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Five of the biggest shocks in Kentucky Derby history
Unlike games of chance that you might encounter in a casino, the result of a Thoroughbred horse race is far from a random outcome event. That’s not to say that there aren’t inexplicable surprises from time to time. In its century and a half of longevity, the Kentucky Derby has seen its share.
Kentucky Derby
Tall Tales of the Track – Under Fire
When Count Turf crossed the finish line first to win the 1951 Kentucky Derby, he was the third generation of Derby winners, his sire Count Fleet and grandsire Reigh Count both also victorious under the Twin Spires. In 1928, Reigh Count brought John and Fannie Hertz the first of their classic victories, but a conflict involving John’s taxi company almost ended the horse’s life. When it counted, when history was on the line, one man’s quick-thinking response made all the difference.
Racing
10 Top Winning Kentucky Derby Jockeys of All Time
Here we recount the riders who have celebrated triumph inside the Winner's Circle most, as we list the top 10 winningest Kentucky Derby jockeys of all time.
Racing
Top 10 fastest Kentucky Derby times in history
From a legendary Triple Crown winner to a high-priced yearling who stole the heart of a Japanese racing enthusiast, here are the 10 horses with the fastest winning times in Kentucky Derby history.
Racing
150 years of Kentucky Derby winners: 1975-2023
Kentucky Derby 150 is just around the corner! Celebrate by exploring the rich history of Derby winners and Kentucky Derby Results.
Racing
20 songs for your Kentucky Derby playlist
Do you know these 20 familiar songs referencing horse racing or the Kentucky Derby?
Racing
Faded Glory: Forgotten Kentucky Derby Winners (Lawrin, 1938)
While the majority of the 150 winners of the Kentucky Derby were born in the Bluegrass State, 14 other states boast Derby victors of their own, with seven producing one each. New York has Funny Cide, Maryland gave us Kauai King, and in 1938, Kansas got its lone victory with a colt named Lawrin.
Racing
The Heart that Wears the Crown: Affirmed
But who was the lanky chestnut colt that came out on top, the one that followed Seattle Slew into history a scant 12 months after his own classic campaign? The combination of an easygoing disposition, a clever mind, and an iron will gave Affirmed everything he would need to turn away his challengers and become an immortal.
Racing
Kentucky Derby scratches that changed history
While a comprehensive list of Kentucky Derby scratches since 1875 is not possible, these four withdrawals perhaps were the most significant.
Kentucky Derby
Faded Glory: Forgotten Kentucky Derby Winners (Worth, 1912)
In Louisville, the big show went on as racing fans once again celebrated another Kentucky Derby, its victor a champion colt whose brief time on the racetrack left the sport wondering “what if?”
Racing
The Triple Crown and sports: An intersection of history, Part IV
Join us as we examine what was going on in the sports world during each year a Triple Crown winner emerged.
Racing
Japan's ascent in international horse racing: World rankings tell the tale
Japan has dispatched a series of outstanding Thoroughbred ambassadors on the world stage in recent years, becoming a force in international racing festivals.
Analysis
Faded Glory: Forgotten Kentucky Derby Winners (Sunny’s Halo, 1983)
Sunny’s Halo bested injury and a full field on Derby Day to bring another victory in the Run for the Roses back to the Great White North.
Racing
Triple Crown profile: Secretariat
Learn about the legendary racing career of 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat.
Racing
The Heart That Wears the Crown: Sir Barton
Thoroughbreds are fast and powerful athletes and the most elite are the ones whose names become a part of our collective consciousness, but, like familiar faces like Tom Brady and Michael Jordan, they were living, breathing beings who interacted with the world around them and left a distinct impression on those who cared for them.
Triple Crown
Faded Glory: Forgotten Kentucky Derby Winners (Jet Pilot, 1947)
In a year sandwiched between Triple Crown winners, Jet Pilot capitalized on his good fortune and brought home a rosy victory for his famous owner and Hall of Fame trainer.
