We all know the story about Secretariat; it's even been made into a movie. Along with Man o' War, he is considered to be the best horse of all time. Even ESPN counted Secretariat as on of the Top 50 Athletes of the 20th Century during their countdown in 1999.
Man O' War is commonly known as the greatest racehorse in history. What horse has never lost a race? Australia based “Black Caviar” retired with a 25-0 racing record.
Secretariat – Maybe the most well-known racehorse of all time was the first in racing history to be awarded the Horse of the Year Award. His US Triple Crown performances ingrained his place in history. He became the first racehorse to win the Kentucky Derby – starting from last place – winning in under 2-minutes.
The appropriately named Upset (4), ridden by Willie Knapp, holds off Man o' War, with Johnny Loftus up, to win the Sanford Memorial in Saratoga, N.Y. It was the only defeat in 21 races for Man o' War, who quickly became a legend.
In 1999, both Blood Horse magazine and the Associated Press convened panels of experts to vote on who was the best thoroughbred of the past 100 years, and Man o' War came out on top in both polls.
The Wood Memorial, contested April 21 as the final New York prep to the Kentucky Derby, established Sham as a formidable rival to Secretariat. Although Secretariat's stable mate Angle Light set the pace and won, Sham lost by just a head and outfinished Secretariat by 4 lengths.
War Admiral caught his rival and the two rode side by side to the top of the stretch. Then Seabiscuit sprinted ahead. Some said he had more in reserve; others said he had greater heart. He won by four lengths, clocking in at 1 minute, 56 and 3/5 seconds, a track record.
Sergeant Reckless is America's greatest warhorse. During the Korean War, Reckless carried ammunition to the front lines and helped rescue wounded soldiers. She's pictured here at Camp Pendleton in 1957.
Secretariat (March 30, 1970 – October 4, 1989), also known as Big Red, was a champion American thoroughbred racehorse who was the ninth winner of the American Triple Crown, setting and still holding the fastest time record in all three of its constituent races.
Man O'War was probably bigger and apparently had a significantly longer stride. He also won 20 out of 21 career races and that's hard to argue with. But if anyone can, it's Big Red. Secretariat's record is not as gaudy: he finished his career 16-3-1.
Godolphin superstar Anamoe emerged as the nation's most outstanding weight-for-age horse in 2022 with five Group 1 wins include four consecutive majors during the spring carnival. He won feature races from 1400m to 2000m culminating with his Cox Plate triumph, earning a Timeform rating of 126.
His sensational rise from humble beginnings captured the public's imagination during the difficult years of the 1930s Great Depression. Phar Lap won 37 races from 51 starts, including the 1930 Melbourne Cup. His death in the United States in 1932 prompted an outpouring of anger and grief.
Dubai World Cup
Not only is this the highest prize money of any horse race, it also represents the largest payout in the history of horse racing. The Dubai World Cup is held at the iconic Meydan Racecourse, a magnificent venue that features a massive grandstand with seating for over 60,000 spectators.
Exactly 30 years ago, kidnappers broke into the Ballymany Stud in the Republic of Ireland and stole the champion racehorse, Shergar. What happened to the animal remains a mystery. Shergar was the most famous, and most valuable, racehorse in the world.
After Shergar's Epsom Derby win, the Aga Khan sold 40 shares in the horse, valuing it at £10 million. Retaining six shares, he created an owners' syndicate with the remaining 34 members. Shergar was stolen from the Aga Khan's stud farm by an armed gang on 8 February 1983.
The Mongol Derby is the longest and toughest horse race in the world. We don't say that lightly. A decade after launching the race that title is still being backed up by riders year after year. In 1224 man of the millennium Chinggis Khaan set up the world's first long-distance postal transmission system.
Penny Chenery passed away September 18th at the age of 95. Following Secretariat's retirement from racing, Chenery became an ambassador for Thoroughbred racing and remained so, even after the champion's death in 1989.
Geldings have won each of the individual races, but like fillies, no gelding has ever won the Triple Crown. The closest was Funny Cide, who won the Derby and the Preakness in 2003.
Eight million horses, donkeys and mules died in World War 1 (WWI), three-quarters of them from the extreme conditions they worked in.
Breeding record
King was the sire of many famous Quarter Horses including Brown King H, Martha King, Royal King, King's Pistol, Gay Widow, Black Gold King, Power Command, Poco Bueno, Continental King, and LH Quarter Moon. Two of his sons were inducted into the AQHA Hall of Fame, those being Poco Bueno and Royal King.
How many horses, donkeys and mules died in WW2? Unlike the 8 million figure for WW1, there is no definitive answer to the question of how many equines died in WW2. Estimates vary between 2-5 million.
UKIAH, Calif., May 18 — Seabiscuit, one-time leading winner of the American turf, died of a heart attack last midnight, owner Charles S. Howard announced today.
Seabiscuit was a West Coast-based horse and didn't find his best stride until after his 3-year-old season, so he didn't run the Triple Crown. This feature was originally published in 2016 and has been updated.
Charles Stewart Howard (February 28, 1877 – June 6, 1950) was an American businessman.