# Who is the greatest Kentucky Derby winning horse of all time?

> The Run for the Roses has crowned some of history's most legendary racehorses. From Triple Crown winners to shocking longshots, which Kentucky Derby champion stands above the rest?

*By YPB Team · Published April 26, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/who-is-the-greatest-kentucky-derby-winning-horse-of-all-time*

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## Current results (0 votes)

1. **Secretariat**
   The 1973 Triple Crown winner who set a still-standing Derby record time of 1:59.4, winning by 31 lengths.
2. **Seattle Slew**
   The 1977 Triple Crown winner who remains the only horse to win the Triple Crown while undefeated going in.
3. **Affirmed**
   The 1978 Triple Crown winner who fought one of racing's greatest rivalries against Alydar in all three classics.
4. **American Pharoah**
   The 2015 Triple Crown winner who ended a 37-year drought to become racing's most beloved modern champion.
5. **Justify**
   The 2018 Triple Crown winner who became the first undefeated Triple Crown winner since Seattle Slew.
6. **Northern Dancer**
   The 1964 Derby winner who set a near-record time and became the most influential sire in thoroughbred history.
7. **Sir Barton**
   The 1919 winner who became the very first Triple Crown champion, establishing the three-race tradition.
8. **Whirlaway**
   The 1941 Triple Crown winner who won the Derby in record time, famous for his sweeping turns wide.
9. **Gallant Fox**
   The 1930 winner who became the second Triple Crown champion under legendary trainer Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons.
10. **Spectacular Bid**
   The 1979 Derby winner who won 26 of 30 career starts and is considered one of the greatest racehorses who narrowly missed the Triple Crown.
11. **Genuine Risk**
   The 1980 winner who was only the second filly in Derby history to win, triumphing at 13-1 odds.
12. **Rich Strike**
   The 2022 longshot winner who pulled off the second-biggest upset in Derby history at 80-1 odds.
13. **Sunday Silence**
   The 1989 Derby winner who won the first two legs of the Triple Crown in a legendary rivalry with Easy Goer.
14. **Mystik Dan**
   The 2024 Derby winner who won by a nose in one of the closest finishes in race history at 18-1 odds.

Tags: sports, horse-racing