Racing
Tall Tales of the Track – A Case of Mistaken Identity?
With apologies to Mark Twain, the reports of the horse’s premature death, however, were greatly exaggerated. Instead, the colt’s journey to that fateful day involved a top sire, a famed owner, and a legendary jockey, all of whom played a role in the story of a horse named Riley.
Racing
Faded Glory: Forgotten Kentucky Derby Winners (Whiskery, 1927)
The history of the Kentucky Derby is rich with names that have left their mark on this classic race: Bradley, Woodward, Chenery, and Whitney, owners who all celebrated more than one victory of their own. The Whitney family’s connection to the Run for the Roses spans more than a century with four wins from their long list of starters.
Kentucky Derby
The Triple Crown and sports: An intersection of history, Part III
Join us as we examine what was going on in the sports world during each year a Triple Crown winner emerged.
Racing
The Heart that Wears the Crown: Gallant Fox
Gallant Fox’s victories in the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes were the first to come with the name “Triple Crown,” as those intervening years saw the three races enter the sport’s consciousness with that sobriquet attached.
Triple Crown
The Triple Crown and sports: An intersection of history, Part II
Join us as we examine what was going on in the sports world during each year a Triple Crown winner emerged.
Racing
The Triple Crown and sports: An intersection of history, Part I
Thirteen horses have achieved Triple Crown glory since 1919, a 100-year period that covers different eras in American sports.
Racing
The Heart that Wears the Crown: Omaha
When any Triple Crown winner goes to stud, the high expectations set by winning that coveted trophy come along, as fans eagerly anticipate the next generation. Can he copy himself and produce another just like him? Of the 13 to have worn the crown, only one has done what is nearly impossible, a feat unlikely to be duplicated anytime soon: siring another Triple Crown winner.
Education
Tall Tales of the Track: Honoring the Memory of a Rider Long Gone
By the late 19th century, the Kentucky Derby had become a fixture on the American stakes calendar, but its home track struggled with its finances and with attracting good horses for its list of feature races. When Chant arrived in Louisville for the 1894 Derby, he would face a short field, but a victory would give his young jockey a place in the sport’s history books and preserve his memory for years to come.
Racing
The Heart That Wears the Crown: War Admiral
Lofty expectations are laid upon the greats when they exit stage left to enter the next phase. When Man o’ War said goodbye to his life on the track, the focus then became on whether the 20th century’s greatest racehorse could produce another one like him. Whatever it was that made Big Red so dominant and so iconic had to be passed along to his progeny, but what would that look like?
Triple Crown
Dark Star wins the 1953 Kentucky Derby (Photo courtesy of the Kentucky Derby Museum/Churchill Downs)
Faded Glory: Forgotten Winners of the Kentucky Derby (Dark Star, 1953)
In 1953, the sport had fallen in love with a gray colt who seemed destined to sweep every race he tried, but in that year’s Kentucky Derby, Native Dancer’s unexpected defeat came thanks to a colt named Dark Star.
Racing
Thursday Thoughts with Jason Beem for Jan. 22, 2026
Jason discusses the upcoming Pegasus World Cup and the race's history over the last decade.
Racing
Faded Glory: Forgotten Kentucky Derby Winners (Gallahadion, 1940)
Bimelech entered the year as Colonel E.R. Bradley’s best hope for a fifth Derby win, his undefeated record making a win on the first Saturday in May a veritable certainty. In the wings waited a surprise for the overwhelming favorite, Gallahadion, an unheralded contender who would deliver a sweet victory for a familiar name.
Racing
Triple Crown of Thoroughbred racing by the numbers
A look at the numbers, both big and small, that have defined the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred horse racing since 1919.
Racing
Faded Glory: Forgotten Winners of the Kentucky Derby (Venetian Way, 1960)
In 1960, with a Hall of Famer in the saddle, Venetian Way scored his signature victory for his soft-spoken owner and big-dreaming trainer, with his ultimate legacy coming in the form of another historic moment for America’s most famous race.
