All-Time U.S. Greats: American Pharoah joins the Top 25

Many of you have asked, and it was not something I wanted to rush, but at long last I am ready to reveal where I feel American Pharoah fits in with the greatest horses in the history of American racing. Some will think he is rated too highly, while others will scream I have falsely placed him ahead of some of the greatest from the past. In the end, it is an impossible science comparing horses of different eras, and surely no one will agree with these rankings in entirety, but know that I put the time in, and took the process very seriously. I welcome you to give me the business, and tell me where I went wrong. At the very least, I hope it is an enjoyable read.

1. Man O’ War - The original Big Red had it all, consistency and greatness. In only two seasons of racing, the great horse won 20 out of 21 races. His only loss was as a juvenile, when he finished 2nd to Upset in the 1919 Sanford Stakes when he gave the winner 15 pounds and was said to be the victim of a horrible trip. The son of Fair Play dominated the rest of the year and was named champion juvenile. As a three-year-old, Man o' War won all of his 11 races. In eight of those races he broke track records. He carried up to 138 pounds, he won the Belmont Stakes by 20 lengths and Man O’ War won the Lawrence Realization by an unbelievable 100 lengths breaking the track record by more than four seconds in the 1 5/8 mile race. In a matchup of stars, Man o' War defeated the previous year’s Triple Crown winner Sir Barton by seven lengths in a match race at Kenilworth Park. At stud, Man O’ War was one of the best sires of the first half of the twentieth century.

2. Secretariat - When Big Red was at his best, I believe he was the greatest horse that ever looked through a bridle. His win in the Belmont Stakes has never, and probably will never, be equaled. Secretariat fell short in a troubled trip in his first start of his career and thrice was stymied by his W curse in the Wood Memorial, Whitney, and Woodward as a three-year-old, but the sheer brilliance he displayed in the rest of his 17 races is enough to consider Secretariat one of the two greatest horses in American history. Secretariat not only ran the greatest 12 furlongs ever in the Belmont, he had already set records in the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness. For one horse to be so sensational in each leg of the grueling Triple Crown series is truly unbelievable. Despite a few losses after the Triple Crown, his powerhouse wins in the Marlboro Cup, Man O’ War, and Canadian International were more than enough to cement his place in racing lore.

3. Citation - Big Cy had two separate racing careers. The first was a testament to his incredible ability and consistency, and the second to his heart and courage. In 1947, he was the top juvenile in the nation with only one loss, and in 1948, he incredibly won 19 out of 20 starts in his Horse of the Year season. His Triple Crown run was a tour-de-force as he won each race easier than the previous, culminating with an eight length romp in the Belmont. The Calumet runner missed his four-year-old season due to arthritis in his fetlock joint, but in his first two remarkable seasons, Citation had 27 wins and two 2nd place finishes in 29 starts. Not quite the same after his arthritis problems and layoff, Citation still proved to be one of the finest handicap horses of his time in 1950 & 1951.

4. Dr. Fager - No other horse was quite like the Good Doctor. He was a wild child with his flowing mane and go for broke running style. Irresistible speed and undeniable heart carried Dr. Fager to finish first in 19 out of his 22 starts between 1966 and 1968. He did not have it easy either, as he had a super rival in Damascus, a champion older horse to contend with in Buckpasser, rabbits to pressure his awesome speed, and great weights to carry. In 1968, Dr. Fager pulled off the unprecedented feat of being named Horse of the Year, Champion Older Horse, Champion Grass Horse, and Champion Sprinter. He set a world record for a mile of 1:32 1/5 while toting 134 pounds in the Washington Park Handicap, and finished his career by winning the Vosburgh in 1:20 1/5 (only one fifth off another world record) while carrying 139 pounds.

