Most Famous Horse Races
The five year old horse was trailing for most of the race before sprinting past the leaders to win in the last strides. To this day, he’s famous for managing to beat out the favorite Bertrando in what is one of the greatest upsets in horseracing history. 2009 Kentucky Derby.
- One of the most famous horse races in the world, the Grand National is viewed annually by over 600-million people. Part of a three-day Nationa Hunt race meeting held just outside of Liverpool, with an attendance of over 150,000, the occasion tends to be as exciting as it is unpredictable.
- Secretariat: U.S. Triple Crown winner (1973); one of the most famous horses in Thoroughbred racing Shergar: winner of the 1981 Epsom Derby by a record 10 lengths, the longest winning margin in a race run annually since 1781; kidnapped by the IRA in 1983, and was held for ransom, but the owner syndicate refused to pay, fearing that valuable.
- The horse lost 17 career races before winning his first in 1935. Once Seabiscuit got a regular rider, Johnny “Red” Pollard, he began to win much more. In 1937, the racehorse won seven consecutive races. Seabiscuit’s career highlight was a one-on-one race with 1937 Triple Crown winner War Admiral.
- One of the most famous flat horse races in the world, The Derby is run at one of the most unique and challenging courses the UK has to offer. The undulations and turns of Epsom provide a thorough test of the best middle distance three-year-olds. Six fillies have won the race but none since 1914 and they are rarely entered these days.
Horse racing has long history of great triumphs, fantastic feats of athleticism, and startling upsets. With every race, every jockey and horse pair has a chance to make history. The potential for eternal fame, the chance to beat records, and the possibility of becoming a true champion are just part of the thrill of the races. Throughout the many years these distinguished races have been run, there are some truly remarkable memories. From races during which the underdog beat the champion, or a special horse astounded the world, or rivals faced off in an epic showdown, horse racing has it all. Below we’ve compiled our list of our favorite races in horse racing history.
10. 2016 Belmont Stakes
While there was no Triple Crown on the line during the 2016 Belmont Race, the win by Creator was a huge upset for the favorites. For the duration of the race, Creator was not in the first four positions, until the very end when he sprinted past the leaders. The favorites for the race, Exaggerator and Stradivari, failed to finish in the top three. Despite his initial position at the back of the track, Creator’s outstanding finish earned him the Belmont victory by a nose in an epic sprint out with Destin.
9. 2002 Belmont Stakes
The 2002 Belmont Stakes was another racing upset. Leading up to the race, War Emblem had won both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, meaning a Triple Crown victory was on the line. However, War Emblem stumbled at the start and effectively eliminated his shot at victory, ultimately finishing eighth. The greatest surprise of the race was the victorious run of Sarava, who chased down Medaglia d’Oro after trailing the main pack. At odds of 70-1, he is the biggest long shot in history to win the Belmont.
8. 1998 Belmont Stakes
Another race with a Triple Crown victory on the line, the epic finish to the 1998 Belmont Stakes is one of the closest races in history. The ultimate leader, Victory Gallop, narrowly beat out the favorite, and winner of the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, Real Quiet. It was Bob Baffert’s second shot at a Triple Crown, and his horse Real Quiet lost by the smallest margin in Belmont history. The two had come head to head at the Derby and Preakness, with Victory Gallop coming in second both times. The exhilarating finish at the end solidified the loss of another potential Triple Crown victor.
7. 1971 Kentucky Derby
The 1971 Kentucky Derby winner Canonero II was a long shot. After his birth in Kentucky, he was shipped to race in Venezuela before coming back to Kentucky for the Derby. With impossible odds, he managed to surprise everyone with a three length victory at the Derby. While not considered an outstanding horse, his victory is one of a true underdog overcoming the challenges put in his way.
