Thoroughbred Honors Online Trivia | Horse Racing

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. This game little horse rose to fame in the 1930s. He won a match race against Triple Crown winner, War Admiral, on Nov. 1, 1938. That day his regular jockey was not aboard, due to injuries. Who was this winner of many races, who started his career as an underdog?

Answer: Seabiscuit

In the famous match race with War Admiral, Seabiscuit was not expected by many to win, but the brave little horse left War Admiral in the dust! His regular jockey, Red Pollard, had ridden Seabiscuit in most of his big races, but earlier in 1938 had suffered horrible injuries in a fall under another horse.

In the match race, Red was replaced by George Woolf, another great. In 1937, Seabiscuit won the American Horse of the Year award.

2. This original "Big Red" raced only as a two and three-year-old, in 1921 and 1922, but rose to fame and glory in those two short years to become one of the most famous racehorses in history. Brian Bouyea said it best: "...set three world records, two American records, and equaled another track standard. He won one race by an incredible 100 lengths and triumphed in another while carrying 138 pounds". (National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame). Who was this phenomenon who was not just Horse of the Year, but Horse of the Century?

Answer: Man O' War

Man O' War was the best horse ever in the eyes of many, including myself. He also was the victor in a match race against a Triple Crown winner, Sir Barton, in 1922. Many times he was ridden by the great riding legend, Earle Sande. He only raced 21 times, but he was so superior that if he had raced as a four-year-old, he would have had to carry 150 pounds. Unacceptable! So he retired in 1922 at age 3 and lived at stud until his death in 1947.

In 1999 he was voted Horse of the Century by a poll of the Associated Press and the same honor from 'The Blood Horse' magazine, the most prestigious thoroughbred horse magazine.

3. Foaled in Kentucky in 1945, he became the eighth Triple Crown winner in 1948, ridden by great jockey, Eddie Arcaro. He retired after winning the Hollywood Gold Cup in 1951. What was the name of this great horse?

Answer: Citation

Racing from 1947 through 1951, Citation had a winning streak of 16 wins in a row in major stakes races. This record stood alone until equaled by Cigar in 1994-6, and later by Zenyatta. After a successful career at stud, he died in 1970 at aged 25. Citation was a super horse that many compared to Man 'O War. In the "Blood Horse" magazine list of 100 greatest Thoroughbreds of the 20th Century, he was named third best following Man 'O War and Secretariat.

4. This great thoroughbred was named Horse of the Year in 1952 and 1954. His nickname was The Grey Ghost. He had a winning racing career, but a foot injury recurred and, in 1954, he was retired. He is known as the first television star of racing. Do you remember his name?

Answer: Native Dancer

The Grey Ghost - many consider grey a color to back (lucky), while others consider it to be unlucky, but Native Dancer didn't have to depend on luck. In his first year of racing, he won all nine starts, and earned his first Horse of the Year. He earned the honor again in 1954. In 1953 he was expected, by most, to win the Kentucky Derby, but lost his only race. His jockey was criticized for a poor ride, and Native Dancer was fouled twice. It was a close finish, with Dark Star the winner.

At stud he was a geat success, siring many stakes race winners. Among the many, are Dancer's Image, Kauai King, and Raise a Native (whose son, Mr. Prospector's, descendant's have won quite a few major races, seeking the Triple Crown).

5. Let's hear it for the ladies! This one was the first filly to win the Kentucky Derby - in 1915. She was named the unofficial American Horse of the Year for 1915, as well as unofficial American Champion Three-Year-Old-Filly for that year. Who was this beauty, whose name did not fit her performance?

Answer: Regret

Foaled in New Jersey in 1912, Regret began an outstanding career in 1914. That year she won all three Saratoga Race Course races for two-year-olds. Not many have been able to do that. The Kentucky Derby was the only Triple Crown race she won. She was not entered in the Preakness Stakes, but another filly, Rhine Maiden, won that one; it was almost unheard of for two fillies to win two Triple Crown races in the same year. (The third race of the Triple Crown is the Belmont Stakes). Two other fillies to win the Kentucky Derby are Genuine Risk in 1980 and Winning Colors in 1988.

The other three choices are also Kentucky Derby winners, Vagrant in 1876, Spokane in 1889, and Shut Out in 1942.

6. My favorite horse of the 21st century, she was the Queen of Racing. 2010 Horse of the Year, she garnered many other awards for her performances. She was the first ever to win two different Breeder's Cup races, setting this mark in 2009. The 2010 Apple Blossom Handicap was her 16th win in a row, tying the record with Citation and Cigar. Then, in the 2010 Vanity International Handicap she broke the all-time North American record for consecutive wins in unrestricted races (17 starts, 17 wins). Who was this winning gal?