Racing
Triple Crown profile: American Pharoah
Learn about the extraordinary racing career of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah.
Racing
Triple Crown profile: Seattle Slew
Learn all about Seattle Slew, the magnificent Thoroughbred who won the Triple Crown in 1977.
Racing
Triple Crown profile: Gallant Fox
Learn about the extraordinary racing career of 1930 Triple Crown winner Gallant Fox.
Racing
Triple Crown profile: Whirlaway
Learn all about Whirlaway, the magnificent U.S. thoroughbred horse who won the Triple Crown in 1941.
Racing
Triple Crown profile: Justify
Learn about the extraordinary racing career of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify.
Racing
The Heart That Wears the Crown: Assault
With a heart as big as Texas, Assault did not let his small size or disfigured hoof keep him from wearing a crown and sealing his place in racing history.
Education
Horse Racing This Weekend: Key Races, Top Horses & Best Bets [Jan. 3, 2026]
Find out everything you need to know about key races, top horse, and best bets with TwinSpires horse racing this weekend.
Analysis
The Heart that Wears the Crown: Citation
At his core, Citation was a horse who was serious about his job, relentless in grinding down his competition and unbending in the face of challenges. By the time he said goodbye to the racetrack, the eighth Triple Crown winner had made an indelible mark on the hearts of fans everywhere.
Racing
Best of Hanson: 2025 Anthology
After a hiatus in 2024, an end-of-year compendium of my historically oriented writing is back for the year coming to a close next week.
Racing
Remembering Gentildonna: The ultimate clutch player
Next Sunday’s 70th running of the Arima Kinen (G1), Japan’s “All-Star” event at the end of the year, will have a special poignancy.
Racing
Tall Tales of the Track – Not Just Any Buggy Horse
For 1876 Kentucky Derby winner Vagrant, the stallion that gave rise to him and two other winners of the country’s most famous race was found not on the racetrack, but between the shafts of a buggy.
Racing
History's Top 10 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint performances
The Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) enjoyed its inaugural running in 2007. In the years since, the race has been a proving ground for the fleetest female racehorses in North America.
Breeders Cup
History's Top 10 Breeders' Cup Sprint performances
Over the course of 38 editions, the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) has produced a bevy of eye-catching winners. Let’s take a tour through history and rank the Top 10 best Breeders’ Cup Sprint performances.
Breeders Cup
Monday Morning Message with Jason Beem for Oct. 27, 2025
Jason discusses the retirement and career of jockey Willie Martinez who rode his final race this weekend.
Racing
Tall Tales of the Track: A Stinging Inspiration for Success
Some horses just need a little inspiration. A little kick of the heels cues them to pick up their pace. Maybe a smooch in their ear to signal ‘time to fly.’ We know and love horses for their many fantastic attributes, like speed, stamina, and heart, but we have all seen times when they need something extra to extend themselves. In the case of Polynesian, he needed a few stings to find success.
Racing
Run the Gantlet: Enigmatic champion of the turf
The good ones sometimes come in waves. For a period in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the tide was extraordinarily high for Paul Mellon.
Features
Tall Tales of the Track: George Smith Finds His Fortune
Equine namesake, George Smith, echoed excellence and made history under the Twin Spires, keeping the memory of this legendary punter alive in the sport that supplied his wealth.
Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Spice Runner
Spice Runner joined the 2025-26 Road to the Kentucky Derby as early as possible, claiming victory in the series-opening Iroquois (G3) at Churchill Downs.
Racing
Racing
Tall Tales of the Track: Bug Boys Get It Done for Father & Son
Ira Hanford and Bill Boland share a unique connection: not only were these two riders ‘bug boys’ when they won the Kentucky Derby, but their mounts were sire and son, making these winners singular in the annals of the history of the Run for the Roses.
Racing
Five unbreakable Kentucky Derby records
We examine five unbeatable Kentucky Derby records as the world gears up for "the most exciting two minutes in sports."
