proved to us that they can showcase their supernatural skills and talent when they receive the right commands.

Some of the most famous racehorses such as the Secretariat have left a legacy in the sport that will never be forgotten for his powerful strides that helped him win multiple competitions. We can also talk about the Black Caviar whose elegance and style made him one of the greatest racehorses in history with one of the longest unbeaten records in the sport. Racehorses have exceptional lifestyles starting with their feeding habits, training, and their breeds. A combination of different factors brings out the best in these animals that have become inseparable from human beings. Let us go deeper I history and look at some of the racehorses that showcased their athleticism and skills on the tracks to become the greatest racehorses that have ever lived in human history.

The following are some of the twenty greatest racehorses of all time:

1. Affirmed

Affirmed was a renowned racehorse in the 1970s and 1980s who dominated the tracks during his time. Many people might remember him for his stiff competition with Alydar, another famous racehorse and a Hall of Fame inductee. Affirmed was an exceptional performer in 1978 when he earned a Triple Crown three years after he was born. He is also remembered for his five championships during his career. Affirmed retired after making history by becoming the first horse in history to win over two million dollars in cash prizes.

2. Spectacular Bid

Starting his career at a younger age, Spectacular Bid, born in 1976 became a champion at the age of two years. He would go on to be named champion at three and four years making his kick-off seasons spectacular. The American-bred racehorse was a dominating figure in the late 1970s and became even better in the early 1980s. At age five, he became unstoppable winning nine out of the nine races he competed. He won a total of twenty-six races in the total thirty races that he participated in during his career. Before his retirement, nobody was willing to compete against Spectacular Bid as he was simply at his level winning easily in the Woodward Stakes.

3. Forego

Many racehorses would fall to last positions when they weighed more than a hundred a thirty pounds but Forego was simply from a different planet. Despite weighing twenty pounds more than his rivals, Forego won the Marlboro Cup in 1976 after having a successful few years. He was a tough racehorse who earned his spot among the greatest of all time when he was crowned Horse of the Year for three straight years from 1974 to 1976 as well as being champion in the older male category four times from 1974 to 1977. He was a versatile racehorse who participated in more than fifty races in his career, winning more than thirty, and coming second on a few occasions. The 1974 champion sprinter has his name in the books of history as one of the greats.

4. John Henry

John Henry was on a different level among the older male racehorses, a category where he excelled more than some of the greatest such as Kelso and Forego. John Henry had one of the longest careers, for his longevity, starting in eighty-three races, and winning thirty-nine. He was named champion of grass male from 1980 to 1984, making him the oldest racehorse to reach the achievements. He was also named the horse of the year in 1981 and 1984, aged six and nine. His tough nature was the reason behind his incredible success when he won sixteen grade 1 races which stands as the record in North America.

5. Native Dancer

Native Dancer began his career in 1953 at the Kentucky Derby where he tasted defeat. Surprisingly, that was the only defeat in his twenty-two races throughout his career. However, he had a short career, only racing until age four before retiring due to injuries. Nevertheless, he raced at four years, weighing more than a hundred and thirty pounds where he fiercely won and was crowned the horse of the year on two occasions. Even though he had a short career, his achievement is unmatched, compared to other racehorses in the race timeframe. He became one of the greatest racehorses for his twenty-one wins.

6. fa*ger

Dr. fa*ger set a world record in the legendary mile that has never been broken making him one of the greatest racehorses in history. he was born in 1964 and stormed to greatness four years later when he won four horse races championship titles including champion grass horse, champion sprinter, champion handicap, and horse of the year all in the same season. He was famous for his strength and high and steady speed which he could maintain for long distances. Despite facing some of the fierce rivals such as Damascus, Dr. fa*ger rose to the occasion and put on a show when it mattered to win titles.

7. Secretariat

Secretariat made history in the 1970s by becoming the first racehorse to earn over a million dollars after his breathtaking performances. Born and bred in the United States of America, the 1972 and 1973 American Horse of the Year winner set track records during his career. He won the Belmont Stakes by the biggest margin making it the biggest achievement in any Triple Crown event that had ever taken place. His record in the Triple Crown made him an outstanding horse, earning him the nickname ‘Big Red.’ he was one of a kind.

8. Kelso

Despite missing out on the bid to showcase his skills and talent in the US Triple Crown, Kelso printed his name in the books of history by being named the American Racehorse of the Year for the record five consecutive years from 1960 to 1964. As an older male horse, Kelso was crowned champion for four consecutive years, making him the first racehorse to do so. Kelso’s career was a lengthy one as his longevity helped him to run more than sixty races, winning forty. He became the first three-year-old racehorse to win the American Triple Crown.

9. Man O’ War

A list of the greatest racehorses is not complete without mentioning one of the greatest, Man o’ War. The American-born was at the peak of his career in the early 1920s during which he completed more than twenty races in his career. Although he never participated in the US Triple Crown, everyone who knew him knows that he would have won. His violent temper and speed made him recognized around the world. Man o’ War sired War Admiral who participated if his father was denied by his owner.

10. Citation

Citation had an astonishing start to his career in the late 1940s as he competed in twenty-nine races and won twenty-seven. He went on to have more than forty career races with more than thirty wins and a few defeats that came when he was struggling at ages five and six. He is remembered for his stylish and effortless winning of the 1948 Triple Crown that made the headlines in the year. He finished his career in 1951 with more than a million dollars in cash earnings making him the first thoroughbred to achieve the height.

