Every sport has its golden moments, and horse racing is no different, it too has the moments that define it. And, if you are a fan of horse racing, then you will probably already know a few of these top moments, and are likely attached to TVG.com for the next big moment.
Moments that make horse racing history are ones that people talk about for years to come after the fact, the moments we enthusiasts remember with great fondness.
We would be fools to say that we could remember absolutely every big moment in history, there are just too many! So many stories of epic victories. So, while we cannot list every great moment in horse racing history, we will go over some of the absolute best moments.
Let’s take a moment and pay homage to some of the best horses out there, true legends of the hoof and track!
1. Triple Crown Win By American Pharaoh
When American Pharaoh took home the Triple Crown it had been a whopping 37 years since any horse had managed to do so. American Pharaoh has won the Kentucky Derby, then the Preakness Stakes, so all eyes were on this epic horse at the Belmont Stakes track.
When the race began, things looked pretty bleak, it didn’t look like American Pharaoh was going to make the Triple Crown, but how wrong everyone was. He picked up the race like a true legend and left his competitors in a cloud of dust and dirt as he powered to the finish.
His win at the Belmont Stakes was the second fastest in recorded history, just behind Secretariat!
2. Mine That Bird Overcame The Odds!
We all remember Mine That Bird’s incredible win. If you have not yet heard the tale, however, looking back at old footage is a must!
The conditions for ‘Mine That Bird’ were awful back in the Kentucky Derby in 2009, rain had poured through the night and the ground was at just the right saturation for getting stuck in the mud (literally).
Mine That Bird had an awful start, however, he found his hooves as quick as he could for a horse in boggy conditions, and soon enough he ended up 6 and ¾ lengths ahead of his competition, all within the time of the last ½ furlong!
His victory would end up going down in the history books as being the fastest win at the Kentucky Derby since Secretariat’s victory in 1973!
3. Breaking Records Like Secretariat
Secretariat was a legend… A name no one is going to forget in horse racing. In ‘73, he was more than ready to break some records, and this is just what he did when he ran the Belmont Stakes.
The course is 1.5 miles long, and this genius fast horse ran it in an absurd 2:24 minutes! This record still stands, no one has beaten it yet!
Of course, the Belmont Stakes is yet to see another horse anything like Secretariat. And while we know we will never see the likes of him again, he did father daughters who then went on to mother some successful racehorses, so his epic lineage continues.
His line ended up being just as powerful on the race track as he was!
4. The Clash Of Grundy And Bustino
Grundy and Bustino have to qualify as being one of the most epic clashes of horse racing titans. They hit the track only four years after the Steven Speilburg masterpiece, ‘Duel’, was released.
Out of the gate no one knew whether Bustino or Grundy would take the win, both were furious monsters who battled it out for dominance. Neither of them being far enough ahead to guarantee a victory until finally, Grundy got an edge.
Grundy secured the win and put his name into history in a flash, but their titanic clash has them both remembered as legends today.
5. Inching Past Crisp Like Red Rum
Red Rum is one of the most notorious and famous horses of all time. Of course, he had managed an epic list of victories in his time, however, none have been quite as awesome as his win at the Grand National back in 1973.
Crisp was to dominate this race, and, if we are honest, he had been ahead for most of the time, at 20 length ahead, everyone was certain he would take the win.
However, Red Rum was having none of it, and hooves firmly on the ground, and eyes on the prize, he stormed ahead, inching past Crisp right when the race ended.
Red Rum claimed his victory with a measly quarter of a length, but won nonetheless. The duo had everyone on the edge of their seats at the end of the face. Talk about tense!
6. A Telescope For Shergar
One of the most famous bits of horse racing commentary that ever came was in ‘81 when Shergar raced at Epsom.
Shergar was favorite for the Derby win of course, it is Shergar after all.
However, no one could have guessed just how decisive this would end up being. He opened up his lead, and the commentator Peter Bromley claimed that you’d have needed a telescope to have seen the other horses.
Shergar’s lead was so incredible, Bromley did have a point. He left them in his dust and just… took off. And yes, Shergar did certainly win.
7. Kauto Star’s Crown
Back in ‘08, Kauto Star was set back… rather embarrassingly, losing to another named Denman by 7 lengths!
His loss was jarring as he was a favorite to win, but, it didn’t end there. Then, in ‘09 it was all hooves on track, and Kauto Star definitely had a score to settle, he wanted his crown back.
And, he got it!
Kauto Star absolutely decimated Denman by a painful 13 lengths, winning his title back and becoming the first ever horse to do this. A pretty impressive feat, and we can’t blame him for being a little salty!