Racing
Daryl's Joy: Antipodean warrior once honored at Saratoga
Although not the best nor most accomplished horse from Australia and New Zealand to ever grace the American turf, Daryl's Joy held his form in the U.S. far better than most Antipodean invaders.
Racing
D. Wayne Lukas: One horse that could have been his best
D. Wayne Lukas consistently reached new levels, sometimes many times over, but a few of us will always remember Grand Canyon as the player who might have defined the coach's entire career.
Racing
Before the Winner’s Circle and Hall of Fame, D. Wayne Lukas Was a Boy with a Horse
Over the course of his long Hall of Fame career, Lukas built a reputation as one of the sport’s greatest trainers, with nearly 5,000 wins and a long list of champions, but how did this small-town boy become the Coach? The answer lies in Lukas’s earliest years as a boy, with an innate sense of how to get the best of an athlete, human or equine.
Racing
Five underappreciated champions trained by D. Wayne Lukas
As serious health issues have forced Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas into retirement at the age of 89, thoughts turn reflective about the inevitable passing of time in our own lives.
Racing
Tall Tales of the Track: Alan-A-Dale Goes Trotting for Roses
In 1902, Alan-a-Dale won the roses thanks to an unconventional course of training and a savvy jockey who knew just what to do to keep the mount and score another historic victory under the Twin Spires.
Kentucky Derby
STUDY: Is the Kentucky Derby's Apollo Curse a negative or positive?
Is a lack of juvenile racing experience a detriment in the Kentucky Derby, or is the Apollo Curse a myth resulting from an insufficient sample size of horses?
Racing
A Glass Full of Memories: A History of the Derby's Iconic Mint Julep Glasses
From their humble beginnings in the 1930s to their collectible designs in 2025, the mint julep glass is another piece of the Kentucky Derby experience that leaves fans with lasting memories of their day under the Twin Spires.
Education
Tall Tales of the Track – A Bargain Mare Yields a High Class Horse
The product of an unwanted mare and an unheralded stallion, Lieutenant Gibson was a record-breaking Kentucky Derby winner and a beloved horse, his too-short life unable to give him the legacy that his performances might have merited.
Racing
Top 10 Biggest Horse Races In The World
Let's look at the 10 biggest horse races in the world, from the “race that stops a nation” to the “fastest two minutes in sports.”
Racing
Seabiscuit: 10 interesting facts about the legendary horse
Here are 10 interesting facts about America's favorite equine underdog.
Racing
Top 10 best racehorses of all time
Ranking the greatest racehorse of all time is an exercise fraught with challenges and subjectivity. But I'm going to give it a try.
Racing
Kentucky Derby Lucky Losers: Cryptoclearance (1987)
Cryptoclearance was another exceptional member of the class of 1984, a hard-trying horse who was always in the mix in the sport’s biggest stakes and a stellar sire who passed on his champion genes to more than one classic winner.
Racing
Tall Tales of the Track: Whose Horse Is He Anyway?
Owning a racehorse is a point of pride for many a racing fan; owning one who wins stakes races and competes in classics like the Kentucky Derby takes that investment to another level. For one Derby contender, the story behind the name on his papers turned out to be one laden with controversy and intrigue.
Racing
Tall Tales of the Track: A Tale of Two Clydes
Once upon a time in the rolling hills of the Kentucky Bluegrass, a little chestnut horse was born. What he lacked in stature, he made up for in talent and heart, especially on rainy days. Named for his equally diminutive trainer, Clyde Van Dusen put on a big show on the first Saturday in May and did his big sire proud with his Kentucky Derby win.
Racing
Horse Racing History: The Biggest Bets Ever Placed
The history of horse racing is filled with stories of bettors and horsemen who gambled big dollars in search of huge payoffs.
Racing
Tall Tales of the Track: Donau Doesn’t Play
Every Kentucky Derby winner leaves their mark on the race, a collection of 150 stories writing the history of this sporting institution. One particular winner, Donau, came to Louisville with a colorful background and an even more colorful personality, his tale one of a champion with an attitude all his own.
