Kentucky Derby Past Winners & Complete Results

Q: Which jockey has won the most Kentucky Derbies?

Eddie Arcaro and Bill Hartack each won five Kentucky Derbies, the most by any jockey. Arcaro won in 1938, 1941, 1945, 1948, and 1952. Hartack won in 1957, 1960, 1962, 1964, and 1969.

Q: Which trainer has won the most Kentucky Derbies?

Bob Baffert has trained the most Kentucky Derby winners in the modern era with seven victories: Silver Charm (1997), Real Quiet (1998), War Emblem (2002), American Pharoah (2015), Justify (2018), Authentic (2020), and Medina Spirit (2021). Ben Jones trained six Derby winners.

Q: Has a filly ever won the Kentucky Derby?

Yes, three fillies have won the Kentucky Derby: Regret in 1915, Genuine Risk in 1980, and Winning Colors in 1988. Rags to Riches, a filly, also won the Belmont Stakes in 2007 but did not win the Derby.

Every Kentucky Derby champion, from the legendary Secretariat to the latest winner, has earned a place in racing immortality. Browse the complete winners list, discover the records that still stand, and explore the statistics that define the greatest horse race in America.

Legendary Derby Champions

Secretariat (1973) — The Greatest of All Time

Secretariat's 1973 Kentucky Derby remains the single greatest performance in the race's history. The chestnut colt, affectionately known as "Big Red," ran each successive quarter-mile faster than the last — a feat virtually unheard of in a race of that distance. His final time of 1:59 2/5 (1:59.4) shattered the existing record and has never been equaled. Secretariat went on to sweep the Triple Crown, winning the Belmont Stakes by an astonishing 31 lengths.

Seattle Slew (1977) — Undefeated Triple Crown Winner

Seattle Slew arrived at Churchill Downs in 1977 as the only undefeated horse in the Derby field and delivered a dominant victory. He went on to become the only horse in history to win the Triple Crown while undefeated. Purchased for just $17,500 as a yearling, Seattle Slew was one of the greatest bargains in racing history and proved that greatness does not require a princely price tag.

Affirmed (1978) — The Last Triple Crown for 37 Years

Affirmed's 1978 Derby victory was the opening chapter of one of racing's greatest rivalries. Affirmed and his arch- rival Alydar battled head-to-head in all three Triple Crown races, with Affirmed prevailing each time by increasingly narrow margins. After Affirmed's sweep, it would take 37 years before another horse captured the Triple Crown.

American Pharoah (2015) — Breaking the Drought

When American Pharoah crossed the finish line at Churchill Downs in 2015, he began a journey that would end one of the longest droughts in all of sports. After sweeping all three legs of the Triple Crown, American Pharoah became the first horse since Affirmed in 1978 to accomplish the feat. His Derby victory was authoritative — he led from the early stages and drew clear in the stretch, signaling the brilliance that was to come.

Justify (2018) — Breaking the Curse of Apollo

Justify accomplished what no horse had done since Apollo in 1882: win the Kentucky Derby without having raced as a two-year-old. For 136 years, every Derby winner had raced at age two, and the so-called "Curse of Apollo" had become one of racing's most durable superstitions. Justify demolished it, then went on to complete a perfect Triple Crown sweep, going undefeated in his career before retiring.

Kentucky Derby Winners (1986-2025)