Famous Race Horses List
6. 1989 Belmont Stakes
During the 1989 Belmont Stakes, Easy Goer defeated the Horse of the Year Sunday Silence by eight lengths. Easy Goer had previously lost to Sunday Silence in the Derby and Preakness, but managed to win the Belmont and deny Sunday Silence the Triple Crown. He posted the second fastest Belmont time in history at 2:26.1, behind Secretariat’s 2:24. Interestingly, Easy Goer was the son of Alydar, the only horse in history to finish in second place for all three Triple Crown races. It was thought that perhaps Easy Goer would follow in his footsteps, but his upset at the Belmont separated him from that legacy.
5. 1993 Breeder’s Cup Classic
The Breeder’s Cup Classic, while not a major Triple Crown race, is widely considered to be the premier horseracing event in North America. Due to the intense, competitive nature of the race, predictions are quite volatile. With odds of 133-1, the 1993 victory by Arcangue is the biggest upset by an underdog in the history of the Cup. A French horse, Arcangue had previously only raced on grass tracks in Europe, and the Classic was his debut in American racing. The five year old horse was trailing for most of the race before sprinting past the leaders to win in the last strides. To this day, he’s famous for managing to beat out the favorite Bertrando in what is one of the greatest upsets in horseracing history.
4. 2009 Kentucky Derby
With odds of 50-1, the nearly seven length victory of Mine That Bird was shocking to most watchers. Though he ran nearly dead last for most of the race, in the final turn shot past the leading Pioneerof the Mile for an outstanding victory. Mine That Bird set records for the longest-odds horse to win the Derby in 85 years, and the biggest lead in a Derby win in more than 60 years. It is still considered one of the most epic finishes to a Derby race, as no one predicted such a performance from the horse.
3. 2015 Belmont Stakes
After 37 years, American Pharoah broke the Triple Crown dry spell in a remarkable Belmont Stakes performance. He currently posts the second fasted Belmont time in history at 2:26.65. While his start was less than ideal, he quickly came to the first position, and ultimately won by five and a half lengths. His time is the second fastest Belmont time in Triple Crown winners’ history behind Secretariat. The most remarkable aspect of his Belmont performance, however, is that American Pharoah finally achieved a Triple Crown victory in an era when most believed it could never be done again.
2. 1978 Belmont Stakes
The 1978 Belmont Stakes was the close to one of the greatest horse racing rivalries in history: Affirmed and Alydar. After coming in second at both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, Alydar made a bid for the last leg of the Triple Crown races. However, Affirmed led the pack for the whole race and managed to win by a nose. The pair kicked away from the rest of the pack in a neck to neck race that’s still considered one of the greatest showdowns in racing history. While Affirmed’s victory meant he secured the 11th Triple Crown in history, it’s quite remarkable that Alydar is the only horse in history to come in second at every Triple Crown race. We haven’t seen such a pair of horses rival since this epic faceoff.
1. 1973 Belmont Stakes
Secretariat is widely regarded as the second best racehorse of all time behind Man-O-War, but his epic finish at the 1973 Belmont Stakes has remained the best Belmont time of any horse in history. He won by a remarkable 31 lengths- absolutely blowing his competition out of the water. His grand story is amazing, not just because he still hold the track record for the Belmont, but because he still has set the records for every Triple Crown race. In his epic Belmont finish, he solidifies his position as a true champion racer with an outstanding victory.
Taking place on the first weekend in May each year the Kentucky Derby is one of the most famous horse races in the world, taking place at Churchill Downs race track annually. Similar to the Kentucky Derby, the Grand National offers live horse racing viewing annually at the Aintree Racecourse every April. These two competitions have their differences including in the distance, type of races and weight. One significant difference is the betting favorites. The Kentucky Derby favorites have done quite well in recent years, but less than 10 favorites have won the Grand National horse race since World War II.