Racing
Likely Exchange: The little mare with outsized influence
Who was Likely Exchange? In brief, a mare of hickory on the racetrack whose too short life as a producer nonetheless stretched in influence well into the 21st century.
Racing
Exploring Famous Racehorse Names and Their Meanings
Scan the entries on a typical racecard and you'll see a wide assortment of ordinary nouns and phrases make up a significant portion of the names Thoroughbreds carry with them throughout their lives.
Features
Tall Tales of the Track, Kentucky Derby Edition: One Horse, Two Women, and a Derby for the Show Me State
Bred by Emma Holt Prather, Elwood came east from California to contest the Kentucky Derby for his owner Lasca Durnell, not only giving Missouri its lone rosy victor but also becoming the first bred and owned by women.
Racing
History's Top 10 Breeders' Cup Juvenile performances
Since its inaugural running in 1984, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) has produced many impressive winners and exciting editions.
Breeders Cup
History's Top 10 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile performances
The Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) is one of the younger Breeders’ Cup races, dating back to 2007. But the past 15 years have produced an impressive roster of winners.
Breeders Cup
Not Always the First Saturday in May: The Kentucky Derby’s Changing Calendar
Through war, pandemic, and the ever-evolving sport of horse racing, the Run for the Roses has rolled with the punches, finally settling into its familiar place on our calendar.
Racing
Mary Hirsch, father Max Hirsch and Jack Horner (Photo courtesy of Keeneland Library Cook Collection)
She Was the First: Mary Hirsch, No Sir, and the 1937 Kentucky Derby
In the 1930s, as racing grew from coast to coast, more women sought the chance to become a part of the country’s oldest sporting pastime. One of those was Mary Hirsch.
Racing
Royalty and Roses: The Nobility Comes to Churchill Downs
Not only has the Kentucky Derby played to many Thoroughbred kings and queens, but has also attracted its share of royalty to the day’s celebrations, including famed royal equestrienne herself, Queen Elizabeth II.
Racing
Monday Morning Message with Jason Beem Aug. 12, 2024
Jason looks back at Sunday's Longacres Mile and discusses the race and some of its amazing history.
Racing
Tall Tales of the Track, Kentucky Derby Edition: Taking a (Long) Shot at Roses
Though the early list for the 1972 Kentucky Derby featured names like Riva Ridge and No Le Hace, as the race grew closer, a maiden named One Eyed Tom grew closer to making his owner’s Derby dreams come true. However, to make his shot at rosy glory a reality, the gelding needed to pass one very important test: the gate test.
Racing
Sprint great Groovy deserving of a Hall of Fame nod
Groovy, arguably the most significant Texas-bred since the days of King Ranch, was a powerhouse. When he was allowed to specialize at what he did best, that is.
Racing
A Battle of Titans: The 1917 Brooklyn Handicap
On June 25, 1917, another memorable clash played out at old Aqueduct Racetrack, as three Kentucky Derby winners and three Hall of Famers made that dirt oval their arena in a historic battle of titans. In this epic saga, the finale yields a surprising twist as these superstars play off each other over nine furlongs on the Gotham stage.
Racing
2024 Belmont Stakes: Dornoch, Mage join club of U.S. classic-winning siblings
Dornoch, a full brother to 2023 Kentucky Derby (G1) star Mage, put their dam, Puca, in rare company by taking the Belmont (G1).
Racing
Tall Tales of the Track, Kentucky Derby Edition: Watch Out!
The maiden colt Great Redeemer became a part of Derby history thanks to his unconventional connections and inauspicious Run for the Roses, including a close call of the photographic kind.
Racing
Mystik Dan inspires a look at the closest finishes in Kentucky Derby history
Mystik Dan’s victory in a three-way finish in Saturday’s 150th Kentucky Derby (G1), with Sierra Leone and Forever Young noses apart, immediately posed the question...
