Best Remembered Derbies Overview
Ten Top Kentucky Runs to the Roses Rated by Horseracings' Best
The Blood-Horse magazine conducted its poll vote for the Ten Best Kentucky Derbies ever run and came up with a few surprises. Big Red, Secretariat, easily copped No. 1.
An overview of The Blood-Horse magazine's choices for Top Ten Best Kentucky Derbies ever run shows some obvious picks, and a number of surprises. From Argentina's unknowns to America's hottest jockey of the 1950s, the Ten Best entertain an audience and crystalize the moment in time.
Of the Ten Best, Secretariat's 1973 effort stands out as No. 1 because what Big Red did still remains the highest standard in Thoroughbred racing. Who could argue with each quarter mile run faster than the one before it? Such a performance doesn't happen -- ever. It didn't happen before Big Red, and it hasn't happened since. His fractions for the 1-1/4 miles of the Kentucky Derby are legendary.
The big red bold son of Bold Ruler will always hold a special place in the hearts of Derby fans.
No. 2 -- Canonero II -- 1971: The astounding thing about Canonero's Derby was the very improbability that it would ever take place. A host of illnesses and injuries plagued the Argentine runner. He overcame most everything to win two of the three American classics. (He was named "II" because an American horse also bore the name Canonero.)
No. 3 -- Iron Liege -- 1957: On Gallant Man and in the lead coming to the wire, veteran jockey Bill Shoemaker misjudged the finish line, briefly stood in the stirrups thinking he had won, and promptly lost to Iron Liege and Bill Hartack, who edged past on the inside. There were many apologies.
No. 4 -- Affirmed -- 1978: This wasn't the closest win the eventual Triple Crown champion ever had over his long-time rival, Alydar, but it started the triple series race fever that every track fan caught in 1978. Everyone suspected the three classics would be 1-2, Affirmed and Alydar, but many disagreed on the finishing order.
No. 5 -- Citation -- 1948: Citation and Eddie Arcaro were a blockbuster combination, a form of poetry in motion, and a mighty fortress at the same time. The horse was an unstoppable competitor; the jockey was an unbendable man of oak and iron. Arcaro always said Citation was the best he ever rode.
No. 6 -- Broker's Tip -- 1933: It wasn't about the horses this year near as much as it was about the two jockeys that literally fought it out through the Derby stretch. There were consequences none of the parties involved could ever make right.
No. 7 -- Black Gold -- 1924: What happened in this Derby was mystical.
No. 8 -- Regret -- 1915: Way back in history, a filly won the Derby for the first time. Only two other females have won the classic since then. As in human sports, females aren't as strong as the boys, or as gifted in agility, or as motivated...most of the time.
No. 9 -- Alysheba -- 1987: How far down can a thousand pounds of running, charging fury fall and still balance out to run some more, or even to win? (Ala, Afleet Alex in the 2005 Preakness Stakes.) Why do some miss a step and break bones, while others survive an almost total fall with no ill affect and continue to race, getting first to the finish line when all reasonable hope had gone? The agile son of Alydar did the impossible.
No. 10 -- Whirlaway -- 1941: Born to run, Whirlaway is the fourth individual in this list who became a Triple Crown champion after his Derby win. Triplers are tenacious, all out runners with courage, stamina, and speed. They fight off competitors as needed, and they run like the wind because they were meant to. All the man-training in the world doesn't teach a horse to run; it merely directs his energy toward finish lines. Before Citation, Arcaro rode Whirlaway, the ill-tempered Mr. Longtail who ran for the pure love of it.