Racecourse Distance & Competing Horses
Starting from their distance; the Grand National is much longer, to be more specific it is 2 ¾ miles longer than the Kentucky Derby (1 ¼ miles). Many American horse racing lovers consider the Kentucky Derby as “The Fastest Two Minutes in Sports” as it lasts around two minutes. Another difference between them is the number of horses competing in the race; the Grand National race has double the horses as the Kentucky Derby, which has just 20 competing horses. These horse races also differ on the age of the horse; while the Grand National only allows horses over the age of 7 years old, the Kentucky Derby qualifies horses as young as 3 years old.
Race Track Location & History
The Grand National is held at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, England (which if you’re interested in learning more about you can do so here: https://britishracecourses.org/aintree). Whereas the Kentucky Derby is held at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. Both races are very old but the Grand National predates the Kentucky Derby by over 30 years. Neither of the races has ever been canceled but in 1993 the results of the Grand National were declared void because of two false starts and protests. Probably, the most recognizable tradition for both events which has been followed from the start is the headwear for the ladies. In the beginning, the ladies were encouraged to wear their extravagant headwear to show their wealth and class but now it’s more of a fashion statement that fascinates many people. Another tradition at the Kentucky Derby ever since 1875 has been the traditional command of ‘Riders Up!’ from the Paddock Judge for jockeys to mount their horses before a race.
Winning Stats
Starting with the Grand National only one horse was ever able to win the Grand National 3 times in 1973, 1974 and 1977. In the Kentucky Derby, one horse (Secretariat) was able to complete the 1 ¼ mile course in 1:59:40 and still holds this record to date.
The Triple Crown is a series of 3 horse races and is considered one of the most difficult accomplishments in horse racing. As of May 2020, only 13 horses have taken the Triple Crown victory, one of which was Secretariat.
The most won races by jockeys were George Stevens (Grand National jockey), Eddie Arcaro and Bill Hartack (both Kentucky Derby jockeys) of 5 races each.
Most Famous Horse Races
Prizes of Horse Racing
There is a massive prize to be won at both horse races. At the Kentucky Derby, the winner takes home around $1.86 million and 10% goes to the jockey. While the Grand National prize is lower, the winner still takes home around $1.25 million home.
Over £300,000,000 was wagered on the Grand National race in 2019. The Kentucky Derby hit a record in 2019 with $165.5 million being wagered, which was up 10% from 2018.
Similarities Between Kentucky Derby and Grand National
Despite being on the opposite ends of the pond these two horse races still have some similarities between them. This includes the attire racegoers wear to the traditions that they both celebrate.
Many people enjoy watching these amazing horse races all around the world. The Grand National has been broadcast live for free since 1960 in the UK, where an estimated 500 to 600 million people watch the Grand National in over 140 countries. Even though there are much fewer viewers of the Kentucky Derby its popularity has been growing with 6 million viewers, more than in the previous years. Both horse races have similar attendance numbers at the race track of around 150,000 people each year. Many spectators also enjoy both horse races from home, pubs and cafes.
No matter where you are in the world both the Grand National and the Kentucky Derby are fantastic races to be enjoyed and watched by any horse racing lover. Horse racing is one of the most exhilarating sports to watch especially when the horses are getting closer to that finish line where betting tickets are either thrown down or clutched happily in wagerers’ hands. The atmosphere at these events is astronomical where you could celebrate and spend your time with family and friends. These events have been occurring annually for quite a few years, so it has become a long-standing tradition for horse racing lovers to watch it every year and make a holiday of the races!
Tours & Events Around the Kentucky Derby offered by Mint Julep Experiences
As a full-service tourism and destination management company based in Louisville, Mint Julep Experiences combines deep expertise, long-term partnerships and complete hospitality services to help you experience the richness of Kentucky culture, especially during the Kentucky Derby.
Leading up to the Kentucky Derby, Mint Julep offers public Derby week tours and custom tours through Bourbon Country and Horse Country. Guests can also celebrate Derby with social Derby events the Thursday before the race (aka Thurby) and a social event the eve of the horse race.