From Secretariat to American Pharoah, here are top 10 Kentucky Derby winners of all time
From long shots to jockey fights to races decided by a nose, the Kentucky Derby has provided fans with several indelible moments since 1875.
But who are the best horses to win the Kentucky Derby?
Here’s a ranking of 10 of the greatest horses to win the Run for the Roses, based on their performances in the race and how they finished their careers.
The list includes eight horses that went on to win the Triple Crown and two who didn't.
10. American Pharoah (2015)
He ended a 37-year Triple Crown drought and went on to win the “Grand Slam” by capturing the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland. American Pharoah was the 5-2 favorite in the Kentucky Derby and won by a length over Firing Line. Trained by Bob Baffert, American Pharoah did not race as a 4-year-old and finished with a 9-1-0 record in 11 career starts. The only blemish on his 3-year-old season was a loss to Keen Ice in the Travers.
9. Swaps (1955)
Known as “The California Comet,” Swaps and jockey Bill Shoemaker beat heavily favored Nashua by 1 ½ lengths in the Kentucky Derby. Swaps did not compete in the Preakness or Belmont because of a foot injury but went on to enjoy an outstanding career, earning U.S. Horse of the Year honors as a 4-year-old. Trained by Hall of Famer Mesh Tenney, Swaps posted a 19-2-2 record in 25 career races.
8. War Admiral (1937)
War Admiral won the Kentucky Derby as the 8-5 favorite and went on to become the fourth winner of the Triple Crown. Owner Samuel Riddle famously had kept Man o’ War out of the 1920 Kentucky Derby but made an exception for the horse’s son, War Admiral. He posted a 21-3-1 record in 26 career starts and was immortalized in the movie “Seabiscuit” as that horse’s rival in the 1938 “Match Race of the Century.” Seabiscuit won by 4 lengths.
7. Affirmed (1978)
His rivalry with Alydar captivated the nation, as the pair finished 1-2 in all three Triple Crown races. Affirmed and 18-year-old jockey Steve Cauthen won the Derby by 1 ½ lengths and captured both the Preakness and Belmont by a head over Alydar. Trained by Laz Barrera, Affirmed was 22-5-1 in 29 career races and was named Horse of the Year as a 3-year-old and 4-year-old, capping his career with seven consecutive victories.
6. Whirlaway (1941)
Whirlaway won the Kentucky Derby by 8 lengths and went on to become the fifth Triple Crown winner. He still stands as the only Triple Crown winner to also win the Travers. The 8-length margin of victory is tied with three others (Old Rosebud, Johnstown and Assault) for the largest in Kentucky Derby history. Trained by six-time Derby winner Ben Jones, Whirlaway was 32-15-9 in 60 career starts and was named U.S. Horse of the Year in 1941 and 1942.
5. Spectacular Bid (1979)
One of the greatest horses not to win the Triple Crown, Spectacular Bid cruised to a 2 ¾-length victory in the Kentucky Derby as the 3-5 favorite and then won the Preakness by 5 ½ lengths. Prior to the Belmont, Spectacular Bid stepped on a safety pin, embedding in his hoof and causing an infection. He still raced in the Belmont and led coming off the final turn before fading to third. Trained by Bud Delp, Spectacular Bid finished with a 26-2-1 record in 30 races and set the world-record time for a 1 ¼-mile race on dirt — 1:57 4/5 in the 1980 Strub Stakes.
4. Count Fleet (1943)
Count Fleet won the Kentucky Derby by 3 lengths as the 2-5 favorite and went on to become the sixth Triple Crown winner. He capped the sweep with a then-record 25-length victory in the Belmont. Count Fleet was so temperamental as a 2-year-old, his owner, John Hertz, tried to sell him to anyone who would put up $4,500. There were no takers. Count Fleet suffered an ankle injury in the Belmont and never raced again, finishing with a 16-4-1 record in 21 starts. He won his final 10 races.
3. Seattle Slew (1977)
Seattle Slew was the 1-2 favorite in the Kentucky Derby and didn’t disappoint, overcoming a slow start to win by 1 ¾ lengths over Run Dusty Run. He went on to become the 10th Triple Crown champion, the first to do so with an undefeated record. He finished with a 14-2-0 record in 17 career starts, including a victory over 1978 Triple Crown winner Affirmed in the 1978 Marlboro Cup at Belmont. Seattle Slew sired 1984 Kentucky Derby winner Swale.
2. Citation (1948)
Citation faced just five challengers in the Kentucky Derby and won by 3 ½ lengths on his way to becoming the eighth Triple Crown winner. He won 16 consecutive stakes races and became the first horse in history to earn $1 million. Trained by the father-son combination of Ben and Jimmy Jones, Citation was named champion as a 2-year-old and 3-year-old and champion older male as a 6-year-old. He finished with a 32-10-2 record in 45 career starts.
1. Secretariat (1973)
Trained by Lucien Laurin, Secretariat was the 3-2 favorite in the Kentucky Derby and won by 2 ½ lengths over Sham, setting a record time of 1:59 2/5 that still stands. He also won the Preakness and Belmont in record times — capturing the Belmont by a record 31 lengths — on his way to becoming the ninth Triple Crown winner and the first since Citation 25 years earlier. Horse of the Year in 1972 and 1973, Secretariat posted a career record of 16-3-1 in 21 starts.
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Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com. Follow on X @KentuckyDerbyCJ.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Greatest Kentucky Derby winners? Here's our ranking of top 10 horses
