There are few more popular horse races on the international schedule than the Kentucky Derby.
The opening leg of the Triple Crown has the power to grab the mainstream attention annually in the United States, with millions tuning into see who will create history at Churchill Downs.
Some of the most defining images have come in the Derby, with a number of legendary stars winning the race before setting their legacy with future wins at the highest level.
However, which horses rank among the best Kentucky Derby winners of all time?
Secretariat
When you ask Americans who the best horse of all-time is, Secretariat is a name that often comes up. Big Red was able to transcend the sport during his time on track, and he would set speed records for all three races in the Triple Crown.
It was his power to connect with an audience that made him so formidable, as everybody felt a connection to the superstars. Secretariat became the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years after winning the Belmont Stakes in 1973, with his win in the final leg of the series coming by a staggering 31-length margin.
His sensational season would continue with a record-breaking win in the Arlington Invitational, before a shocking loss in the Travers Stakes would follow. However, he would end his career at the top of the sport, winning the Woodward Stakes, Man o’ War Stakes, and Canadian International Stakes.
Find more information about the Kentucky Derby results here: twinspires.com/kentuckyderby/results/
Spectacular Bid
Winning the Triple Crown is no easy feat, and you would be hard-pressed to find a better horse that won just two legs of the series than Spectacular Bid. The horse still holds the record for the fastest ten furlongs on dirt, and he set a number of track records during his 30-race career.
The horse was a standout performer as a two-year-old after winning the Champagne Stakes, and his dominance would continue aged three when winning the Kentucky Derby is dominant fashion.
A successful run in the Preakness Stakes saw him clock up a 12-race winning sequence, but that was ultimately ended after finishing third in the Belmont Stakes. He recovered from a slight injury to win the Marlboro Cup, and he was later named the American Horse of the Year.
Citation
For those of an older generation, Citation is likely the horse that will be the answer when quizzed about the best Derby winner of all-time.
The superstar was the eighth winner of the Triple Crown after winning the Belmont Stakes in 1948. Citation was a superstar on the track, and his Derby success still ranks among the best after beating 1949 Horse of the Year Coaltown by three lengths.
After winning the Triple Crown, Citation would achieve further success on the track, winning the Jockey Club Gold Cup, Pimlico Special and American Derby in his three-year-old season. Injury curtailed his four-year-old campaign, but he returned in 1949 and would later win a 16th race in a row at Santa Anita Park.
He would become the first horse to eclipse $1 million in earnings after winning the Hollywood Gold Cup before being retired to stud.
Seattle Slew
Seattle Slew is regarded as one of the greatest Triple Crown winners in U.S. history, as he won the series without suffering a career defeat.
That is something that few horses achieved during the older generation due to horses being run more consistently than in this modern day. Seattle Slew claimed Triple Crown glory after winning the Belmont Stakes in 1977, and only Justify has since been able to win the series after going unbeaten on track.
The superstar later won the Horse of the Year accolade in 1977, and was a champion at two, three, and four. Seattle Slew would achieve huge success as a stallion, playing his part in producing Kentucky Derby winner Swale, and Belmont Stakes victors Tapit and California Chrome.
American Pharoah
One of the greatest modern winners of the Kentucky Derby comes in the form of American Pharoah. The Bob Baffert-trained runner is one of two Triple Crown winners that are still alive to this day.
American Pharoah was a dominant force on track throughout his career, winning the Rebel Stakes and Arkansas Derby, before scoring successes in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.
He would then become the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978 after a wire-to-wire success in the Belmont Stakes. His domination would continue with a win in the Haskell Stakes before losing at Saratoga in the Travers Stakes. His final start on track came in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, where he smashed the track record at Keeneland to win by a six-length margin. In doing so, he became the first horse to win the Grand Slam of Thoroughbred Racing.
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