© Jeff Faughender/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The 151st running of the Kentucky Derby takes place on Saturday afternoon at iconic Churchill Downs, and 19 horses will be looking to etch their name in the history books. But should they not win the race, each horse will at least be able to be happy for a member of their family who does win. That’s right, every single horse running in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby is related to one another, because all 19 horses can trace their lineage back to legendary Triple Crown winner Secretariat.
If that seems preposterous to you, you’re not the only one! But as Stephanie Kuzydym of the Louisville Courier Journal, it’s true. Every horse running in the 151st Kentucky Derby has descended from Secretariat.
In 1973, Secretariat, who was immortalized in the 2010 film bearing his name, not only won the Triple Crown but did so in dominant fashion. He completed the 1.25-mile Kentucky Derby in a record time of 1:59.4 that still holds today. He’s also the only horse to have ever eclipsed the 2-minute mark in the race. Additionally, he won the Triple Crown-clinching Belmont Stakes by a jaw-dropping 31 lengths, which is considered to be perhaps the greatest performance in horse racing history.
Legendary Racer Secretariat Is Related To Every Horse In The 2025 Kentucky Derby
As such, there were a number of owners and breeders who were interested in breeding the legendary horse.
“It’s one of those stats, it’s bound to happen at some point with how much he shows up in every single pedigree.” Derby trainer Whit Beckman said. It’s really cool. Very cool.”
According to Kuzydym’s research, Secretariat sired more than 660 registered foals.
So, what does that mean for this year’s race? Well, with post time about two hours away at the time of writing, Journalism, trained by Michael McCarthy, is the race favorite at 7/2. Sandman has the next best odds at 9/2, followed by Sovereignty at 9/1.