Affirmed   "And Affirmed puts his nose in front... It's Affirmed!" With those words track announcer Chick Anderson hailed the 11th American Triple Crown Winner as the gallant colt reached down for all his reserves, to outfinish his rival, Calumet Farm's Alydar. Finally, this hearty competitor would receive the accolades and rewards of greatness that he so richly deserved.

Alydar   Affirmed outdueled Alydar each time to win the Triple Crown, and the two will be forever linked for giving racing fans one of the greatest rivalries the sport has ever seen. *

Alysheba   This champion son of Alydar became America's sweetheart in '87 when he took the first two legs of the Triple Crown. He was even better at 4, setting 2 track records and retiring as N.A.'s leading money earner. *

Assault   Assault's first act of note was to spear his right front foot on a surveyor's stake, inflicting an injury which never gave him trouble at full flight, but resulted in an odd limp when he walked. This earned him several nicknames, including "cripple" and "club foot". But when he ran, he was magnificent, and the new nickname became "the club-footed comet".

Awesome Again   He wasn't in the limelight long enough to give rise to much criticism, nor garner many accolades. Instead, he was an aberration. An aberration that defeated the most talent laden Breeders' Cup Classic field ever assembled, and in doing so completed a perfect season in relative anonymity. Awesome Again, for certain, a champion uncrowned.

Black Gold   The Kentucky Derby winner of 1924 was inexplicably brought back to race at 6 and 7, all off the board efforts, until he finally saw his life end on the track. *

Bold Forbes   He didn't show much speed or promise as a two-year-old. He didn't work well in the mornings, and when he went to post for the first time, no one in his stable even bet a dime on him. However, what no one knew was that Bo had the heart and competitive fire of a champion.

Buckpasser   Years before the name Secretariat would paint a portrait of perfection in the minds of horsemen worldwide, there was a great bay powerhouse who set the standard in Thoroughbred conformation by which even the immortal Secretariat would one day be judged: Buckpasser, the legendary super-son of the almighty Handicap Champion Tom Fool.

Cicada   Beauty enters the world in a variety of ways, and various are the ways we express our appreciation of that beauty. Anyone who saw Cicada race would agree that they had witnessed beauty, however they might describe it.

Cigar   "Cigar and Dramatic Gold making runs together... they run to the front as they turn for home," calls track announcer Michael Wrona. "Dramatic Gold is running a mighty race on the inside... but Cigar seems to have his measure... He's starting to stretch away now! Cigar is an unstoppable dynamo! The crowd rises to a champion... 16 in succession as Cigar assumes the crown of immortality!"

Citation   Many fans of racing rank Citation among the all-time best; most agree he belongs on the same plane as the mighty Man o'War; some even claim he was the superior animal. Citation, or "Big Cy", the 1948 Triple Crown winner.

Colin   In a time long before the first Eclipse Award, in the days when legends were defined by seemingly mythical horses which no others could beat, a great hero was born. From a remarkable sire line of both great repute and equally ill fate, the phenomenal colt, Colin, blazed through two undefeated racing seasons on the track to leave spectators and subsequent fans in awe for nearly a century after he was gone. Colin has left not only a distinct mark on the bloodlines of current generations of racehorses, but on the hearts of Thoroughbred lovers today.

Count Fleet   He won ten of fifteen starts as a 2-year-old, and the racing public was already talking Triple Crown after he was assigned 132 pounds in the Experimental Handicap ratings. Further compliments were added as he was labelled the "clear successor to Man o'War." Count Fleet lived up to the honour, going undefeated and winning the Triple Crown at three.

Cryptoclearance   He has it all - an outstanding race record and production record at stud, dashing good looks, great pedigree, raced long and retired sound. With so much going for him, there are certainly more champions yet to come which will represent him with honor.

Da Hoss   It was the highlight of not only the small gelding's career but also for his connections when Da Hoss gave all his heart to overcome all by winning the 1998 Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) after just one race in two years.

Desert Stormer   Blood pounded in her ears. Flying mud, flashing hooves, the clamoring crowd, all came together in a blur. Head and head she ran with Mr. Greeley; he looked her in the eye, challenging her courage and her desire. But she was up for the battle and as they dueled passed the eighth pole, the crowd rose to cheer them on.

Domino   Domino was an amazing phenomenon in the annals of American thoroughbred breeding. He exists in the pedigrees of perhaps half of the recent stakes winners in this country, yet that he appears in any is a miracle.

