Greatest Racehorses Ever, Part 3: The greatest racehorses of the 21st Century

After our history of great racehorses, including some of the greatest racehorses ever. Here’s our guide to the greatest racehorses of the 21st Century (so far)!

This is the third part in our history of the greatest racehorses ever. Read Part 1 and Part 2.

Horseracing in the 21st century has been a paradise for those who bet on sports online, with race streams available on the internet, and many websites with tips and information on form of horses. With increased professionalism, and developments in sports science, the competition for the greatest horses of the 21st Century is fierce. Here are those who’ve made the cut: 

Makybe Diva (1999- ):
The greatest racehorse in Australian history

Despite being British, Makybe Diva became the highest earning racehorse in Australian racing, retiring with winnings of higher than 14 million AUD. The Melbourne Cup is known as the “race that stops the nation”, and is the most prestigious horserace in the Southern Hemisphere. Makybe Diva made Australian gambling news as the only ever three-time winner, triumphing in 2003, 2004, and 2005.

Sea the Stars (2006- ):
The greatest ever three-year-old season?

When Sea the Stars was three-years-old, he won the 2000 Guineas, the Epsom Derby, the Eclipse Stakes, the International Stakes, the Irish Champion Stakes, and (to top it all off) the Prix de l’Arc de Triumph. Basically, he won it all, and in style. No horse had won all these before. He retired days after his sensational triumph in France, and was one of the most sought-after studs in a generation.

Zenyatta (2006- ):
Unbeaten great… till her last ever race

19 races in a row. Then came the 20th, where sportsbooks in the US had her as an even-money favourite. However, most of her triumphs – where she was famous for impressive comebacks – had been on synthetic tracks in California. Her final race was on muddy conditions in Kentucky. She had never faced a field of male horses on mud on before, so perhaps her second places finish (inches behind the winner) was to be expected. Still, it was a tragic end to a career that had established as one of the greatest horses of the 21st century.

Frankel (2008- ):
The greatest racehorse in British history

Zenyatta shares the record for consecutive group 1 races won, nine, with Frankel. Frankel only raced 14 times, but won each. He specialized in the distance of a mile, so never even attempted the required races for a triple crown, but the World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings still list him as the highest scoring racehorse since rankings were introduced in 1977. His win in the 2000 Guineas was described, by the Guardian, as “one of the greatest performances seen on a British racecourse.”

American Pharaoh (2012- ):
Horseracing’s “Grand Slam Champ”

American Pharaoh won the Triple Crown in 2015, after the achievement had gone unclaimed for 37 years. This would be enough to be considered one of the greatest racehorses of the 21st Century, but by also winning the Breeders Cup he won horseracing’s “Grand Slam”. He didn’t go unbeaten though, coming second in the Traverse Stakes in his penultimate race. He was retired at the end of 2015, and now is raking in incredible sums as a stud, with reports that his stud fee has initially been set at $200,000.