The Kentucky Derby is set to be run on Saturday for the 150th time in its history. And per usual, the 2024 “Run for the Roses” will kickstart the quest for one of the most elusive titles in all of sports.
That would be horse racing’s Triple Crown.
To date, there have only been 13 winners of the Triple Crown. Only two horses — American Pharoah and Justify — have accomplished the feat since 1979 and only one jockey, Eddie Arcaro, has won the Triple Crown twice.
MORE: Full results, finish order from 2024 Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is the first leg of the three-race series and is the intermediate race of the event at 1 1/4 miles. It has been run since 1875 and is the youngest of the three Triple Crown races despite being known as the most prestigious.
The Derby is followed by the 1 3/16-mile Preakness Stakes and the 1 1/2-mile Belmont Stakes. There is a two-week gap between the Derby and the Preakness while the Belmont occurs three weeks after the Preakness is run.
As important as the latter two races are, neither can quite compare to the pomp and circumstance of the Kentucky Derby. The race at Churchill Downs provides its winner with a great deal of hope, as it guarantees the winner a chance to win the Triple Crown by being the first to be run.
So which horses have won the Kentucky Derby and had a chance to complete the Triple Crown? And which ones have actually achieved that feat? Here’s what to know about the history of winners on horse racing’s grandest stages.
MORE: How much prize money will Kentucky Derby winner receive?
Kentucky Derby winners list
There have been 149 official winners in the history of the Kentucky Derby. Below is a list of all the winning horses and their finishing times.
| Year | Horse | Time to finish |
| 1875 | Aristides | 2:37.75 |
| 1876 | Vagrant | 2:38.25 |
| 1877 | Baden-Baden | 2:38 |
| 1878 | Day Star | 2:37.25 |
| 1879 | Lord Murphy | 2:37 |
| 1880 | Fonso | 2:37.50 |
| 1881 | Hindoo | 2:40 |
| 1882 | Apollo | 2:40.25 |
| 1883 | Leonatus | 2:43 |
| 1884 | Buchanan | 2:40.25 |
| 1885 | Joe Cotton | 2:37.25 |
| 1886 | Ben Ali | 2:36.25 |
| 1887 | Montrose | 2:39.25 |
| 1888 | Macbeth II | 2:38.25 |
| 1889 | Spokane | 2:34.50 |
| 1890 | Riley | 2:45 |
| 1891 | Kingman | 2:52.25 |
| 1892 | Azra | 2:41.50 |
| 1893 | Lookout | 2:39.25 |
| 1894 | Chant | 2:41 |
| 1895 | Halma | 2:37.50 |
| 1896 | Ben Brush | 2:07.75 |
| 1897 | Typhoon II | 2:12.50 |
| 1898 | Plaudit | 2:09 |
| 1899 | Manuel, F. Taral | 2:12 |
| 1900 | Lieut. Gibson | 2:06.25 |
| 1901 | His Eminence | 2:07.75 |
| 1902 | Alan-a-Dale | 2:08.75 |
| 1903 | Judge Himes | 2:09 |
| 1904 | Elwood | 2:08.50 |
| 1905 | Agile | 2:10.75 |
| 1906 | Sir Huon | 2:08.80 |
| 1907 | Pink Star | 2:12.60 |
| 1908 | Stone Street | 2:15.20 |
| 1909 | Wintergreen | 2:08.20 |
| 1910 | Donau | 2:06.40 |
| 1911 | Meridian | 2:05 |
| 1912 | Worth | 2:09.40 |
| 1913 | Donerail | 2:04.80 |
| 1914 | Old Rosebud | 2:03.40 |
| 1915 | Regret | 2:05.40 |
| 1916 | George Smith | 2:04 |
| 1917 | Omar Khayyam | 2:04.60 |
| 1918 | Exterminator | 2:10.80 |
| 1919 | Sir Barton | 2:09.80 |
| 1920 | Paul Jones | 2:09 |
| 1921 | Behave Yourself | 2:04.20 |
| 1922 | Morvich | 2:04.60 |
| 1923 | Zev | 2:05.40 |
| 1924 | Black Gold | 2:05.20 |
| 1925 | Flying Ebony | 2:07.60 |
| 1926 | Bubbling Over | 2:03.80 |
| 1927 | Whiskery | 2:06 |
| 1928 | Reigh Count | 2:10.40 |
| 1929 | Clyde Van Dusen | 2:10.80 |
| 1930 | Gallant Fox | 2:07.60 |
| 1931 | Twenty Grand | 2:01.80 |
| 1932 | Burgoo King | 2:05.20 |
| 1933 | Brokers Tip | 2:06.80 |
| 1934 | Cavalcade | 2:04 |
| 1935 | Omaha | 2:05 |
| 1936 | Bold Venture | 2:03.60 |
| 1937 | War Admiral | 2:03.20 |
| 1938 | Lawrin | 2:04.80 |
| 1939 | Johnstown | 2:03.40 |
| 1940 | Gallahadion | 2:05 |
| 1941 | Whirlaway | 2:01.40 |
| 1942 | Shut Out | 2:04.40 |
| 1943 | Count Fleet | 2:04 |
| 1944 | Pensive | 2:04.20 |
| 1945 | Hoop Jr. | 2:07 |
| 1946 | Assault | 2:06.60 |