Dr. Fager   A product of Tartan Stable, Dr. Fager raced 22 times in his career, and along the way established himself as one of the greatest Thoroughbreds that ever lived. Many champions reside in the Racing Hall of Fame, but there are a select few for whom a case can be made that they were the greatest of all time. Dr. Fager belongs in that special group just as assuredly as Man o' War and Secretariat.

Duke of Magenta   He may be the best horse you never heard of. His owner was one of the dominant figures of his time. His Hall-of-Fame trainer bears a name respected by horsemen everywhere, and still holds the record for winning more renewals of a triple crown race than any other trainer in history. His Hall-of-Fame sire was America's leading sire for an unprecedented 16 seasons; of all that stallion's successful progeny, none enjoyed greater success on the racetrack than he, and yet today his name is unknown to many.

Easy Goer   The '86 Juvenile Champion had another championship year in '87 except that he ran into the almost-black Sunday Silence, and the two provided one of the best rivalries in racing history. *

Endurance by Right   The famed handicapper and critic Walter S. Vosburgh wrote: "If ability to concede great weight and a beating to contemporaries is the measure of pre-eminence, Endurance By Right is the greatest two-year-old filly that has appeared within the past fifty years."

Equipoise   The "Chocolate Soldier" won 29 of 51 in six years of racing and was a three-time champion including Horse of the Year twice. *

Exterminator   During the era of Man o' War was another great, Exterminator, a grand gelding with an incredible record. He ran 100 times from ages 2 through 9, winning 50 and on the board 84 times, all the whole carrying great weights. *

Forego   One of the last of the "old guard" racehorses - the gelding warriors that seem to get better with age. The weight-carriers. Forego was a member of an elite and highly respected group which included Roseben, Exterminator, Phar Lap, Kelso, John Henry, and a handful of others.

Fourstardave   He's not a great in the traditional sense of the term. He never won the Triple Crown; he never won a Breeders' Cup race; he never even won a grade one stakes. But Fourstardave, "The Sultan of Saratoga," became a racing legend nonetheless.

Gallant Fox   "The Fox of Belair," winner of the 1930 Triple Crown. The Preakness was the first of the three classics that year, and was the first year a classic was started from the modern day starting gate.

Genuine Risk   A fan favorite, Genuine Risk is one of just a few fillies to win the Kentucky Derby, and the only to contest all three legs of the Triple Crown, finishing 2nd in the other two classics. *

Gloaming   A horse who deserves a better fate than anonymity is an Australian-bred gelding named Gloaming. At a time when Americans were celebrating the exploits of Man o'War and Exterminator, Australian and New Zealand race fans were going crazy for Gloaming.

Go for Wand   This Christiana filly is thought by many as one of the best fillies to have ever graced American racing. Winner of 10 of 13 starts, she lost her life in her duel with older mare champion Bayakoa in the Breeders' Cup Distaff. *

Hindoo   Born a leggy, weak-flanked foal, Hindoo hardly looked like a horse of destiny, but at three he launched into one of the most remarkable series of victories in Turf history. His eighteen consecutive wins are still remembered to this day as a phenomenal accomplishment.

John Henry   Of all the Cinderella stories that horse racing has inspired in its hundreds of years of history, there has never been one like quite like the tale of the knock-kneed, nasty-tempered gelding named John Henry.

Kelso   One of the more colorful stories is that of 5-time Horse of the Year Kelso, a horse who would've never been born if not for the efforts of fans to save his broken-down daddy, and a horse with a most nasty disposition who'd be embraced and adored by his owner and the public.

Kincsem   The greatest racehorse of all time must be, without a doubt, this Hungarian filly. Over the course of four full seasons, from ages 2 - 5, she faced the best that all of Europe had to offer, and emerged victorious in all 54 of her races.

Lady's Secret   This grey daughter of Secretariat won or placed in 15 of 17 starts at three, but saw an even better year at 4, winning 10 of 15, including a win over males in the Whitney resulting in being one of the handful of females crowned Horse of the Year. *

Lexington   Starting in 1861, Lexington was America's Leading Sire for 16 years, and 14 of those titles were in succession. This record has never been matched by any modern American sire.

Majestic Prince   The star of 1969 was this son of Raise a Native, an undefeated colt heavily favored for the Triple Crown. He won the Derby and then the Preakness, but raced injured in the Belmont over the protest of his trainer. He lost that race and it ended his career. *

Man o' War   There is very little one can say about Man o'War which has not already been said, but it would be unconscionable to remain silent in regards to the most beloved figure in American racing history.