5. Spectacular Bid - Oh, if not for a safety pin. The Bid was a great two-year-old, a greater three-year-old, and a supreme example of the excellence of a thoroughbred at four. The Bid set multiple track records in his championship season at two. At three, he was so dominant in the lead up to the Derby, that the world thought it a foregone conclusion that he would become the third consecutive Triple Crown champion. Things were going swimmingly until the morning of the Belmont. The Bid stepped on a safety pin and lost the Belmont, finishing 3rd and having a 12 race win streak snapped. At four, Spectacular Bid trumped his first two marvelous seasons by completing one of the greatest seasons ever. He finished his career with an unbeaten season in nine starts, setting four track records, and set a career earnings record. In an ultimate sign of respect, not one horse would line up against The Bid in one of the biggest races of the year, the 1980 Woodward. It was Spectacular Bid’s final race and it was a walkover.

6. Kelso - If dominating the Horse of the Year voting year after year, was the top criteria, Kelso would be number one with a bullet. King Kelly amazingly was named America’s best horse five consecutive seasons, from 1960 to 1964. The great gelding made it to the racetrack in eight different years, won 39 times and is still the benchmark for durability, at the highest level. Kelso carried great weights and won at all distances. He was probably best on dirt, but some still consider his romping win on turf, over rival Gun Bow in the 1964 D.C. International, to be his finest performance. Kelso’s feat of winning five straight Jockey Club Gold Cups, back when it was at two miles, is a record that will never be matched.

7. Count Fleet -  Did Count Fleet go out in style? How does winning the Triple Crown with a 25 length runaway in the 1943 Belmont Stakes sound? Count Fleet was not perfect early on, as it took him awhile to discover his best running. When he did 6 furlongs in 1:08 1/5 in a workout as a juvenile, it was clear that legendary jockey Johnny Longden had been right. Longden had urged his owner not to sell Count Fleet when he was still winless. Together, Longden and The Fleet would roll to 10 wins as a juvenile and the best was yet to come. When Count Fleet arrived in Louisville, it was clear that he was the best and was sent off at 2-5. The rest is history as Count Fleet rolled through the Triple Crown with amazing ease. He threw in a romp in the prestigious Withers Stakes during the Crown for good measure. Count Fleet was undefeated in six starts at three and never broke a sweat.

8. Seattle Slew - In a matter of weeks, Seattle Slew went from an inexpensive unknown to a juvenile champion and early Kentucky Derby favorite. In 1977, Slew did not disappoint his legions of fans as he steamrolled through derby preps in Florida and New York. The ultimate test of the Triple Crown turned into nothing more than a coronation for him as the dark bay speedster easily cantered into immortality, including overcoming a bad start in the Kentucky Derby. At four, Slew showed his tremendous talent and will to win, as he handled the superb three-year-old, Affirmed, twice in the Fall. His Jockey Club Gold Cup performance, in which he actually lost by a nose, remains the bravest performance I have ever witnessed. A true rags to riches story, Seattle Slew remains the only horse to win the Triple Crown while still undefeated.

9. Native Dancer - The Gray Ghost was racing’s first television star and so dominated his peers of 1952 through 1954, that he came a desperate photo away from being a perfect 22 wins in 22 starts. Unfortunately the loss came in the Kentucky Derby, as the gray hero gained with every stride, but came up just short to long shot, speed horse, Dark Star. One jump away from an undefeated Triple Crown champion, but alas, it was not to be for one of America‘s favorite horses. Unfortunately, he never got to face a great potential rival in Tom Fool, but there can be no doubt that both were among the best in American history. of At stud, Native Dancer became a prolific sire, and his sire line proved to be one of the most influential in modern American racing.

10. Affirmed - The winner of 22 out of 29 lifetime starts and a three-time champion, he held the mantle as the last Triple Crown winner for 37 years before American Pharoah came along. The great chestnut once actually suffered through a four race losing streak, but other than that, he proved as tough, game, and consistent as they come. A champion at 2, 3, and 4, the son of Exclusive Native had the tactical speed to be in every race he entered, and the courage to get the job done. Perhaps the greatest thing that can be said about him is that he arguably had the greatest competition of any horse on this list. He ran against either Alydar, Seattle Slew, or Spectacular Bid 13 times, and more times than not, it was Affirmed that came out on top.

