Honestly, walking into Churchill Downs on a Saturday in May is like stepping into a time machine that only moves at 40 miles per hour. Everyone talks about the hats and the bourbon, but the real soul of the place is etched into the kentucky derby winners list. It’s a list that stretches back to 1875, long before the world had cars or even sliced bread.
Looking at the names, you see a weird mix of royalty and absolute randomness. You’ve got Secretariat, a name so legendary it basically breathes fire. Then you’ve got Sovereignty, the 2025 winner who just recently pulled off a massive 9-1 upset on a track that was essentially a giant chocolate milkshake.
People think they know the Derby. They think it's always the favorite winning. Actually, that’s not even close to being true.
The Kentucky Derby Winners List: A Century of Surprises
The list isn't just a spreadsheet of fast horses. It’s a ledger of heartbreak and literal "rags to riches" stories. Take Rich Strike in 2022. That horse wasn't even supposed to be in the gate. He got in at the last possible second because another horse scratched, then he wove through the field like he was driving a getaway car in a crowded city. He won at 80-1 odds.
If you look at the kentucky derby winners list through the decades, you notice these strange patterns. For instance, did you know that horses with names starting with the letter "S" are basically the kings of the track? We're talking 19 winners. Secretariat, Sunday Silence, Street Sense, Sovereignty—it's like the alphabet has a favorite.
Recent Winners (2015–2025)
The last decade has been... messy. We’ve had Triple Crown winners and we've had legal battles that lasted years.
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- 2025: Sovereignty (The most recent king, taking the $3.1 million prize for Godolphin).
- 2024: Mystik Dan (Won by a literal nose in a three-horse photo finish).
- 2023: Mage (A Florida Derby alum who showed that prep races really do matter).
- 2022: Rich Strike (The ultimate "who invited this guy?" winner).
- 2021: Mandaloun (Awarded the win months later after Medina Spirit was disqualified).
- 2020: Authentic (Won in September because of the pandemic—super weird year).
- 2018: Justify (The last Triple Crown winner, went from "never raced at two" to "undefeated legend").
- 2015: American Pharoah (The horse that ended the 37-year Triple Crown drought).
Why the 1970s Still Ruin It for Everyone Else
If you ask any old-timer at the track, they'll tell you the kentucky derby winners list peaked in 1973. That was the year of Secretariat. He didn't just win; he ran the 1 1/4 miles in 1:59 2/5.
Nobody has beaten that. In over 50 years. Think about that.
Modern horses have better vitamins, better tracks, and better shoes. It doesn't matter. "Big Red" still holds the record. He actually ran every quarter-mile of that race faster than the one before it. That’s physically insane. Most horses start fast and hold on for dear life. Secretariat just kept shifting into gears that didn't exist.
Then you had Seattle Slew in '77 and Affirmed in '78. It was a golden age that made us think Triple Crowns were easy. Then we waited nearly 40 years for another one.
The Women Who Won
Horses, not humans. There have only been three fillies (girls) to ever win the Derby.
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- Regret (1915): The first one to show the boys how it’s done.
- Genuine Risk (1980): A fan favorite who survived a brutal stretch run.
- Winning Colors (1988): A big, beautiful gray who led from start to finish.
Since 1988? Nothing. A few have tried, but the boys have kept the roses to themselves for quite a while now.
The "Dirty" Side of the List
You can't talk about the kentucky derby winners list without mentioning the asterisks. It’s kinda the elephant in the room.
Medina Spirit (2021) is the most famous recent example. He crossed the wire first, the garland of roses was draped over him, and Bob Baffert was celebrating a record-breaking win. Then the drug test came back positive for betamethasone. After a year of lawyers arguing, the win was stripped and given to Mandaloun.
It wasn't the first time, though. Back in 1968, Dancer's Image was disqualified for a painkiller, and Forward Pass was moved up. These moments are why the "Official" list sometimes feels like a living document that lawyers can edit.
The Baffert Factor
Love him or hate him, Bob Baffert is the ghost that haunts the modern list. He’s tied with "Plain Ben" Jones for the most wins (six official ones). Baffert's horses like Silver Charm, Real Quiet, and American Pharoah are the backbone of the late 90s and early 2000s entries.
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What to Look for Next Year
If you're trying to predict who joins the kentucky derby winners list in 2026, look at the prep circuit. The Florida Derby is basically a king-maker. It has produced more winners (25) than any other race.
Also, check the coat color. Bay horses (brown with black manes) have won 57 times. Grays? Only eight. If you see a gray horse, the odds are historically against them, even if they look cool in the sunlight.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Audit your betting strategy: Stop betting on "names" and start looking at "Prep Race Finish." If a horse didn't finish top-three in the Florida Derby or Blue Grass Stakes, history says they probably won't win.
- Watch the 1973 Replay: If you want to understand what a "perfect" Derby looks like, go find the Secretariat footage. It’s the benchmark for every horse on the list.
- Track the "S" Names: It sounds like a superstition, but with 19 winners starting with "S," keep a close eye on the 2026 entries for that specific initial.
The list will keep growing, the dirt will keep flying, and most people will keep losing money on horses with funny names. That's just the Derby.