Good Evening!
Welcome to a new post here at zoelouisesmithx.com! Some horses go through their career with a win here an there, or even multiple wins in a row, however very few go through their whole career without being beaten, so today let’s look at 10 undefeated racehorses!
Black Caviar
Bel Esprit x Helsinge
In no particular order, first up is Black Caviar. Black Caviar was foaled on August 18th 2006 in Victoria, Australia and she went on to be true racing champion. Black Caviar had 25 races in her career and won every single one of them, this included 15 Group One victories and not only did she achieve success in Australia, but she also won here in the UK too when winning the Group One Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2012. Black Caviar was brought for $210,000 and ended up winning $7,953,936 in her career.
Frankel
Galileo x Kind
Frankel was foaled on February 11th 2008 in Great Britain and started his career in racing in 2010 on August 13th and retired in 2012 and in the 3 seasons he was racing he won 14 out of 14 starts, including 11 Group One races. His win in the 2011 running of the 2,000 Guineas is one fondly remembered by many, he led the race from start to finish and by the half way mark he had opened up a gap of 15 lengths, he was eased up before the finish but still won by 6 lengths. In 2012, Frankel received the highest rating in the history of Timeform when they assigned him a rating of 147. Frankel won £2,998,302 in his career as well as winning 1st in the World Thoroughbred Rankings in 2011 and 2012, European Horse of the Year in 2011 and 2012, European Champion Two Year Old Colt in 2010, European Champion Three Year Old Colt in 2011, European Champion Older Horse in 2012 and in 2021 he was entered into the British Champions Series Hall of Fame.
After retirement, Frankel went to Banstead Manor Stud in Cheveley in Suffolk where he was born and has since produced some brilliant horses. On June 16th 2014, his first foal sent to auction sold for £1.15 million, Cunco – he then went on to win his debut. He’s also produced horses such as Cracksman, Logician, Quadrilateral and more.
Eclipse
Marske x Spilletta
Eclipse was foaled on April 1st 1764 at the Cranbourne Lodge Stud and to this day no British or Irish racehorse has beaten his record. He was purchased in two stages, 50% in June 1769 for 650 Guineas and 50% in April 1770 for 1,100 Guineas. He had 18 starts, winning all 18 races, including 11 King’s Plate’s, the Winchester, Salisbury, Canterbury, Lewes, Lichfield, Newmarket First Spring, Guilford, Nottingham, York, Lincoln Heath and Newmarket October. In his career, he won 2,149 Guineas.
After retiring from the track, Eclipse became a very successful sire and he appears in the pedigree of most modern Thoroughbred horses today.
Ribot
Tenerani x Romanella
Ribot was foaled on February 27th 1952 in Great Britain and is one of Timeform’s top rated racehorses of all time. He was trained in Italy and in his time he had 16 starts, winning all 16 races over all distances from 5 furlongs to 1 mile 7 furlongs in 3 countries on all types of track conditions. Although Ribot primarily ran in Italy, he also won the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in France and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in the UK. He won $294,414 in his career. In 1956, he was the Timeform Top Rated Horse with a rating of 142. He is the second longest undefeated British racehorse in history.
Following his retirement from racing, Ribot became a highly successful breeding stallion. He was crowned the Leading Sire in Great Britain and Ireland on 3 occasions in 1963, 1967 and 1968. He was also ranked the 4th Italian Athlete of the 20th Century by La Gazzetta dello Sport’s poll.
Kincsem
Cambuscan x Water Nymph
Kincsem was foaled on March 17th in 1874 in Hungary and she holds the record for the thoroughbred racehorse with the most wins of an unbeaten horse in the history of the sport with a record of 54 starts with 54 victories. (Black Caviar with 25/25 is the closest to her). In 1877, Kincsem won every classic in Hungary and then went on to conquer Europe with a win in the Goodwood Cup in the UK in 1878 as well as races in Germany and France. She won a total of 199,754.50 fl which is equal to an estimated €2.56 million in today’s money.
After retiring from the track, Kincsem went on to produce just five foals with two of them becoming classic winners and her daughters proving to be outstanding broodmares. Her family have proven a lasting influence on the breed, with modern descendants including Polygamy and Camelot.
Colin
Commando x Pastorella
Colin was foaled in 1905 (date not specified) in the United States and successfully won 15 out of 15 starts. He won many big races such as the Eclipse Stakes, Belmont Stakes and Tidal Stakes. In his career, he won $180,912.