11. Forego - Forego was a late developing son of Argentine great, Forli, and did not race as a two-year-old. At three, he was no match for the king of his generation, Secretariat, but he continued improving through a busy campaign and by that Winter, he was a major player. As an older horse, he became an all-time great, highlighted by four consecutive wins in the Woodward. Seeing Forego’s stretch run was like watching a force of nature. The gelding won 34 of his 57 career starts while running against the top competition in his era, consistently carrying hefty weight handicaps, and running at a variety of distances. He was named Horse of the Year three consecutive times from 1974 through 1976.

12. American Pharoah - After finishing out of the money in his career debut, the son of Pioneerof The Nile went on one of the most dominant runs of modern American racing. Only a narrow loss in the Travers prevented him from winning his final ten races. Nine of those ten were Grade 1, while the other was a Grade 2. He became the first Triple Crown winner in nearly 40 years, and is the only horse to sweep the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, Belmont, as well as the Breeders’ Cup Classic. This feat is now called the Grand Slam. Other than the Kentucky Derby and Travers, he won each of his races with complete authority, and rightfully takes his place as the greatest American race horse since Spectacular Bid retired 35 years ago.

13. Tom Fool - A juvenile champion, Tom Fool missed part of sophomore season due to sickness, and probably was never at his very best that year. Back healthy at four, the Greentree runner dominated the East Coast racing scene like few have before or since. The winner of all ten starts that year, he collected championships as Older Horse, Sprinter, and collected the Horse of the Year award despite the presence of Native Dancer, who was three.

14. Damascus - Despite the intimidating presence of Dr. Fager, Damascus was still able to distinguish himself as one of American racing’s greatest horses. The powerful stretch runner won 21 races in his career, but it was his three-year-old season that stood out, winning 12-of-16, including the Preakness, Belmont, and Travers, which he won by 22 lengths.

15. Buckpasser - One year older than Dr. Fager and Damascus, and the son of the great Tom Fool and Busanda, Buckpasser was an amazingly consistent performer who collected five Eclipse Awards for owner Ogden Phipps. Despite the recurring quarter cracks, he was able to win 15 consecutive races including a world record at a mile, before Dr. Fager broke it two years later.

16. Colin - There’s something to be said for perfection. In 15 races in the first decade of the 20th century, Colin won every time. His juvenile season may have been the best ever, and despite health issues, he won each of his three starts at three, including the Belmont Stakes.

17. Swaps - The greatest California-bred of them all, he defeated the great Nashua to win the Kentucky Derby. Despite hoof issues, he went on to become a track and world record breaking machine at various distances on both turf and dirt, while winning 19-of-25 lifetime.

18. Round Table - Versatility and durability, not too many can compare with Round Table. A contemporary of Bold Ruler, and several other good ones, he won 43-of-66 races all over the nation, and on turf and dirt, from the age of two through his five-year-old season.

19. War Admiral - He famously lost the match race with Seabiscuit, but prior to that, War Admiral was a dominant runner that went a perfect 8-for-8 in his Triple Crown season of 1937. All told, the son of the great Man O’ War won 21-of-26 lifetime races.

20. Ruffian - The most dominant female in the history of American racing, she was simply untouchable in each of ten starts before her heartbreaking injury and untimely death. Her speed was legendary, and her victories included a sweep of the Filly Triple Crown.

21. Bold Ruler - A member of one of the best foal crops in history, he was both a Champion three-year-old and Champion Sprinter. The winner of 23-of-33 lifetime also distinguished himself as one of America’s greatest sires.

22. Cigar - The owner of the streak, the back-to-back Horse of the Year strung together 16 consecutive wins against America and Dubai’s best older horses. He is arguably America’s best older horse since Spectacular Bid in 1980.

23. Zenyatta - Speaking of streaks, only a narrow defeat at the hands of Blame, cost this great, stretch running mare from retiring a perfect 20-for-20. She is the only female ever to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

24. Equipoise - The winner of 29-of-51 lifetime, the Chocolate Soldier was the nation’s top juvenile, and came back from injury at three to be a Horse of the Year at both four and five.

25. Whirlaway - Not only was he a dominant winner of all three legs of the Triple Crown, but the three-time champion continued on an aggressive schedule to ultimately win 32-of-60 lifetime.