Greatest Horses in the History of Racing

Horse racing is one of the most popular sports in 2022. It is watched by millions of people all around the world, and its fandom is largely growing. Some of the biggest events in the world of sport come out of horse racing, though of course, in 2022, most of them have been overshadowed by the currently ongoing FIFA World Cup.

World Cup or not, horse racing remains incredibly popular, especially in the countries of Great Britain, as well as Ireland, the USA, the United Arab Emirates, and Japan. But many might wonder “where does this practice come from?”

History of Racing

The truth of the matter is that horse racing has been around since humans first domesticated the animal. However, horse racing in its current form, as many sports popular today, can by-and-large be traced back to the Victorians.

Not only were many of the rules and regulations for modern day horse racing brought about in the 1800s, but betting on horses truly became popular in that era. Of course, both the sport and betting on it reached its zenith in the 20^th century, when some of the finest horses set out on the track. In this article, we would like to pay respect to the history of horse racing, as well as some of the finest athletes in the sport, and take a look at a few of the greatest horses to have ever raised dust.

Credit: Pieter van Noorden

Seabiscuit

Seabiscuit’s career lasted a whopping five years. He first took the stage when he was 2 years old, in 1935. And by 1940, he had won 33 races and competed against some of the biggest names in the circuit of the time. In many ways, Seabiscuit was viewed as the underdog in his time. So, when he rose through the ranks, the Stallion became more than just a sport legend. He became a symbol for hope among the down-trodden Americans of the Great Depression period.

His most popular race, and one that is still talked about today happened in 1937. Seabiscuit had developed somewhat of a rivalry with fellow superstar horse, War Admiral. So, a two-horse race was not far behind. Seabiscuit, the black horse (so to speak) of the race, won by four lengths, defeating the Triple Crown Winner, and cementing his place in history.

War Admiral

Speaking of the War Admiral, it goes without saying that he was a great horse in his own right. Though he lost to Seabiscuit in 1937, he still was named Horse of the Year, and had previously won the American Triple Crown races.

The Stallion participated in 26 starts, out of which he won 21. Upon his retirement, War Admiral had a lucrative career as a sire, becoming the leading sire in the United States. The horse’s influence can still be seen in the 21^st century, as Triple Crown winners like American Pharaoh can trace their lineage to the Admiral.

Secretariat

No “greatest horses of all time” list would be complete without the Secretariat. He is not just one of the greatest horses of all time, but one of the most recognizable athletes. So much so, that he stands at number 35 on ESPN’s list of Top 100 US Athletes of the 20^th century.

For his part, the Secretariat’s story is a classic one. In his first year of life, the horse was considered “too beautiful to race.” Certainly, he proved everybody wrong, by taking to the stage, and breaking several records along the way. To this day, the Secretariat holds the fastest time record in all three races of the American Triple Crown.