As horse racing fans we are blessed to have seen some fantastic horses race around the world across many different distances and surfaces. Some of the best racehorses of all time date back centuries and even if you haven’t personally watched them, you can know their impact and what they did but watching it could be challenging.
In writing this list I tried to look at facts but not adding my own subjectivity was difficult, so maybe take this with a pinch of salt. I wanted to be fair and base this list on a mixture of talent and accomplishments, like a Triple Crown, a horse could have a lot of natural talent and win very little which isn’t going to put them on this list.
Secretariat
Arguably the most famous racehorse of all time, Secretariat is a marvel in the horse racing world and a legend of the game. When he made his debut in 1972 he finished fourth, then eleven days later he had his second race and won by a good distance. Then a few weeks later he had another race which he also won. This was when the horse racing game was put on notice that we were witnessing something special.
His career accolades, including a triple crown, are well looked at as some of the most impressive. Secretariat racing meets those who want to do some horse race betting with Boylesports knowing exactly who to put their money on.
Secretariat was an astounding creature and after breaking Kentucky Derby records and winning countless races, Secretariat was sadly euthanised. Upon his death, the vet weighed his heart to find it was 2 and a half times bigger than the average horse’s heart which explains why he was so ahead of his competition.
Zenyatta
After a trip to the 1970s-1980s, it’s time we go for a more recent example. Zenyatta’s years in the game were short with her racing years being between 2007-2010 when she retired. Zenyatta set many records throughout her short career but it didn’t start that well. As a young mare, she was ill with ringworm because of this, she didn’t race until she was three which is unusual for racehorses.
Of the 20 races she started, she won 19 of them, including back-to-back winners at the Breeders’ Cup. Zenyatta was known as a huge horse, being claustrophobic in her starting gate and using her large frame to her advantage.
Black Caviar
My personal favourite on this list, Black Caviar, was an Australian-born horse who raced at the same time as Zenyatta. Black Caviar went undefeated in her 25 races with a Diamond Jubilee Stakes under her belt. Her build was one of her greatest assets as she was a big stocky horse that moved fluidly and quickly. She had a great mix of being powerful and strong while being graceful in her movements.
Seattle Slew
For nearly 50 years, Seattle Slew was the only racehorse to win the US Triple Crown, The Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont. When he won the Triple Crown he was the first thoroughbred in history to do so and funnily enough in 2018 one of his descendants, Justify, emulated this fantastic feat. When he was two he won the first of his back-to-back Champion Older Male Horse awards and let the horsing world know who he was.
After a serious illness stopped him from racing, he came back in 1978 and added more Grace 1 races to his impressive resume. The reason why Seattle Slew was so loved by American horse racing fans is because of his story. He won the hearts of the people when he came back from his illness and won more races, even if his career wasn’t as impressive as some of the other horses here, but he is still an icon of the horse racing game.