Answer: Zenyatta

Foaled in Kentucky in 2004, she was ridden by Mike Smith in 17 of her 20 starts (of which she won 19). She defeated many of the best Grade 1 winners of her day, including Colonel John, Einstein, Ginger Punch, Lookin' For Lucky and numerous others. She won many honors (what didn't she win), some of which were: Eclipse Award for Top Older Female of the 2009 Season, NTRA's Moment of the Year Award three years in a row, Eclipse Award for Top Older Female and Horse of the Year of the 2010 season, the William H May Award, usually given to a human, and more.

"Zenyatta! You got to see her dance!" (Theme song quote)

7. This horse had a brief but interesting racing career. He won the Kentucky Derby in 2008 and earned the Eclipse Award for American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse for 2008. What was this big guy's name?

Answer: Big Brown

In 2007, Big Brown raced only once, his maiden race; he won by 11 1/4 lengths. Next year, 2008, was his last and great year of racing. Before the Kentucky Derby, he raced and won two times. The Derby was only his fourth race, and he was the first horse to win from the 20th post position since 1929. Sadly, the second place finisher, Eight Belles, broke both front fetlocks after the race, while still on the track, and had to be euthanised. Big Brown went on to win the Preakness, but injured a hoof before the Belmont Stakes. He was raced anyway, but he jockey pulled him up, saying something was wrong. Big Brown didn't finish, and it was his only loss.

He raced twice more, winning both. Then, during a work-out he injured a hind hoof and was retired to stud. Big Brown spent 1/2 the year, breeding in Kentucky, then off to Australia for the Southern hemisphere breeding season.

8. Sometimes jockeys make mistakes, too. The biggest blunder occurred in the 1957 Kentucky Derby when the jockey stood up too soon, thinking he had crossed the finish line. The gallant horse then slowed and another horse passed him and won by a nose. Later, our brave horse with same rider won the Belmont Stakes by eight lengths, a record that would stand until 1973 when Secretariat came along. Who was the unlucky horse and rider?

Answer: Gallant Man and Willie Shoemaker

In his short career, in 1957 and 1958, Gallant Man had nine wins in major races
and the second in the Kentucky Derby. He was plagued by bad ankles and was retired after the 1958 season because of a splint problem in his left foreleg.
He earned a place in the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame (1987) and The Gallant Man Handicap at Hollywood Park was named for him.

No blame to Willie Shoemaker, he was one of America's greatest jockeys.

9. One of the most popular thoroughbreds of the latter 20th Century. If I mention that he won the 1973 Belmont Stakes by 31 lengths, you'll probably know his name was ... what?

Answer: Secretariat

Like Man O' War, Secretariat was nicknamed "Big Red" and he certainly lived up to it. He set records in all three Triple Crown races. Like so many others, his
racing career was short but brilliant, winning many honors. In his two-year-old year, he won 1972 U.S. Horse of the Year in two out of three polls. The next year, at age 3, he won two Eclipse awards and, again, Horse of the Year.
After 1973, he was retired to stud for a successful breeding career. He sired over 600 foals, and later many descendants were major stakes winners. Sadly, he developed the evil hoof disease, Laminitis, and had to be euthanised in 1989.

In the "Blood Horse" magazine list of 100 greatest Thoroughbreds of the 20th Century, he was named second best behind Man 'O War.

10. This horse swept Horse of the Year Awards an incredible five times. He did not run in Triple Crown races, yet is considered one of America's best racehorses (number four in the Top 100 list). Far back in his pedigree was that unruly horse, Hastings - our subject must have inherited that trait, for he was was so unruly that they gelded him in an effort to calm him - the calming part didn't work. But this is perhaps why he had such a long career in racing: 1959-1966. Do you remember his name?

Answer: Kelso

Despite an undistinguished first season in 1959, Kelso's determination carried him to years of championships. In 1960 he won many stakes races and was voted Horse of the Year, as he was in the following four years, having dominated racing for those years. He was retired at age nine, in 1966; he had been racings top money winner and had earned the love of many fans. Many were saddened by his death, one of the greatest racing writers, Joe Hirsch, wrote, "Once upon a time there was a horse named Kelso. But only once."

In the "Blood Horse" magazine list of 100 greatest Thoroughbreds of the 20th Century, he was named fourth best following Man O' War, Secretariat, and Citation.

Source: Author mpkitty

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor gtho4 before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Thoroughbred Honors Trivia Quiz

Horse of the Year or Horse of the Century are honors for outstanding Thoroughbreds in America. Here are 10.

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