1. MAN O’ WAR

Bred by August Belmont II and campaigned by Samuel D. Riddle, Man o’ War won 20 of his 21 starts while racing in 1919 and 1920. His victories included the Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes, and Travers Stakes. His record time in the 1920 Travers stood as the stakes standard for 42 years. Man o’ War carried 130 pounds or more nine times, including 138 in one race. The lone blemish on his record was the controversial 1919 Sanford Memorial Stakes at Saratoga. Man o’ War was beaten a half-length by Upset, but it was widely reported the defeat was the result of Man o’ War facing the wrong direction when the starter dropped the webbing to begin the race (prior to the starting gate). He was greatly compromised and came up just short at the finish despite a heroic effort. The BloodHorse and the Associated Press both ranked Man o’ War as the No. 1 horse of the 20th century and Sports Illustrated named him the greatest horse of all time in 1992. He set three world records, two American records, and seven track records.

2. SECRETARIAT

Fifty years after he won the Triple Crown with record-setting performances in each of the races, Secretariat still holds the fastest times in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes. His 31-length victory in the 1973 Belmont Stakes is among the finest achievements in sports history. His Belmont time of 2:24 for 1½ miles on dirt set a world record. Secretariat was a cultural phenomenon, appearing on the covers of both Time and Newsweek prior to winning the Triple Crown. Named Horse of the Year in 1972 and 1973, Secretariat won 16 of his 21 career starts.

3. CITATION

When he became America’s eighth Triple Crown winner in 1948, Calumet Farm’s Citation enjoyed perhaps the most impressive single year of a racehorse in history, winning 19 of 20 starts, including 16 in a row. He won at nine different tracks that year at distances ranging from six to 16 furlongs and set a single-year earnings record of $709,470. Citation later became the first racehorse to earn $1 million. Overall, he won 32 races and finished worse than third only once in 45 career starts.

4. KELSO

Kelso did things on the racetrack that aren’t even imaginable in today’s era. Voted Horse of the Year five consecutive times (1960 through 1964), he set or equaled eight track records and set three American records during his career. A small dark bay gelding, Kelso won the prestigious Jockey Club Gold Cup in each of his Horse of the Year campaigns. He also won the Woodward three consecutive years (1961 through 1963) and won three editions of the Whitney at Saratoga (1961, 1963, 1965). Kelso carried 130 or more pounds 24 times, winning 13 of those races. Overall, he won 39 of his 63 races and earned $1,977,896.

5. NATIVE DANCER

The “Gray Ghost” came up only a head short of perfection in his remarkable career. Alfred Vanderbilt’s imposing colt lost the 1953 Kentucky Derby by a head, but he won every one of his other 21 starts and became racing’s first TV superstar. After winning all nine of his starts as a 2-yearold in 1952, Native Dancer won the Preakness, Belmont, Arlington Classic, Travers, and American Derby, among others, as a sophomore. He was Horse of the Year in 1954 when he won the Metropolitan Handicap. He carried 137 pounds to victory in his final start. Native Dancer was undefeated in six starts at Saratoga.