Kentucky Derby winners: Complete list by year since 1875

Will the winner of Saturday’s Kentucky Derby become the first Triple Crown winner in horse racing since Justify in 2018?

Can the winner draw comparisons to the undisputed champion, Secretariat, the Triple Crown winner in 1973?

Or will we see the unthinkable happen, like in 2022, when Rich Strike crossed the finish line first as a huge long shot (+8000, bet $10 to win $810 total)? 

We’ll find out Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Post time is set for 6: 57 p.m. ET, and the race will be broadcast on NBC, NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app (pre-Derby coverage starts at 2: 30 p.m. ET).

Secretariat, the greatest racehorse in history, burst onto the worldwide scene by winning the 1973 Kentucky Derby in a world record time of 1 minute, 59.4 seconds, a mark that stands 50 years later. Secretariat entered the race as the +150 betting favorite.

Secretariat closed the final quarter mile in 23 seconds, a record that still stands, to beat Sham by 2 ½ lengths.

A little-known fact about Secretariat at the Derby – his times in each successive quarter-mile got faster, meaning the horse and jockey Ron Turcotte were accelerating as the race wore on. The successive quarter-mile times were 25 1/5, 24, 23 4/5, 23 2/5 and 23.

Monarchos came the closest to eclipsing Secretariat’s time, winning the 2001 Derby in 1: 59.97.  They are the only two horses to finish the 1 ¼-mile race in under 2 minutes.

Northern Dancer held the previous record of 2 minutes, set while winning the 1964 Derby.

For more of a historical breakdown, check out the complete list of Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown winners for the Derby: 

Kentucky Derby Winners

2023: Mage

2022: Rich Strike

2021: Mandaloun

2020: Authentic

2019: Country House

2018: Justify

2017: Always Dreaming

2016: Nyquist

2015: American Pharoah

2014: California Chrome

2013: Orb

2012: I’ll Have Another

2011: Animal Kingdom

2010: Super Saver

2009: Mine That Bird

2008: Big Brown

2007: Street Sense

2006: Barbaro

2005: Giacomo

2004: Smarty Jones

2003: Funny Cide

2002: War Emblem

2001: Monarchos

2000: Fusaichi Pegasus

1999: Charismatic

1998: Real Quiet

1997: Silver Charm

1996: Grindstone

1995: Thunder Gulch

1994: Go for Gin

1993: Sea Hero

1992: Lil E. Tee

1991: Strike the Gold

1990: Unbridled

1989: Sunday Silence

1988: Winning Colors

1987: Alysheba

1986: Ferdinand

1985: Spend a Buck

1984: Swale

1983: Sunny’s Halo

1982: Gato Del Sol

1981: Pleasant Colony

1980: Genuine Risk

1979: Spectacular Bid

1978: Affirmed

1977: Seattle Slew

1976: Bold Forbes

1975: Foolish Pleasure

1974: Cannonade

1973: Secretariat

1972: Riva Ridge

1971: Canonero II

1970: Dust Commander

1969: Majestic Prince

1968: Forward Pass

1967: Proud Clarion

1966: Kauai King

1965: Lucky Debonair

1964: Northern Dancer

1963: Chateaugay

1962: Decidedly

1961: Carry Back

1960: Venetian Way

1959: Tomy Lee

1958: Tim Tam

1957: Iron Liege

1956: Needles

1955: Swaps

1954: Determine

1953: Dark Star

1952: Hill Gail

1951: Count Turf

1950: Middleground

1949: Ponder

1948: Citation

1947: Jet Pilot

1946: Assault

1945: Hoop Jr.

1944: Pensive

1943: Count Fleet

1942: Shut Out

1941: Whirlaway

1940: Gallahadion

1939: Johnstown

1938: Lawrin

1937: War Admiral

1936: Bold Venture

1935: Omaha

1934: Cavalcade

1933: Brokers Tip

1932: Burgoo King

1931: Twenty Grand

1930: Gallant Fox

1929: Clyde Van Dusen

1928: Reigh Count

1927: Whiskery

1926: Bubbling Over

1925: Flying Ebony

1924: Black Gold

1923: Zev

1922: Morvich

1921: Behave Yourself

1920: Paul Jones

1919: Sir Barton

1918: Exterminator

1917: Omar Khayyam

1916: George Smith

1915: Regret

1914: Old Rosebud

1913: Donerail

1912: Worth

1911: Meridian

1910: Donau

1909: Wintergreen

1908: Stone Street

1907: Pink Star

1906: Sir Huon

1905: Agile

1904: Elwood

1903: Judge Himes

1902: Alan-a-Dale

1901: His Eminence

1900: Lieut. Gibson

1899: Manuel

1898: Plaudit

1897: Typhoon II

1896: Ben Brush

1895: Halma

1894: Chant

1893: Lookout

1892: Azra

1891: Kingman

1890: Riley

1889: Spokane

1888: Macbeth II

1887: Montrose

1886: Ben Ali

1885: Joe Cotton

1884: Buchanan

1883: Leonatus

1882: Apollo

1881: Hindoo

1880: Fonso

1879: Lord Murphy

1878: Day Star

1877: Baden-Baden

1876: Vagrant

1875: Aristides

Triple Crown Winners

Fourteen horses have won the Triple Crown:

• Sir Barton (1919)
• Gallant Fox (1930)
• Omaha (1935)
• War Admiral (1937)
• Whirlaway (1941)
• Count Fleet (1943)
• Assault (1946)
• Citation (1948)
• Secretariat (1973)
• Seattle Slew (1977)
• Affirmed (1978)
• American Pharoah (2015)
• Justify (2018)