Meadow Star   1990 is a year that many racing fans would like to forget, with the loss of top stallions Fappiano, The Minstrel, Alydar, and Northern Dancer plus a tragic Breeders' Cup day made for a dark, bleak autumn. However, sandwiched in the middle of tragedy a bright spot gleamed quietly. Her name was Meadow Star.

Miesque   Winner of the Breeders' Cup Mile in both 1987 and 1988 with winning times rivaling some of the fastest in the history of the race, this mare held multiple Championships in France, England, and America, and in 1987, she was voted for Championships in all three countries in a single season.

Mill Reef   This Rokeby colt was one of the greatest contemporaries ever trained in Britain, winning the Derby, Eclipse and King George, and crowning his career with a scintillating three-length victory in the Arc de Triomphe in record time.

Mumtaz Mahal   Her blood is everywhere. Without her, the American racehorse would be decidedly different. There would be no Seattle Slew, no Affirmed, no Alydar, no Northern Dancer, and no Secretariat. The racing world and those of us who call ourselves fans, owe her a big debt of gratitude. She was, and remains, the Goddess of Speed.

Musket   Exported to far side of the earth on the assumption of unsoundness, the Musket line has been noted for soundness and sturdiness, and for its freedom from bleeding, roaring, and other lung afflictions, traits free from the very things for which breeders first avoided him -- and for which his owner would have shot him.

Native Dancer   The "Gray Ghost of Sagamore," winner of 21 of his 22 starts, beaten only once to the wire by Dark Star in the 1953 Kentucky Derby. But for that race, he would have been a Triple Crown winner.

Native Diver   This fiery tempered Californian speedball was a fan favorite for good reason, racing through age 8, winning the Hollywood Gold Cup three times, and becoming the first CA-bred to win a million dollars in purses. *

Needles   The 1955 Champion 2-year-old was a sickly youngster and was named for having received so many needles in his treatment. At 3, he won the Flamingo and Florida Derby on the way to winning two-thirds of the Triple Crown. *

Northern Dancer   A small bay with three white stockings and a crooked blaze, he was the first foal of the Native Dancer mare, Natalma. From the first crop of the farm's new stallion, Nearctic, no one could've been expected to see the magic in this mating.

Omaha   He didn't look like a champion in the making at age two, but not only did he become America's 3rd Triple Crown winner, and the only Triple Crown winner to ship overseas to win big races in Europe.

Pan Zareta   Before Bayakoa, before Ruffian, before Twilight Tear and Top Flight, there was a fabulous mare, a Texas-bred, who raced on the American dirt, and there's rarely been one so good since.

Personal Ensign   Perfect sums up few horses -- one was a filly who lives in racing and Breeders' Cup lore: Personal Ensign. Mention her name to someone who followed her through her perfect 13 for 13 racing career and one particular race immediately jumps to mind, the Breeders' Cup Distaff at Churchill Downs in 1988, when she became the first horse in 80 years to retire undefeated.

Polynesian   If overcoming adversity is the sign of greatness, then Polynesian was certainly as great a horse as there has ever been. In addition to physical problems, he also had to deal with Armed and Stymie.

Preakness   At age 8, and certainly at his best, he won two of his finest races - The Baltimore Cup, under 131 pounds, and a scintillating dead-heat with Springbok in the Saratoga Cup. In the latter, the pair set a new American record for the 2 1/4 mile distance which stood for 20 years.

Princequillo   Princequillo was born in Ireland, but was sent to America as a weanling because of the war in Europe. He arrived at his new home looking a most pathetic and skinny runt, but some generous attention turned him into a strong and gorgeous physical specimen who'd go on to be an influential sire.

Regret   This filly of 1912 never feared taking on the colts, beating them at 2 in the Saratoga Special, Sanford and Hopeful Stakes, then beating them in the Kentucky Derby, the first filly to win the race. *

Roseben   Roseben was known to all as "The Big Train", so named because of his size (an inch short of 18 hands), and his ability to carry a great load of freight. He was the greatest sprinter of his time, and many will argue that there have been none to equal him since.

Round Table   Leon Rasmussen of The Thoroughbred Record wrote, "When it comes to this grass course context, Round Table is a Man o' War, the one to which all other horses must be compared." That statement is still true these decades later.

