The 12 Most Popular Racehorses of the Modern Era

Ka Ying Rising

There are fast horses, and then there is Ka Ying Rising. The New Zealand-bred gelding has spent the past three seasons turning Hong Kong's sprint division into a personal exhibition of speed.

By October 2026, he had accumulated twenty-one consecutive victories, an astonishing achievement in a sport where one awkward start, unlucky racing position or determined rival can end months of preparation.

His important victories include the Hong Kong Sprint in 2024 and 2025, the Chairman's Sprint Prize, the Centenary Sprint Cup and Australia's prestigious Everest in 2025.

The Everest victory was particularly significant. Travelling from Hong Kong to Sydney and defeating an international field at Royal Randwick demonstrated that his dominance was not confined to Sha Tin.

Trainer David Hayes and jockey Zac Purton have developed a remarkable partnership with the horse. In October 2026, the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities rated Ka Ying Rising the world's highest-rated active racehorse, with a mark of 135.

His next major challenge is a return to The Everest on October 17, 2026, with a twenty-second consecutive victory at stake.

At six furlongs, very few horses on earth have been able to live with his pace.

Forever Young

Forever Young has become one of the most recognizable names in international Thoroughbred racing, and his career reads like the travel itinerary of a very wealthy adventurer.

Born in Japan and trained by Yoshito Yahagi, Forever Young first attracted widespread American attention when he finished third in the 2024 Kentucky Derby, beaten by the narrowest of margins in a dramatic three-horse finish involving Mystik Dan and Sierra Leone.

He later developed into one of the finest dirt horses in the world.

In February 2025, Forever Young won the $20 million Saudi Cup in Riyadh after a memorable duel with Hong Kong champion Romantic Warrior. The two fought relentlessly through the final stages before Forever Young prevailed.

He returned to the United States in November 2025 and won the Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar, becoming the first Japanese-trained winner of the race.

In February 2026, he returned to Saudi Arabia and captured the Saudi Cup for a second consecutive year. He subsequently finished second to American horse Magnitude in the Dubai World Cup.

Owned by Japanese businessman Susumu Fujita, Forever Young represents the enormous advances made by Japanese breeders, trainers and owners over the past two decades.

He is proof that a horse can become an international celebrity without ever winning a Kentucky Derby.

Romantic Warrior

For Romantic Warrior, the remarkable statistics begin with money. By his retirement in September 2026, the Hong Kong champion had earned approximately HK$288.75 million, equivalent to roughly US$36.8 million, making him the highest-earning racehorse in history.

Purchased by businessman Peter Lau for HK$4.8 million at the Hong Kong International Sale in 2021, the Irish-bred gelding became one of the greatest investments in international racing history.

His victories included four Hong Kong Cups, four Queen Elizabeth II Cups, the Hong Kong Derby, Australia's 2023 Cox Plate, Japan's 2024 Yasuda Kinen and the 2025 Jebel Hatta in Dubai.

In 2026, he also completed Hong Kong's Triple Crown, demonstrating that his remarkable ability remained intact well into his eighth year.

His encounter with Forever Young in the 2025 Saudi Cup was one of the most thrilling international contests of the decade. Although defeated, Romantic Warrior enhanced his reputation by nearly winning one of the world's greatest dirt races on his first attempt at that surface.

Trainer Danny Shum carefully managed his demanding international schedule, while James McDonald became closely associated with many of his most famous victories.

A leg injury brought his career to an end in September 2026. He retired as a gelding, with no stallion career awaiting him, but with an extraordinary collection of records that future champions will struggle to match.

Sovereignty

The 2025 Kentucky Derby delivered a new American superstar when Sovereignty swept past Journalism on a rain-soaked Churchill Downs racetrack and carried Godolphin's famous royal-blue colors into the winner's circle.

It was a defining victory for trainer Bill Mott and Sheikh Mohammed's global racing operation.

Sovereignty subsequently won the Belmont Stakes, Jim Dandy Stakes and Travers Stakes, the last by a commanding ten lengths. His accomplishments earned him the 2025 American Horse of the Year title.

Unlike some Kentucky Derby winners whose subsequent careers never quite equal their performance on the first Saturday in May, Sovereignty demonstrated that he possessed both exceptional ability and genuine staying power.

After an illness prevented him from competing in the 2025 Breeders' Cup Classic, he returned as a four-year-old in 2026.

He finished second in the Oaklawn Handicap and third in the Stephen Foster Stakes before delivering another major victory in the Whitney Stakes at Saratoga on August 8, 2026.