| 1947 | Jet Pilot | 2:06.80 |
| 1948 | Citation | 2:05.40 |
| 1949 | Ponder | 2:04.20 |
| 1950 | Middleground | 2:01.60 |
| 1951 | Count Turf | 2:02.60 |
| 1952 | Hill Gail | 2:01.60 |
| 1953 | Dark Star | 2:02 |
| 1954 | Determine | 2:03 |
| 1955 | Swaps | 2:01.80 |
| 1956 | Needles | 2:03.40 |
| 1957 | Iron Liege | 2:02.20 |
| 1958 | Tim Tam | 2:05 |
| 1959 | Tomy Lee | 2:02.20 |
| 1960 | Venetian Way | 2:02.40 |
| 1961 | Carry Back | 2:04 |
| 1962 | Decidedly | 2:00.40 |
| 1963 | Chateaugay | 2:01.80 |
| 1964 | Northern Dancer | 2:00 |
| 1965 | Lucky Debonair | 2:01.20 |
| 1966 | Kauai King | 2:02 |
| 1967 | Proud Clarion | 2:00.60 |
| 1968 | *Forward Pass | 2:02.20 |
| 1969 | Majestic Prince | 2:01.80 |
| 1970 | Dust Commander | 2:03.40 |
| 1971 | Canonero II | 2:03.20 |
| 1972 | Riva Ridge | 2:01.80 |
| 1973 | Secretariat | 1:59.40 |
| 1974 | Cannonade | 2:04 |
| 1975 | Foolish Pleasure | 2:02 |
| 1976 | Bold Forbes | 2:01.60 |
| 1977 | Seattle Slew | 2:02.20 |
| 1978 | Affirmed | 2:01.20 |
| 1979 | Spectacular Bid | 2:02.40 |
| 1980 | Genuine Risk | 2:02 |
| 1981 | Pleasant Colony | 2:02 |
| 1982 | Gato Del Sol | 2:02.40 |
| 1983 | Sunny’s Halo | 2:02.20 |
| 1984 | Swale | 2:02.40 |
| 1985 | Spend a Buck | 2:00.20 |
| 1986 | Ferdinand | 2:02.80 |
| 1987 | Alysheba | 2:03.40 |
| 1988 | Winning Colors | 2:02.20 |
| 1989 | Sunday Silence | 2:05 |
| 1990 | Unbridled | 2:02 |
| 1991 | Strike the Gold | 2:03 |
| 1992 | Lil E. Tee | 2:03 |
| 1993 | Sea Hero | 2:02.42 |
| 1994 | Go for Gin | 2:03.72 |
| 1995 | Thunder Gulch | 2:01.77 |
| 1996 | Grindstone | 2:01.06 |
| 1997 | Silver Charm | 2:02.44 |
| 1998 | Real Quiet | 2:02.38 |
| 1999 | Charismatic | 2:03.29 |
| 2000 | Fusaichi Pegasus | 2:01.12 |
| 2001 | Monarchos | 1:59.97 |
| 2002 | War Emblem | 2:01.13 |
| 2003 | Funny Cide | 2:01.19 |
| 2004 | Smarty Jones | 2:04.06 |
| 2005 | Giacomo | 2:02.75 |
| 2006 | Barbaro | 2:01.36 |
| 2007 | Street Sense | 2:02.17 |
| 2008 | Big Brown | 2:01.82 |
| 2009 | Mine That Bird | 2:02.66 |
| 2010 | Super Saver | 2:04.45 |
| 2011 | Animal Kingdom | 2:02.04 |
| 2012 | I’ll Have Another | 2:01.83 |
| 2013 | Orb | 2:02.89 |
| 2014 | California Chrome | 2:03.66 |
| 2015 | American Pharoah | 2:03.02 |
| 2016 | Nyquist | 2:01.31 |
| 2017 | Always Dreaming | 2:03.59 |
| 2018 | Justify | 2:04.20 |
| 2019 | Country House | 2:03.93 |
| 2020 | Authentic | 2:00.61 |
| 2021 | Mandaloun | 2:01.02 |
| 2022 | Rich Strike | 2:02.61 |
| 2023 | Mage | 2:01.57 |
| 2024 | Mystik Dan | 2:03.34 |
Triple Crown winners all time
Only 13 horses have won the Triple Crown in the history of the award’s existence. It was first won by Sir Barton in 1919 while Justify is the most recent Triple Crown winner after achieving the feat in 2018.
Before Justify, American Pharoah notably ended a 37-year period during which no horse won the award. Below is a full history of the Triple Crown-winning horses and jockeys dating back to 1919.
| Year | Horse | Jockey |
| 2018 | Justify | Mike Smith |
| 2015 | American Pharoah | Victor Espinoza |
| 1978 | Affirmed | Steve Cauthen |
| 1977 | Seattle Slew | Jean Cruguet |
| 1973 | Secretariat | Ron Turcotte |
| 1948 | Citation | Eddie Arcaro |
| 1946 | Assault | Warren Mehrtens |
| 1943 | Count Fleet | Johnny Longden |
| 1941 | Whirlaway | Eddie Arcaro |
| 1937 | War Admiral | Charles Kurtsinger |
| 1935 | Omaha | Willie “Smokey” Saunders |
| 1930 | Gallant Fox | Earl Sande |
| 1919 | Sir Barton | Johnny Loftus |
Kentucky Derby records
- Speed: 1:59.4 — Secretariat (1973)
- Margin of victory: 8 lengths — Old Rosebud (1914), Johnstown (1939), Whirlaway (1941), Assault (1946)
- Most wins by a jockey: 5 — Eddie Arcaro (1938, 1941, 1945, 1948, 1952), Bill Hartack (1957, 1960, 1962, 1964, 1969)
- Most wins by a trainer: 6 — Ben A. Jones (1938, 1941, 1944, 1948, 1949, 1952), Bob Baffert (1997, 1998, 2002, 2015, 2018, 2020)
- Longest odds to win: 91 to 1 — Donerail (1913)