Cross Breeds

What was the greatest Race Horse ever?

I say John Henry.

Public Comments

1. Man o' War Secretariat Citation Kelso Count Fleet Dr. Fager Native Dancer Forego Seattle Slew Spectacular Bid
2. Secretariat without a doubt. OK so he lost five races. He has world records that stand to this day. He won at distances between 6 furlongs and a mile and a half. Turf AND Dirt. His 1973 Belmont says it all. Funny you should ask this question. Go to www.brisnet.com. There is a broadcast of a dream race at Churchill at 10 furlongs featuring 14 of the greatest ever. Secretariat, Man of War, Spectacular Bid, Citation, etc. It is really neat how they put it together.
3. I would have to agree with you, but John was a grass runner. Bloodhorse has him listed as number 23 in their list of all time greats. Boeing has the list very complete in his/her list from Bloodhorse.
4. Ruffian
5. John Henry was awesome. The usual candidates for best racehorse ever are Secretariat and Man O War, but I argue that Ruffian should be included in that debate and she's at least the best filly ever. Ruffian was undefeated, won at every distance from a sprint to a mile and a half. She was never fully extended but won by about 10 lengths in every race. She was brilliant. I visited John Henry at Kentucky Horse Park just before he died. I had apple pieces in my pocket that I fed him through his stall door (not that I was supposed to and I'm probably lucky that he didn't eat my hand given the stories I've heard about him). Anyway, I took pictures of him while I was there. Here they are if you'd like to see them: http://pets.webshots.com/album/560992676CRhsJV
6. Dayjur
7. Oooh... you wanna start a fight. Well, Man O' War has been picked by more experts than any other horse I know of as "de mostest hoss." He's my choice. The only race he ever lost he was turned sideways at the start (they didn't use starting gates when Man O' War raced), and Johnny Loftus twice got him boxed in with no place to go. (There were also apparently rumors that Loftus was paid to throw the race. Who knows, that was an era of sports gambling scandals.) Man O' War went on to sire 60+ stakes winners from some very mediocre mares; given that a stallion can't pass on what he doesn't have himself, I think Man O' War's stud career validates his quality as a racehorse. Other "old-timers" that come up in lists of "greatest ever" are horses like Count Fleet, who had a limited racing career due to wartime curtailment of transportation; Citation, whose later career was compromised by injury (if he hadn't been chasing the earnings record, he probably would have been retired earlier); and Native Dancer, whose career was brilliant and who was a very, very unlucky loser of the only race of his career, the Kentucky Derby. More recent aspirants to the throne have included Dr. Fager, who was certainly a brilliant, brilliant miler, and on his best days nearly unbeatable; of course Secretariat, who left us wondering what might have been had he raced at 4; Seattle Slew, who was a brilliant winner of the Triple Crown and who might have been unbeaten if he'd been better managed; and our last Triple Crown winner, Affirmed. Horses that you have to give a nod to for dancing every dance and never shirking a challenge include Kelso, Forego, and of course John Henry. But what if the greatest racehorse was NOT a North American racehorse...?
8. How bout some Aussies Carbine - in the 1890 Melbourne Cup he carried 66kgs in a field of 39 to win. This is the heaviest weight and biggest field. He also won the Sydney cup in 1889-90 and is one of the greatest sires with all 85 acceptances for this years Melbourne Cup being descendants of his, From 43 starts he was only unplaced once. Tulloch - won 14 races as a three year old one of which was the Caulfield Cup in a record time, and also won the AJC, VRC and Qld Derbies. In 53 starts he was unplaced once in the Melbourne Cup. Kingston Town - won three Cox Plates the greatest WFA race in Australia and came second to Gunner's Lane in the 1982 Melbourne Cup. I also do believe that he won six or seven Group Ones in 12 months which has only recently been matched by Champion race horse Weekend Hussler. And last but not least the great Phar Lap, i don 't think i need to explain why he is so great. There are heaps others but i thought it would be easiest just sticking with the Inaugural five inductees to the Australian Racing Hall of Fame. Another horse to have a look at if you get bored is Makybe Diva, she won the Melbourne Cup three times.
9. The Biscuit hooves down