Which racehorse is the greatest of all time

Learn More. Horse racing is one of the oldest human sports, with origins dating back to 4, BCE and the nomadic tribesmen that inhabited Central Asia at the time—the first group of people to domesticate horses.

Throughout the centuries of horse racing, many stars have been born. Granted, a lot of those horses lived hundreds or even thousands of years ago. We no longer know of their names or stories, but there are plenty of modern racehorse legends to look at.

Any horse with its own movie is bound to be famous. That fame is well deserved, as Secretariat achieved some serious accolades, including American Horse of the Year in and , winner of the Triple Crown in , and fastest recorded times in all three Triple Crown events in North America. Since being named Horse of the Year at just 2 years old, only one other horse ever managed the same. Unfortunately, Secretariat was inflicted with a serious hoof condition called laminitis, which ultimately resulted in his euthanization.

Released in , this film also used the same name as the horse it was based on. In the s, Seabiscuit won more money than any other horse on the circuit, propelling it to immediate fame. This led to Seabiscuit earning the vote for American Horse of the Year in His jockey had just one eye, and the pair were never expected to win.

However, they ended up winning 11 of the 15 races they competed in. This horse earned its name for its fierce and violent temper. Steeplechase horse racing is a special type of sport that combines the flat-out incredible sprint speeds of Thoroughbred racing with hurdles and jumping. Red Rum became a national champion at steeplechase in , , and This horse came at a time when the United Kingdom was undergoing a major recession.

Red Rum managed to win hearts and lift spirits, despite being born with an incurable disease. Affirmed was named the US national champion at ages 2, 3, and 4, which is an exceptional feat. In , Affirmed won the Triple Crown and was the last horse to do so for nearly 40 years until American Pharaoh managed to break the drought and win the Triple Crown in To really understand how dominant Affirmed was, you have to look at his overall record.

Professionally, this horse had 29 starts, 28 of which he finished in the money. Out of those 29 races, Affirmed had 22 first-place wins and five second-places, losing exclusively to big names like Seattle Slew and Alydar. This horse was utterly dominant during its time, more so than almost any horse ever. In his first race, Seattle Slew crushed the competition, winning by five lengths.

Later that year, he dominated the Champagne Stakes by an even greater margin of nearly 10 lengths, setting a new record on the course with a time of In his second season, things remained the same and Seattle Slew kept winning. But this was no ordinary Triple Crown victory since it made Seattle Slew the first horse to win all three as an undefeated racer. Many of the horses on this list were already proven winners and national champions before they turned 3 years old.

As a 2-year-old, Kelso managed one win and two second-place finishes. That year, he raced nine times, winning eight and placing second at the ninth. In , the racehorse won seven consecutive races. Despite missing his regular jockey due to a broken leg, Seabiscuit defeated his heavily favored opponent in one of the greatest upsets in sports history. In a bit of irony, the horse who beat him was named Upset. His popularity helped grow the sport in general. In , the racehorse managed to win the first Triple Crown in 25 years.

He had a great turn of foot whenever I asked him. After putting the list together, I noticed a few interesting things; first, only two colors are represented bay and chestnut.

Next, there were some very impressive fillies and only one gelding. Secretariat had it all, perfect physical conformation, huge heart, and competitive nature; the racing gods must have built him.

When owners talk about racehorse conformation, they describe Secretariat. Citation was a product of the great horse racing stables, Calumet Farms. Calumet Farms was a horse racing dynasty at the time, and Citation was their crown jewel.

Zenyatta was a big mare with an excellent pedigree. But because she of a skin disease she contracted before the annual yearling sale, she sold for only 60, dollars. He amassed a series of records and may have had the best season of any racehorse in history.

Black Caviar is the second filly on our list but is the first from Australia. She traveled to England and won their premier race, the Diamond Jubilee.