With the 2026 Breeders' Cup Classic approaching, Sovereignty remains one of America's most compelling active racehorses and a formidable representative of the Godolphin dynasty.

Daryz

Paris-Longchamp has witnessed some extraordinary Thoroughbreds, but very few have accomplished what Daryz achieved in October 2026.

The French champion captured the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe for the second consecutive year, becoming the first colt since Alleged in 1977 and 1978 to win Europe's most celebrated championship twice.

His 2025 Arc victory came when he caught the outstanding filly Minnie Hauk in the closing strides. Twelve months later, he returned to Longchamp and defeated Bay City Roller to complete a remarkable double.

Bred from Sea The Stars and Daryakana, Daryz represents a continuation of the Aga Khan family's celebrated breeding traditions. His pedigree combines important European stamina bloodlines with the acceleration required to win against elite international company.

Other significant victories included the 2026 Prix Ganay and Prix Foy.

Under trainer Francis-Henri Graffard and jockey Mickaël Barzalona, Daryz developed from a promising young French colt into one of the defining European champions of the decade.

His retirement following the second Arc victory brought the racing chapter of his career to a close while opening the possibility of an equally important future as a stallion.

Two Arcs, two extraordinary afternoons and a place in French racing history.

Ombudsman

Ombudsman possesses something particularly valuable in modern European racing: the ability to deliver a powerful finishing performance against the very best middle-distance turf horses.

His breakthrough into elite competition came in the 2025 Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot, where he established himself as a major force in international turf racing.

Later that summer, he captured the Juddmonte International at York, one of Europe's most prestigious races over approximately ten furlongs.

His success continued in 2026 with victory in the Dubai Turf at Meydan, followed by another Prince of Wales's Stakes triumph at Royal Ascot in June.

Owned by Godolphin and trained by father-and-son partnership John and Thady Gosden, Ombudsman is a product of the sophisticated international racing system developed around elite breeding, careful placement and major championship meetings.

The son of Night Of Thunder has shown that a horse need not begin racing at two to rise to the highest level. His career began as a three-year-old, and his subsequent progress has been impressive.

With nine victories from thirteen starts entering mid-October 2026, he remains a leading contender in the European middle-distance division.

Calandagan

Calandagan's career offers an interesting lesson in Thoroughbred racing. A horse does not need the prospect of becoming a valuable breeding stallion to become an international superstar.

The Irish-bred gelding, racing for Aga Khan Studs and trained in France by Francis-Henri Graffard, has accumulated major turf victories across Europe, Japan and the Middle East.

His finest achievements include the 2025 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot, the 2025 Champion Stakes, the 2025 Japan Cup in Tokyo and the 2026 Dubai Sheema Classic.

He also captured the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud in both 2025 and 2026.

His Japan Cup victory was particularly impressive because the race consistently attracts outstanding Japanese runners supported by an enormously enthusiastic racing public. To travel into that environment and defeat the home team demands exceptional ability.

Calandagan was named the world's best racehorse of 2025, reinforcing the international reputation he had developed through an extraordinary campaign.

His rivalry with other European stars, including Ombudsman, has given turf racing some of its most compelling recent contests.

Because Calandagan is a gelding, his entire sporting reputation must be built on what he accomplishes at the racetrack. Judging by his international record, that has been more than sufficient.

Thorpedo Anna

Thorpedo Anna brought excitement, personality and tremendous competitive spirit to American racing. She was not merely a successful filly competing against other fillies; she was a genuine threat to the best male horses of her generation.

Trained by Kenny McPeek, the daughter of Fast Anna became one of the dominant runners of 2024, capturing the Kentucky Oaks, Acorn Stakes, Coaching Club American Oaks, Cotillion Stakes and Breeders' Cup Distaff.

Her most famous defeat may have been almost as important as any victory.

In the 2024 Travers Stakes at Saratoga, she challenged leading three-year-old colts and finished a courageous second to Fierceness, beaten by a head after a memorable stretch battle.

That performance helped establish her reputation as one of the toughest competitors in the country.

Named American Horse of the Year for 2024, she returned in 2025 to add victories in the Apple Blossom Handicap, Fleur de Lis Stakes and Personal Ensign Stakes.

Her relatively modest $40,000 yearling purchase price became part of her considerable appeal. She demonstrated that an expensive auction price is no guarantee of greatness.

Retired in October 2025, Thorpedo Anna entered her new career as a broodmare at Hill 'n' Dale Farms in Kentucky.

