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Home / News / ZATT’s Top 10 All-Time Greats

ZATT’s Top 10 All-Time Greats

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  • December 09, 2009 12:36 PM
The Top 10 Horses to run on American soil according to ZATT. Let’s count it down…10) Native Dancer - The Gray Ghost was racing’s first television star and so dominated his peers of 1952 through 1954... Read More

 

Spectacular Bid  |  Secretariat  |  Seattle Slew  |  Native Dancer  |  Man o' War  |  Kelso  |  Forego  |  Dr. Fager  |  Count Fleet  |  Citation

What the Nation is saying about ZATT’s Top 10 All-Time Greats...

Murder's Row to be sure, Swaps set a few world records, would've been tough to run him down from behind
Too hard to compare Man O War and Secretariat. Man O War had to carry a lot more weight (130 pounds five times as a two year old), did not have a starting gate, and even wore shoes which were a lot heavier and clunkier. Whereas Secretariat had to deal with much larger fields. The conditions they raced under were just too different for direct comparisons. But I hope someday I get to see their match race in heaven. ;-)
Man O War didn't run as a 4 yr old because the handicappers told Riddle he would be given 140 or more in his first race
Secretariat vs. Man O War. of course, will never happen. It's like trying to compare Jesse Owens with Usain Bolt. Certain facts favor Secretariat. He was from a much larger foal crop, beat a horse who would be HOY multiple times, won the Triple Crown, ran six times after the grueling Triple Crown and did lose to two older horses but still beat all the best older horses in world record time in the Marlboro Cup. Secretariat's times were much better than any horses before or in the forty years since. He won as far west as Illinois and in two countries. He was undefeated on the turf, a surface Man O War never tried and beat the best turf horses in America. Neither ran after age three, but in Secretariat's case it was because he had been syndicated and the group did not want to risk injury before his retirement. If he had run he would probably, amazingly, been even better. His Belmont win is still considered one of the top athletic achievements ever.
I'd put Kelso a bit higher, but all in all I agree. Man O' War ahead of Secretariat, but just by a nose.
No argument from me. I might place Count Fleet a little higher. Two honorable mentions are Buckpasser and Round Table. If Buckpasser wouldn’t have been injured and would have competed in the TC races (the same year he won 13 in a row) I have no doubt he would have won the TC (he defeated the winners of all three races that year), and in doing so he would be considered probably in the top six or seven. Round Table raced in what is arguably the best three year old crop ever in N/A. He won carrying huge weights, at distances as short as 4F and as long as 13F, and was probably one of America’s all time best turf horses though he is possibly best remembered for his prowess on dirt. Certainly a great lot of horses.
No list of all time greats misses Phar Lap, Exterminator Kelso or Forego....theri stats Over time dward many of these
I think it's hard to determine whether Man O' War or Secretariat is top of the century because of factors such as the way the start of the race was (no starting gate with Man O' War) and the comments that he never was totally released to run full out.
Clarence that's why they play football and soccer on grass as a person can run faster and farther without tiring.Anytime I can be of assistance just ask.
I disagree with ZATT's Top 10 in two ways: First, Secretariat should be #1 and Man O' War #2; Second, there are no fillies...Ruffian deserves a position in the top ten.
they are all males! it should be "Zatts top all time males" Genuine Risk and Ruffian defenantly deserve to be on any all time list!
That doesn't "Prove Out to me!
ClarenceFender - turf is faster than dirt by at least one second per mile.
How many horses could set a World Record for 2 miles on dirt and then come back in 11 days and set an American track record on grass for a mile and one half? He ran the mile and one half a fifth of a second faster than Secretariat's Belmont Stakes. Secretariat ran around 2 turns. Kelso ran around 3 turns. My vote goes with Cot Campbell, Joe Hirsch and David Alexander for Kelso as the greatest!
I would Secretariat ahead of Man O War....Man O War ran tons of race with only one competitor. Seem to me that the competition back then wasn't that great to make other owner scared of him. If he had a competitor like Sham, I would have rate him #1.
  • micetic · MoW beat Sir Barton and only lost once to Upset. Secretariat LOST 5 out of 21. When he was right he was as good as any of them, BUT he lost 5. · 696 days ago ·
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While I disagree with Zatt on the top spot my response in using the word "trash" was extremely inappropriate, for this apologize as the article as a whole was nothing short of out standing and these are after all opinions and his are just as valid as mine.
I agree icyhotboo, Secretariat is just above everyone else!
Kudo's to you.Made us read eight nice write ups before you got to that hogwash about Secretariat being second best.I'll never waste my time reading that kind of trash again.
I don't agree with anyone who says Secretariat wasn't head and shoulders above the rest.He is not my favorite but he is MY top choice.I do agree on the three Reds on top though,hard to argue against that.At 4 Bid was nothing short of Spectacular and I believe could have run heads up with Secretariat.That's the only horse in my mind that I can say that about but again just another opinion.
I can accept a top 25 but a top ten,to little separates them and It's very subjective for all
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