# Which horse gave the best performance in Preakness Stakes history?

> Triple Crown legends, historic upsets, and a stunning comeback to a new home venue — one and three-sixteenths miles of unforgettable thoroughbred drama. Who gave the greatest Preakness performance?

*By YPB Team · Published May 17, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/which-horse-gave-the-best-performance-in-preakness-stakes-history*

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## Current results (0 votes)

1. **Secretariat (1973)**
   Set the all-time Preakness record time of 1:53.00, winning by 2½ lengths on the way to the Triple Crown in one of the most breathtaking displays of pure speed in racing history.
2. **American Pharoah (2015)**
   The first Triple Crown winner in 37 years delivered a dominant Preakness performance, surging away from the field to set up his historic run at Belmont Park.
3. **Man o' War (1920)**
   The legendary horse many experts still consider the best ever sauntered home in his Preakness debut as a seasonal opener, barely breaking a sweat against overmatched rivals.
4. **Justify (2018)**
   The unbeaten Triple Crown winner powered through a muddy track at Pimlico to extend his perfect record, becoming only the second undefeated Triple Crown champion in history.
5. **Afleet Alex (2005)**
   Stumbled violently after contact mid-race, seemingly ending his chances, yet recovered to win by five lengths in one of the most dramatic and courageous displays in Preakness history.
6. **Sunday Silence (1989)**
   Edged Easy Goer by a nose in a breathtaking stretch duel between the two greatest horses of their era, in what many rate as the most exciting Preakness finish ever run.
7. **Rachel Alexandra (2009)**
   The only filly to win the modern Preakness Stakes, Rachel Alexandra defeated the Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird by one length in a performance that transcended gender expectations.
8. **Seattle Slew (1977)**
   The undefeated Triple Crown champion put the Preakness field away emphatically, his effortless superiority on route to becoming the only unbeaten horse ever to win the Triple Crown.
9. **Napoleon Solo (2026)**
   The 2026 Preakness winner who held off Iron Honor by 1¼ lengths at Laurel Park in the race's historic new home, bringing fresh excitement to a storied race with an emphatic victory.
10. **Curlin (2007)**
   The powerfully built eventual Horse of the Year who won the 2007 Preakness as a relative newcomer and went on to become one of the greatest earners in American thoroughbred history.

Tags: sports, historical, racing