Sierra Leone

Purchased for $2.3 million at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling sale, Sierra Leone entered racing with enormous expectations.

His late-running style soon made him one of the most exciting horses to follow. He was the type of runner who could appear beaten halfway down the stretch before producing a powerful final surge.

In the 2024 Kentucky Derby, Sierra Leone finished second to Mystik Dan by a nose in one of the closest finishes in the race's modern history. Forever Young was immediately alongside them in third.

Later that year, Sierra Leone achieved his defining victory in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar, overcoming Fierceness to win one of the sport's most prestigious championships.

He continued competing at four, capturing the 2025 Whitney Stakes at Saratoga and finishing second to Forever Young in the 2025 Breeders' Cup Classic.

Trained by Chad Brown, Sierra Leone demonstrated enormous consistency at the highest level. Remarkably, he finished among the first three in all fourteen of his career starts.

Following retirement, Sierra Leone joined Coolmore America's Ashford Stud in Kentucky, where his exceptional Gun Runner pedigree and impressive racing accomplishments are expected to make him an important breeding prospect.

Journalism

Few horses in recent American racing have demonstrated the fighting determination of Journalism.

The California-trained colt emerged as a leading Kentucky Derby contender in 2025 after winning the Los Alamitos Futurity, San Felipe Stakes and Santa Anita Derby.

He finished second to Sovereignty in the Kentucky Derby but returned two weeks later to win the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore, displaying tremendous determination despite encountering traffic and adversity during the race.

Journalism subsequently finished second to Sovereignty in the Belmont Stakes before capturing the Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park.

His final victory came under especially unusual circumstances.

In July 2026, Journalism sustained an injury in the starting gate before the San Diego Handicap at Del Mar. He broke awkwardly, lost valuable ground and nevertheless rallied to win the race.

Only days later, his connections announced his retirement after veterinary evaluations revealed the injury.

He completed his career with seven wins, three second-place finishes and three thirds in fourteen starts, earning approximately $4.77 million.

The son of Curlin was retired to begin a stallion career at Coolmore America's Ashford Stud. His combination of pedigree, speed and competitive courage makes him a particularly interesting prospect for the next generation.

Flightline

Flightline may have possessed more raw ability than any American Thoroughbred to race in recent decades.

His career was frustratingly brief, consisting of only six starts, but he won every one of them with an authority rarely seen in modern racing.

The son of Tapit won the 2021 Malibu Stakes, then produced exceptional victories in the Metropolitan Handicap, Pacific Classic and Breeders' Cup Classic in 2022.

His performance in the 2022 Pacific Classic at Del Mar was almost unbelievable. He defeated his opponents by 19¼ lengths, a margin more commonly associated with a mismatch than a major Grade 1 championship.

Later that year, he captured the Breeders' Cup Classic by 8¼ lengths at Keeneland, decisively defeating a field of elite American runners.

His extraordinary accomplishments earned him the 2022 American Horse of the Year title and recognition as the world's highest-rated racehorse.

Flightline retired undefeated after six starts with approximately $4.5 million in career earnings.

Although many racing fans wished to see him compete for another season, his connections elected to retire him to Lane's End Farm in Kentucky for a high-profile breeding career.

His limited racing record leaves one irresistible question: just how much more could he have accomplished?

Equinox

Japan has produced numerous outstanding Thoroughbreds, but Equinox established himself as one of the country's most celebrated modern champions.

Foaled at Northern Farm in 2019, the son of Kitasan Black developed into an exceptional turf horse whose performances were characterized by tremendous acceleration and remarkable consistency.

His major victories included the Tenno Sho (Autumn) in 2022 and 2023, the 2022 Arima Kinen, the 2023 Dubai Sheema Classic, the 2023 Takarazuka Kinen and the 2023 Japan Cup.

His final appearance in the Japan Cup was particularly memorable. Competing before an enormous and enthusiastic Tokyo crowd, Equinox defeated a strong international field to complete his racing career with six consecutive Group 1 victories.

Under trainer Tetsuya Kimura and French jockey Christophe Lemaire, he became the world's highest-rated racehorse for 2023.

He was also named Japanese Horse of the Year in both 2022 and 2023.

Equinox retired with eight victories and two second-place finishes from ten career appearances, an extraordinary record at the highest level.

Now standing at Shadai Stallion Station in Japan, he represents one of the most important bloodlines for the future of Japanese Thoroughbred racing.

His place among Japan's greatest modern racehorses is already secure.