Colin stood his first season in 1909 at Heath Stud near Newmarket in the UK for a fee of 98 Guineas, however many British breeders stayed away from him due to this American bloodlines. He was then purchased by Wickliffe Stud for $30,000 where he stood until January 1918, he was then brought for $5,100 at 13 years old to stand at Belray Farm in Virginia, United States. In his 23 seasons at stud, he produced 11 stakes winners out of 81 foals, which is around 14%.
Personal Ensign
Private Account x Grecian Banner
Personal Ensign was foaled on April 27th in 1984 in the United States and won 13 of his 13 starts including several Grade 1’s, which also included a win against male horses in the prestigious Whitney Handicap. She also won the Breeders Cup Distaff in 1988 where she defeated the Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors to end her career unbeaten. She also went on to win the American Champion Older Female Horse in 1988. In her career she won $1,679,880.
After retiring unbeaten, Personal Ensign went on to become a successful broodmare producing 10 names foals, with the majority being successful either on the track or at stud. In 1996, she was named the Kentucky Broodmare of the Year.
Peppers Pride
Desert God x Lady Pepper
Peppers Pride was foaled on March 24th 2003 in the United States and ended up winning 19 out 19 starts in her career. In her career she never raced outside of her native state of New Mexico and only ever had 1 jockey from her first race to her last, this being Carlos Madeira. She won races ranging from 5 and 1/2 furlongs up to 1 mile including 12 in stakes company.
After retiring from the track, Peppers Pride went on to have multiple foals including one to Tiznow, which she sadly lost. One to Distorted Humor in 2011 and another in 2012. One to Malibu Moon in 2013. One to Hard Spun in 2014. One to 2015 Triple Crown Champion American Pharaoh called American Pepper which was born in 2018. And her final foal being to California Chrome in February 2019 just 7 months before her death on September 19th 2019 due to complications with laminitis.
Zarkava
Zamindar x Zarkasha
Zarkava was foaled on March 31st in 2005 in Ireland and went on to win 7 of her 7 starts. She was trained in France which is where her 7 victories came. She won 5 Group 1’s, which were the Prix Marcel Boussac in 2007 and the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches, Prix de Diane, Prix Vermeille and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe all in 2008. She also won the European Horse of the Year and European Champion 3 Year Old Filly. After her 2008 victory in the Arc, Timeform announced they had rated her at 133 making her the joint best filly or mare in the past 20 years.
Like many of the good horses you read about, Zarkava went on to produce many foals – Most of them being unraced. Let’s have a look at a few of them!
Zarkava’s first foal being by Dalakhani which was foaled on February 6th 2010 at Gilltown Stud in Kilcullen in Ireland, who was called Zerkaza who was unraced and went on to have a foal called Zeyrek by Sea The Stars in 2017 and has won twice and placed twice and is still racing which is previous race being just last month on April 24th 2021.
Zarkava also had a foal by Sea The Stars in 2011 called Zarkash, however he never made it onto a racecourse, he broke a leg during training in October 2014 and sadly was euthanised.
Zarkava had a foal called Zarak in 2013 by Dubawi who raced between 2015 and 2017 and retired in 2018, he had 13 starts and won 4 times including 1 Grade One and 1 Grade Three. He also finished second twice in Grade One races and once in a Grade Two, with 1 Grade Two third place and 2 Grade One fourth places.
Zarkava has also had Zarkamiya by Frankel in 2015 who won twice and placed twice out of 5 starts, Zarkallani in 2016 by Invincible Spirit who won twice and placed twice out of 9 starts, Zaykava by Siyouni in 2017 who won twice out of 3 starts and Zaskar by Sea The Stars in 2018 who is unraced.
Ajax
Flying Fox x Amie
Ajax was foaled in 1901 (date not specified) in France and went on to win his 5 starts including 2 of Frances most prestigious races at the time – the Prix du Jockey Club and the Grand Prix de Paris both in 1904.
Ajax is probably more well known for becoming an influential sire after his retirement from the track. He went on to produce French Group One winner Teddy and his first Classic winner Union. His daughters then went on to produce horses such as Havresac II, Invershin, Massine and Le Correge.
So there we have it, 10 undefeated racehorses. I know there are so many more in the world, but these are 10 I found to be most interesting whether that be for their time on the track or their time producing foals.
I loved researching this one and I hope you all enjoyed it too! If there are any similar posts you’d like me to look at then please do message me on social media and I will try my best to produce any content people want to see.
This weekend I have 2 posts, one Saturday morning and one Sunday Morning, both at 11am! Thank you for reading and I will see you all then!
zoelouisesmithx 