11. Winx

Winx is a twenty-first-century racehorse who established herself in the race when she was awarded the Australian Horse of the Year for four consecutive years. She holds the world record for being the only horse in the Group 1 successes having won more than thirty races and ran more than forty in her career. Winx was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2017, becoming one of the three horses to be honored. On top of her scintillating career, Winx has also won the highest cash prize money with a total of more than twenty-six million Australian dollars.

12. Kincsem

Eastern Europe’s most famous racehorse in history had an outstanding career between 1876 and 1879. For four seasons, Kincsem had a total of fifty-four races and won all of them. She was an invincible horse during her time with a scintillating speed and style that put her ahead in every race. Born in 1874, Kincsem was bred in Austria-Hungary where she established her name as the world’s best. She raced in seven countries including Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, the United Kingdom, France, Austria, and the Czech Republic where she out-sped every racehorse. The Hungarian filly is the descendant of some of the famous racehorses such as Polygamy and Camelot.

13. Seattle Slew

Seattle Slew became an icon in the horseracing that racetracks were marked with his name whenever he ran. He was the first racehorse in history to win all races before becoming champion in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes in the same season until Justify achieved the same fit in 2018. Seattle Slew won three titles in a row including Champion Juvenile Colt, Three-Year-Old, and Older Male Horse between 1976 and 1978. He also became a father to two great racehorses; California Chrome and Orb.

14. Black Caviar

Black Caviar is one of the few racehorses in history who retired without losing a race in their entire career. She raced twenty-five and won all of them with her career spanning between 2009 and 2013. The Australian filly was named the Australian Racehorse of the Year for three years from 2011 to 2013 before she retired from sprinting. She was unmatched even when she competed outside her home country. She won the Diamond Jubilee Stake in 2012 in the United Kingdom as well as being named the European champion sprinter in the same year. The Lightning Stakes have been renamed Black Caviar Lightning Stake to honor her undefeated career.

15. Makybe Diva

Makybe Diva was born in England and transferred to Australia where she showed the world what she is made of. The Melbourne Cup race in Australia nicknamed ‘the race that stops a nation’ has the name of Makybe Diva all over. She has won the cup three times, a record that no other racehorse has ever achieved. Despite being a foreigner, she won Australian Horse of the Year in 2005 and 2006 alongside being Champion Australian Stayer for three consecutive years from 2004 to 2006. Winning thirty-six races in her career cemented her name in the history greats, alongside winning a huge fourteen million Australian dollars.

16. Zenyatta

When she was bought for just sixty thousand dollars, many doubted her future, but Zenyatta conquered the horserace. She was born in 2004 and quickly rose to the ranks to become the greatest filly of all time. She won the Breeder’s Cup in 2008 and 2009 making her one of the fastest female racehorses alive. She went on to win several other races and awards including being named the American Racehorse of the Year in 2010. She was destined to finish her career without losing a race, an achievement that she missed out on by losing one of her twenty races in her career.

17. Hurricane Fly

Hurricane Fly was a multitalented racehorse who thrived both on the flat ground and in hurdles. He was born in 2004 in Ireland, but some of his first training happened in France. After successful training on the flat in France, the future hurdles record holder went back to Ireland where his long career began. He set the world record for winning twenty-two of his thirty-two starts in the hurdles. Although the record was broken later on by one of the greats, Hurricane Fly continued to surprise people as he came back to the track and regained his title as champion in hurdles. He also won the Irish Champion Hurdle for a record five years from 2011 to 2015.

18. Frankel

Frankel is one of the greatest racehorses with an undefeated career during his fourteen starts in the tracks. the 2021 British Champions Series Hall of Fame inductee had a successful career winning some of the highly contested titles such as the 2011 Sussex Stakes, 2011 and 2012 Queen Elizabeth II among others. He also became famous in 2011 and 2012 for being the highest-rated racehorse in history. Frankel was highly sought by breeders who wanted to continue his generation and he became a father to some of the best racehorses such as Anapurna and Hurricane Lane.

19. Ribot

Ribot became the greatest racehorse of all time in Italy after his incredible undefeated career of sixteen races. He was named after the French artist Theodule Augustin Ribot and became an artist in the horseraces. His victories in European countries such as England, France, and Italy were attributed to his personality. He was a balanced temperament horse who was voted as the greatest athlete of the twentieth century in Italy. Ribot’s success and personality made him a highly sought horse in the 1960s and he became a leading sire in Great Britain and Europe generally.

20. Tom Fool

The worst thing that happened to Tom Fool was an illness that cost him a spot in the Triple Crown races. However, he showcased his talent and skills in the races he took part including the Whitney Handicap, carter handicap, and Pilmico Special where he emerged as the winner in all competitions. He was the American racehorse of the year in 1953 and would go on to earn more than a million and a half dollars in prize money throughout his career.

The history of horseracing has some of the greatest names that ever graced the horserace tracks. These incredible animals proved beyond doubt that they can showcase their talent and skills in ways that human beings cannot comprehend. The stories about some of the strongest, heaviest, and oldest racehorses continue to inspire generations to come. From the undefeated Frankel to the dominating Secretariat, the racehorse has given humanity a chance to witness greatness on the race tracks. Lessons are learned from some of the youngest racehorses that rose to the occasion and outshone their older rivals in the races. These animals are legends in their careers that have helped people earn millions of dollars in prize money as well as raise their social statuses. Their gallops and blinding speed will forever be in our memories.