Racing
150 years of Kentucky Derby Winners: 1925-1974
Kentucky Derby 150 is just around the corner! Celebrate by exploring the rich history of Derby winners and Kentucky Derby Results.
Racing
150 years of Kentucky Derby winners throughout the years: 1875-1924
Kentucky Derby 150 is just around the corner! Celebrate by exploring the rich history of Derby winners and Kentucky Derby Results.
Racing
Kentucky Derby dynasties: Visualizing today's most successful bloodlines
The 150-year history of the Kentucky Derby is more than written records, photographs, crackly old broadcasts, race replays, and personal memories.
Kentucky Derby
Tall Tales of the Track, Kentucky Derby Edition: A Memorable Absence
In 1951, though, the black-and-white photo of Count Turf, flanked by his owner and others, is missing an important face, making this particular Derby one to remember for one unfortunate reason.
Racing
Best of Hanson: 2023 Anthology
In a break from recent years, the historically themed pieces I wrote during 2023 were all published at TwinSpires.com. Therefore, it makes sense that my ninth annual anthology would be available on the TwinSpires Edge, too.
Racing
Late Bloomer, Bowl Game underrated stars of the Super 70s
For a racing fan in 1970s America, it was an era of indulgence and pure gluttony. Roughly two dozen Hall of Fame inductees made their mark on the flat during those 10 illustrious seasons, and that doesn’t even begin to count many other talents whose exploits have receded more rapidly from the collective memory.
Racing
The Churchill Downs match still in doubt after a century
Match racing in the United States has a spotty history, but one of the few that (mostly) lived up to the hype occurred 100 years ago this week at Churchill Downs.
Racing
Tall Tales of the Track: The Ups and Downs of Tango Shandy
The slip of a saddle at an inopportune time, like the middle of the Dubai World Cup in the case of California Chrome, can become a challenge even greater than the 1,000-pound animals running alongside. In one particular jump race nearly 40 years ago, a slip of a saddle and the question of a foot caused a horse, his rider, and his trainer enough consternation to last a lifetime.
Racing
Dubai World Cup winners in Breeders’ Cup Classic: Close, but no cigar
The relationship between the Dubai World Cup (G1) and the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) was forged early on, with a pattern set by Hall of Famer Cigar.
Racing
Tall Tales of the Track: Kingston Goes the Distance
Bred by a Pillar of the Turf in James R. Keene, Kingston’s longevity on the racetrack comes in not only in the number of times he raced but in the wins he accumulated over his nine seasons, his greatness sealed in the record books and the Hall of Fame for all time.
Features
Horsey History in the Tar Heel State: Where Breeding and Racing Have Surprising North Carolina Roots
Though live racing has not been part of the sporting landscape for generations, North Carolina has deep roots in the early history of both Thoroughbred racing and breeding, roots even older than the United States itself.
History
Remembering Queen Elizabeth II's Royal Ascot winners
A ubiquitous presence at the Royal meeting until the last few years of her life, Elizabeth II enjoyed a fair amount of success at the fixture.
Royal Ascot
A King's Coronation on 2000 Guineas Day at Newmarket
While much of the racing world’s attention on Saturday is focused on the Kentucky Derby (G1), earlier in the day, an heir to a centuries-long legacy will be crowned at a venue rich in tradition.
International
Tall Tales of the Track: I Am Woman, Watch Me Win!
In the first years of the 19th century, Alicia Meynell rode in not one but two match races against a man on an English racecourse, demonstrating that same self-assurance and drive that many a woman, including Annie Oakley, would need in their male-dominated pursuits.
Features
Tall Tales of the Track: And the Winner Is…
Rumor had it that it was not Bend Or who ran down Robert the Devil at Epsom, but a horse named Tadcaster, an accusation of mistaken identity that was resolved more than a century later.
History
Tall Tales of the Track: Sysonby, the (Almost) Unbeatable
A skeleton of a horse once hung in the American Museum of Natural History, the limbs positioned as if in flight.
History