The Kentucky Derby remains one of the biggest races on the international calendar, and it is one of the few that entices new audiences to watch the racing. This year’s race is already shaping up to be one of the most exciting in recent memory, with a star-studded field set to go to post.
However, the runners in the race this year will have to go some way to break speed records in the race, which have been set by some of the most talented runners to line-up at Churchill Downs. You can find the history of the Kentucky Derby here: twinspires.com/kentuckyderby/history
But, which horses have set the best finishing times in the history of the Kentucky Derby.
Secretariat- 1:59.40
Whichever horse wins the Kentucky Derby this year will need to run a race of a lifetime to eclipse the time record set by Secretariat. The three-year-old remains the record holder for the quickest finishing time in Triple Crown history, as he completed the distance in a time of 1:59.40.
Secretariat also holds the records for quickest times in the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes. The legendary runner is widely regarded as one of the best racehorses of all-time, and his victory by 31 lengths in the Belmont Stakes was a run that truly caught the imagination of every sporting fan across the planet.
Monarchos- 1:59.97
The closest any horse came to breaking the long-standing speed record held by Secretariat came in 2001, as Monarchos delivered a run of a lifetime to land the Kentucky Derby in storming fashion. He was a contender that very few flagged up before the race, despite winning the Florida Derby.
Much of that was down to the fact that he finished behind Conagree in the Wood Memorial Stakes in his final prep. Sent off at 22/1 odds for the Derby, he was given the perfect ride to land the Triple Crown race. Since his effort, no horse has run sub-two minutes in the Kentucky Derby.
Northern Dancer- 2:00.00
The only other runner in Kentucky Derby history to complete the race in a time of two minutes or better is Northern Dancer. He remains one of the standout winners in Derby history, as he came the first Canadian-bred horse to win the illustrious opening leg of the Triple Crown. His record on track was then improved as he landed the Preakness Stakes with a storming victory.
However, his bid to win the Triple Crown ultimately came up short, as he finished third in Belmont Stakes. After getting a heroes welcome back to Canada, he made his final start in the Queen’s Plate, claiming victory. Following his retirement, he became one of the most successful studs in the world, led by the success of English Triple Crown hero Nijinsky.
Fastest Kentucky Derby Time In Recent History
As we mentioned, no horse has won the Kentucky Derby with a time under two minutes since Monarchos in 2001. However, some contenders have come extremely close in recent years. Mandaloun won the Derby in 2021 with a time of 2:01.02, while last year’s winner Rich Strike won in a slightly slower time of 2:02.61. But, the quickest finishing time in the past ten years belongs to Bob Baffert’s Authentic.
Ridden by John Velazquez in the 2020 Derby, the three-year-old won the re-arranged showpiece at Churchill Downs in a time of 2:00.61. His speed on track was also evident later in the season, as the talented equine star landed the Breeders’ Cup Classic in a track record time. To put into context, even the all-conquering Flightline wasn’t able to better the time recorded by Authentic in the same race.