Year	Winner	Jockey	Trainer	Time
2025	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD
2024	Mystik Dan	Brian Hernandez Jr.	Kenny McPeek	2:03.34
2023	Mage	Javier Castellano	Gustavo Delgado	2:01.57
2022	Rich Strike	Sonny Leon	Eric Reed	2:02.61
2021	Medina Spirit	John Velazquez	Bob Baffert	2:01.02
2020	Authentic	John Velazquez	Bob Baffert	2:00.61
2019	Country House	Flavien Prat	Bill Mott	2:03.93
2018	Justify	Mike Smith	Bob Baffert	2:04.20
2017	Always Dreaming	John Velazquez	Todd Pletcher	2:03.59
2016	Nyquist	Mario Gutierrez	Doug O'Neill	2:01.31
2015	American Pharoah	Victor Espinoza	Bob Baffert	2:03.02
2014	California Chrome	Victor Espinoza	Art Sherman	2:03.66
2013	Orb	Joel Rosario	Shug McGaughey	2:02.89
2012	I'll Have Another	Mario Gutierrez	Doug O'Neill	2:01.83
2011	Animal Kingdom	John Velazquez	Graham Motion	2:02.04
2010	Super Saver	Calvin Borel	Todd Pletcher	2:04.45
2009	Mine That Bird	Calvin Borel	Bennie Woolley Jr.	2:02.66
2008	Big Brown	Kent Desormeaux	Rick Dutrow Jr.	2:01.82
2007	Street Sense	Calvin Borel	Carl Nafzger	2:02.17
2006	Barbaro	Edgar Prado	Michael Matz	2:01.36
2005	Giacomo	Mike Smith	John Shirreffs	2:02.75
2004	Smarty Jones	Stewart Elliott	John Servis	2:04.06
2003	Funny Cide	Jose Santos	Barclay Tagg	2:01.19
2002	War Emblem	Victor Espinoza	Bob Baffert	2:01.13
2001	Monarchos	Jorge Chavez	John Ward Jr.	1:59.97
2000	Fusaichi Pegasus	Kent Desormeaux	Neil Drysdale	2:01.12
1999	Charismatic	Chris Antley	D. Wayne Lukas	2:03.29
1998	Real Quiet	Kent Desormeaux	Bob Baffert	2:02.40
1997	Silver Charm	Gary Stevens	Bob Baffert	2:02.44
1996	Grindstone	Jerry Bailey	D. Wayne Lukas	2:01.06
1995	Thunder Gulch	Gary Stevens	D. Wayne Lukas	2:01.27
1994	Go for Gin	Chris McCarron	Nick Zito	2:03.56
1993	Sea Hero	Jerry Bailey	Mack Miller	2:02.40
1992	Lil E. Tee	Pat Day	Lynn Whiting	2:03.00
1991	Strike the Gold	Chris Antley	Nick Zito	2:03.00
1990	Unbridled	Craig Perret	Carl Nafzger	2:02.00
1989	Sunday Silence	Pat Valenzuela	Charlie Whittingham	2:05.00
1988	Winning Colors	Gary Stevens	D. Wayne Lukas	2:02.20
1987	Alysheba	Chris McCarron	Jack Van Berg	2:03.40
1986	Ferdinand	Bill Shoemaker	Charlie Whittingham	2:02.80

Kentucky Derby Records & Statistics

Fastest Time

1:59.4 — Secretariat (1973)

Largest Winning Margin

8 lengths — Assault (1946) & Old Rosebud (1914)

Most Wins (Jockey)

5 — Eddie Arcaro & Bill Hartack

Most Wins (Trainer)

7 — Bob Baffert

Most Wins (Owner)

8 — Calumet Farm

Longest Shot to Win

91-1 — Donerail (1913)

Largest Field

23 starters (1974)

Fillies to Win

3 — Regret (1915), Genuine Risk (1980), Winning Colors (1988)

Fun Facts & Derby Trivia

1.Monarchos (2001) is the only horse besides Secretariat to break two minutes in the Derby, finishing in 1:59.97.
2.Bill Shoemaker, at age 54, became the oldest jockey to win the Derby when he rode Ferdinand to victory in 1986.
3.The post position producing the most winners is gate 1 (inside rail), though post 5 has also been statistically favorable.
4.Fifteen of the first twenty-eight Derby winners were ridden by African American jockeys.
5.Calumet Farm has owned eight Derby winners, more than any other ownership group in history.
6.The most common winning margin is one length, reflecting how competitive the race typically is.
7.Only two horses have won the Derby wire-to-wire in the modern era while also completing the Triple Crown: Seattle Slew and American Pharoah.
8.Donerail in 1913 remains the longest shot to ever win the Derby at odds of 91-1.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the fastest Kentucky Derby time ever?

Secretariat holds the all-time Kentucky Derby record with a time of 1:59 2/5 (1:59.4), set in 1973. He is the only horse to break the two-minute barrier in the Derby, a record that has stood for more than 50 years. Monarchos came closest in 2001 with a time of 1:59.97.

Which jockey has won the most Kentucky Derbies?

Eddie Arcaro and Bill Hartack share the record with five Kentucky Derby victories each. Among active or recently retired jockeys, John Velazquez and Calvin Borel each have three Derby wins.

Which trainer has won the most Kentucky Derbies?

Bob Baffert has trained seven Kentucky Derby winners, the most of any trainer in history. His wins span from Silver Charm in 1997 through Medina Spirit in 2021, covering nearly a quarter century of dominance at Churchill Downs.

Has a filly ever won the Kentucky Derby?

Three fillies have won the Kentucky Derby: Regret (1915), Genuine Risk (1980), and Winning Colors (1988). Winning the Derby against colts is considered one of the most remarkable achievements in racing, given the physical advantages male horses typically hold.