This list of leading Thoroughbred racehorses contains the names of undefeated racehorses and other horses that had an outstanding race record in specific categories. Note though that many champions do not appear on the list as an unexpected defeat may be caused by many factors such as injury, illness, going, racing tactics and differences in weight carried, the latter being particularly significant in North America and Australia where handicaps are common even at the highest level of racing. It is common to compare racehorses on multiple factors such as their overall race record, the quality of the horses they beat and the brilliance of their wins. Comparison of raw times is generally unreliable between horses of different eras or even over different racecourses due to a variety of factors such as the racing surface and the pace at which the race is run. Timeform ratings, introduced in 1948, and Beyer Speed Figures, introduced in the United States in 1992, are relatively recent attempts to compensate for such variables. Thoroughbred Winning Brew holds the Guinness world record for the fastest speed from the starting gate for a Thoroughbred racehorse, at 70.76 km/h (43.97 mph) over two furlongs, although Quarter Horses attain higher speeds over shorter distances than Thoroughbreds. Such speeds may also be achieved by elite racehorses during the stretch drive. The two main forms of Thoroughbred horseracing are flat racing and hurdle or steeplechase (jumping) races over obstacles. Jumpers tend to be older than their flat racing counterparts and can have much longer careers, making it possible to earn a large number of wins. For example, champion hurdler Hurricane Fly won a then-record 22 Grade One races over his ten-year career. Most race horses and race winners are male horses (either intact males or geldings). While male and female horses do not exhibit sexual dimorphism as obviously as human athletes, male horses are considered more aggressive racers and generally have a significant competitive advantage. At the highest level of racing though, intact males have great economic value at stud, so they are often retired after only a few years of racing. In part because they may have longer racing careers, some of the most winning racehorses of all time are females, including Kincsem, Black Caviar, Winx, and Zenyatta.
Undefeated horses Below is a list of Thoroughbred racehorses with an undefeated race record. The list is not comprehensive for otherwise unnotable horses with five or fewer starts.
*Although Justify finished first in all his races, in 2024 he was officially disqualified from his win in the 2018 Santa Anita Derby, making his official record no longer undefeated. A pending appeal contesting this disqualification was filed in April 2024. Federico Tesio bred several undefeated champions including Nearco, Ribot, Braque, and Cavaliere d'Arpino, whom he considered the best horse that he ever bred.
Undefeated horses without five known starts Nordlicht (chestnut horse 1941–1968, by Oleander x Nereide, by Laland) was also undefeated after an unknown number of starts. His victories included the Deutsches Derby and Austrian Derby. Middleton and Amato had one start each with both of them winning The Derby and then retiring. Cherimoya did likewise when she won The Oaks in her only start. Morston (colt by Ragusa x Windmill Girl by Hornbeam) had two starts, winning both, the second of which was the 1973 Epsom Derby. Sailor won both his races, including the 1820 Epsom Derby. Suspender had three starts, in smaller races, for three wins. Don Juan by Loyalist, Ball's Florizel (1801), Mirza by the Godolphin Arabian, and Lecturer (1869), were also unbeaten, but the number of their wins is unknown.
Most wins
There have been only 7 horses to win over 100 races, all of them coming from Puerto Rico in restricted racing. The all-time record, recognized by Guinness World Records, is held by Chorisbar who won 197 times over the course of 324 career starts. Condado, a chestnut horse who raced in Puerto Rico from 1936 to 1943, won a grand total of 152 times Galgo Jr. earned 137 wins in 159 starts from 1930 to 1936. Cofresi won 119 races, racing at around the same time as Condado. In the United States, Kingston (by Spendthrift) had 138 starts and won 89 of these, including 30 stakes-races. According to the American Horse Racing Hall of Fame, his 89 wins set the all-time record. Commencing a winning sequence as a four-year-old on 21 August 1888, Kingston had 35 race starts until 30 May 1891 during which he was defeated only twice. Bankrupt won 86 races from 348 starts, and he was also by Spendthrift. Tippety Witchet (1915, by Broomstick) started 266 times for 78 wins. Pan Zareta started 151 times with 76 wins and is considered to be the "winningest female Thoroughbred in American history". Catherina (1830, by Whisker) started in 176 races and won 79 of them, many over long distances, including the Manchester Cup, Tradesmen's Cup, and Heaton Park's King's Cup. Many of Catherina's races were heat races, and she therefore actually faced the starter 298 times and was the first past the finish line 136 times, including two disqualifications, one walkover, and two dead-heats.
197 – Chorisbar (PR) 160 – Yaucono 152 – Condado (PR) 137 – Galgo Jr (PR) 132 – Lenoxbar 119 – Cofresi 100 – Tite 89 – Kingston (USA) 86 – Bankrupt 79 – Catherina (GB) (136 heats), Bachiller (PR) 78 – Tippity Witchet (USA), Cocoliso (PR) 76 – Pan Zareta (USA) 73 – Camarero (PR) 70 – Fisherman (GB), Raceland (USA) 65 – Jorrocks, Ritmo Criollo 63 – Vuelve Candy B. (PR) 62 – Imp (USA), Seth's Hope
Successive victories
The horses who were defeated but had ten or more consecutive race wins include
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