Ruffian   Until her tragic end, Ruffian wasn't only unbeaten, she was also never headed. She set a new stakes record in each of the eight stakes races which she won. She raced successfully from 5 1/2 furlongs to 1 1/2 miles with an average winning margin of 8 1/3 lengths. She is buried near the flagpole at her home track of Belmont Park - the site of her first race where she blazed boldly onto the racing scene, and the site of her final race where a hundred thousand eyes watched her brilliant flame flicker out.

Seabiscuit   When the lives of a failed prize fighter, an aging horsebreaker and a bicycle repairman-turned overnight millionaire converged around a battered racehorse named Seabiscuit, the result captivated the nation and transcended their sport.

Seattle Slew   Other colts have gone into the Triple Crown series having not yet lost a race, but only Seattle Slew has emerged undefeated with the Triple Crown title. Once an ugly duckling who was sold for a pittance, he proved his excellence not only on the track but also in the breeding shed. Note: Also see Silver Charm for more on Seattle Slew.

Secretariat   Chick Anderson, who called the '73 Belmont, spoke the now immortal words "...but Secretariat is moving like a tremendous machine...!" Secretariat's world record Belmont is perhaps the greatest single performance ever, and this race along with other extraordinary performances secure his place as the most popular racehorse of all time.

Silverbulletday   One of the greatest fillies of all time ended her career with 23 starts, 15 wins, 3 seconds, and 1 third, and earnings of $3,093,207. For the filly of rather modest beginnings and thought to be "only a sprinter", her record was anything but modest.

Sir Barton   The 1919 Triple Crown hero never received any glory for the task, being born long before that title was first applied to the three races in 1936. The Derby was his maiden win, but he went on to prove his win was not an aberration.

Skip Away   In the spring of '98, trainer Sonny Hine issued this challenge: Here is Skip Away's schedule for the year - come get him if you can. Hine was still stinging from not winning the 1997 Horse of the Year title, an award that was hotly-contested and eventually bestowed on the 2-yr-old colt, Favorite Trick. Hine was determined that his horse win the award in '98, and the strategy paid off.

Silver Charm   He won the Derby by a stubborn head then the Preakness in one of the most stirring stretch duels of recent memory. When he went on to the Belmont Stakes, the world waited in awe of his determination and in certainty of his place in history.

Spectacular Bid   The gavel fell at $37,000 - Harry & Teresa Meyerhoff were now the owners of the steel grey yearling in the auction ring. They called their new colt Spectacular Bid, a name which would surely seem prophetic just a short year later.

Sunday Silence   Winner of two-thirds of the '89 Triple Crown and the Breeders' Cup Classic, Sunday Silence was still regarded with less esteem than his arch-rival Easy Goer. He was sent to Japan for breeding duties and his achievements there have been even more breathtaking. *

Swaps   The 1956 Horse of the Year, Swaps set 9 World, American, Track or Course records and tied one other, yet he remains underappreciated because he raced almost solely in California. *

Sysonby   This foal of 1902 had but a short time to prove himself, dying in 1906 of a blood disease, but was almost perfect in his attempt, winning 14 of 15. *

Tagor   It isn’t a secret that among the horses who lacked big success on the turf, one can find great sires. One such horse is Tagor, a sire of sires in USSR, much like Northern Dancer has been for American and the European countries.

Ta Wee   A full sister to another champion, Dr. Fager, Ta Wee made her own success in the sprinting division, winning the sprint title twice while carrying great weights. *

Tom Fool   Hall of Fame jockey Ted Atkinson, who rode many of Thoroughbred history's greatest horses, considered Tom Fool to have been the best mount of his career.

War Admiral   This colt took the Triple Crown with a win in the Belmont Stakes which has since been won in quicker times and by far larger margins, but none with more class. The courageous colt has severely injured himself in the race, shearing off a good section of hoof and returning bloodied.

Whirlaway   Trainer Ben Jones had his hands full with this future Triple Crown winner. In his debut race at age 2, he ran straight to the outside rail and followed it all the way around the track - and still won. In the Saratoga Special, he nearly fell at the start, thus spotting his rivals many lengths. He was still trailing the field when he bore out on the final turn, and followed the outside rail, close to the crowd, all the way up the homestretch to what was an unbelievable victory.

Winning Colors   In 1988, this big grey filly took on and beat the boys in the Santa Anita Derby, convincing her connections that she should try the Kentucky Derby. She did, and became just the 3rd filly to win the coveted race. *

Zev   The winner of the 1923 Kentucky Derby, Zev's most famous race was a match pitting America's Derby winner against the English Derby winner, Papyrus. Zev won the race and was retired the leading money earner of the time. *

* denotes only stats, with biography still to be added.