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Past Kentucky Derby Winners
With the 2008 Kentucky Derby right around the corner, I
thought I would take the time to list out for you the
past winners in the soon to be 134-year history of horse
racing's most beloved race. Of the past 133 winners,
only 11 have won the Triple Crown, which consists of
also winning The Preakness and Belmont Stakes. Affirmed
is the last horse to win the Triple Crown, and he did so
back in 1978. This year, then, marks the 30th year since
our last Triple Crown winner, so perhaps we will see one
this year since there was a winner in 1948 – 30 years
prior to Affirmed. If you can't win the Triple Crown,
the Kentucky Derby is the race that every horse racing
trainer wants to win above all others. I hope you enjoy
this list of great horses of the past along with a brief
synopsis of the past 5 Derby winners.
2007 Street Sense
Street Sense was quite a horse last year, missing a
chance to race for the Triple Crown by losing by a head
in The Preakness Stakes. Trained by the famed Carl
Nafzger and from a great pedigree, Street Sense was
destined for stardom. In 2006, Street Sense received the
Eclipse Award, which is presented to the best
two-year-old Colt. Street Sense was a good enough horse
in my opinion to challenge for the Triple Crown, but
with horses like Hard Spun and Curlin racing along side
him, the competition was a lot stiffer than in year's
past.
2006 Barbaro
Barbaro dominated at the 2006 Kentucky Derby winning by
six-and-a-half lengths with one of the strongest
finishing kicks we've seen in quite some time.
Unfortunately, Barbaro would shatter his leg in the
Preakness Stakes when he false-started. The injury ended
his racing career and even his life.
2005
Kentucky Derby Results - Giacomo
Giacomo was the home state favorite in 2005, racing out
of Lexington, Kentucky so he had plenty of fan support
when he raced for the roses at the Derby. The thing
about Giacomo is that almost no one thought he had a
chance at 50-1 odds – the second biggest underdog to win
in Derby history. He finished third in the Preakness and
seventh at the Belmont Stakes, not strongly contesting
in either race, but he did have his moment of glory at
Churchill Downs when he cashed big money tickets for
long shot lovers.
2004 Smarty Jones
Smarty Jones finished his career with 8 wins and one
second place finish in nine starts, earning $2,613,155.
That one second place finish came at the Belmont Stakes
while racing for the Triple Crown. He was oh so close to
becoming the first Triple Crown winner since 1978. Not
surprisingly, Triple Crown winners Secretariat and Count
Fleet are relatives to this great horse.
2003 Funny Cide
Funny Cide sticks out as the first horse bred in the
state of New York to win the famed Kentucky Derby and
was also the first Gelding to win since Clyde van Dusen
in 1929. He first rose to stardom in 2002 when he won at
Belmont Park in his first two-year-old race by more than
15 lengths.
Here are the rest of the past Kentucky Derby Winners
along with several side notes about some of them:
2002 War Emblem
2001 Monarchos
2000 Fusaichi Pegasus
1999 Charismatic
1998 Real Quiet
1997 Silver Charm
1996 Grindstone
1995 Thunder Gulch
1994 Go For Gin
1993 Sea Hero
1992 Lil E. Tee
1991 Strike The Gold
1990 Unbridled
1989 Sunday Silence
1988 Winning Colors
1987 Alysheba
1986 Ferdinand
1985 Spend A Buck
1984 Swale
1983 Sunny's Halo
1982 Gato Del Sol
1981 Pleasant Colony
1980 Genuine Risk
1979 Spectacular Bid
1978 Affirmed - as a 2 year old, Affirmed won 7 of 9
starts with 2 seconds for earnings of $343,477 under
regular rider Steve Cauthen. This horse was destined for
stardom.
1977 Seattle Slew
1976 Bold Forbes
1975 Foolish Pleasure
1974 Cannonade
1973 Secretariat - the first Triple Crown winner in 25
years at that time, and set still standing track records
in two of the three races in the Series, the Kentucky
Derby (1:59 2/5), and the Belmont Stakes (2:24).
1972 Riva Ridge
1971 Canonero II
1970 Dust Commander
1969 Majestic Prince
1968 Forward Pass I
1967 Proud Clarion
1966 Kauai King
1965 Lucky Debonair
1964 Northern Dancer
1963 Chateaugay
1962 Decidedly
1961 Carry Back
1960 Venetian Way
1959 Tomy Lee
1958 Tim Tam
1957 Iron Leige
1956 Needles
1955 Swaps
1954 Determine
1953 Dark Star
1952 Hill Gail
1951 Count Turf
1950 Middleground
1949 Ponder
1948 Citation
1947 Jet Pilot
1946 Assault
1945 Hoop Jr.
1944 Pensive
1943 Count Fleet
1942 Shut Out
1941 Whirlaway
1940 Gallahadion
1939 Johnstown
1938 Lawrin
1937 War Admiral
1936 Bold Venture
1935 Omaha - Triple Crown winner trained by Jim
Fitzsimmons, the only trainer to train more than one
Triple Crown winner – also trained Gallant Fox in 1930.
1934 Cavalcade
1933 Brokers Tip
1932 Burgoo King
1931 Twenty Grand
1930 Gallant Fox – Triple Crown winner trained by Jim
Fitzsimmons, the only trainer to train more than one
Triple Crown winner – also trained Omaha in 1935. In
1930, Gallant Fox won all three important races, and
sportswriter Charles Hatton brought the phrase "Triple
Crown" into the American lexicon.
1929 Clyde Van Dusen
1928 Reigh Count
1927 Whiskery
1926 Bubbling Over
1925 Flying Ebony
1924 Black Gold
1923 Zev
1922 Morvich
1921 Behave Yourself
1920 Paul Jones
1919 Sir Barton - the first winner of the American
Triple Crown.
1918 Exterminator
1917 Omar Khayham
1916 George Smith
1915 Regret
1914 Old Rosebud
1913 Donerail
1912 WorTD
1911 Meridian
1910 Donau
1909 Wintergreen
1908 Stone Street
1907 Pink Star
1906 Sir Huon
1905 Agile
1904 Elwood
1903 Judge Himes
1902 Alan-a-Dale
1901 His Eminence
1900 Lieut. Gibson
1899 Manuel
1898 Plaudit
1897 Typhoon II
1896 Ben Brush
1895 Halma
1894 Chant
1893 Lookout
1892 Azra
1891 Kingman
1890 Riley
1889 Spokane
1888 Macbeth II
1887 Montrose
1886 Ben Ali
1885 Joe Cotton
1884 Buchanan
1883 Leonatus
1882 Apollo
1881 Hindoo
1880 Fonso
1879 Lord Murphy
1878 Day Star
1877 Baden-Baden
1876 Vagrant
1875 Aristides
April 23rd, 2008 |
