The Most Memorable Derby Winners Of All Times

By Author: Lee Lane-Edgar
Total Articles: 365
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The Derby prize has come and gone to many thoroughbreds since 1875 and each year a new thoroughbred has etched its name on the trophy’s ownership after a gruelling duel to the wire running their first longest race, well almost in all cases, a mile and a half’s distance never exposed to before. However, every Kentucky Derby win never interpreted into a Triple Crown win, sometimes even to the shock of many when the crown was so very much deserved, maybe to some extent owing to the yet more shuddering 1 ½ miles, the longest the thoroughbreds would ever race in their entire careers.
Of the many winner’s circles everyone witnessed, the 2:24 clocked Belmont Stakes preceded honourably by a Derby and Preakness win, by Secretariat, the “Red” was by far the most impressive and memorable win of Triple Crown, primarily because of the 31 lengths lead, and the flat 2:24 that would be a jaded record intangible forever. No one has ever run any faster or pulled off a similarly demolishing lead over their contending field, especially when the contenders are deserving.
Secretariat won the Derby followed by the Triple Crown ...
... in 1973.
Spend a Buck ran and won the Derby in 1985, almost a decade after the indestructible Secretariat. While “Red” had conquered the distance of mile and a quarter in a romping 1:59 2/5 was the fastest ever on Churchill Downs, seconded only by Sham, his most deserving rival at less than 2:00 on the watch. Spend a Buck ran the same in 2:00.20 becoming the fourth fastest racehorse to accomplish something as grand an honour as this.
War Admiral, Man o’War’s famous offspring was a highly regarded horse until his sire’s grandchild, Seabiscuit brought him down in a match race. War Admiral won the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes, a Triple Crown winner, along with all major races of the season, including the Jockey Club Gold Cup, the Whitney Handicap and also the 1937 Pimlico Special. Had it not been for the unfortunate timing of Seabiscuit’s emergence as a demolisher, War Admiral would have solely enjoyed the fame and royalty of his winning game.
He won the Derby and the Triple Crown in 1937.
Citation was the world’s 8th Triple Crown winner and also the first to make a million in career earnings. The 1948 winner of Triple Crown, won the Kentucky Derby by 3 ½ lengths and also gathered enough dough in earnings that he surpassed the record amounts ever earned by thoroughbreds racing around the globe.
There is still argument over whether or not Sham was indeed the second fastest Derby winner Churchill Downs had experienced. Owning to that, Monarchos became the second fastest in 2001 to time the first ever less than 2 minutes after Secretariat, clocking 1:59.97 as he won the race by a 4 ¾ lengths lead.
The racing world has seen a variety of racing patterns, practices and preferences. Of all, the Derby always marks the first large scale test of the talent in a world class fashion. And despite each year a horse surfacing to win the race against a field of 19 other starters, only a few amongst those 100s have the real calibre to pull a fastest or establish themselves as a true winner following their Preakness and Belmont Stakes wins.
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