Kentucky Derby Winners: Complete All‑Time List

The Kentucky Derby has produced 151 officially recognized winners between its first running in 1875 and the 2025 race, making it the longest‑running and most storied event in U.S. horse racing. Each name on the list carries its own story of surprise, dominance, or resilience, and the roll‑call ranges from Aristides to Sovereignty.

This article arranges those winners chronologically, then adds concise context on the Triple Crown champions and the jockeys and trainers who have left the deepest marks on the race.

Complete winners list (year, horse, jockey)

The following list presents the official Kentucky Derby winners with their winning years, horses, and jockeys, up to 2025:

Kentucky Derby winners (year, horse, jockey)

• 2025: Sovereignty – Junior Alvarado
• 2024: Mystik Dan – Brian Joseph Hernandez Jr.
• 2023: Mage – Javier Castellano
• 2022: Rich Strike – Sonny Leon
• 2021: Mandaloun – Florent Geroux
• 2020: Authentic – John Velazquez
• 2019: Country House – Flavien Prat
• 2018: Justify – Mike Smith
• 2017: Always Dreaming – John Velazquez
• 2016: Nyquist – Mario Gutierrez
• 2015: American Pharoah – Victor Espinoza
• 2014: California Chrome – Victor Espinoza
• 2013: Orb – Joel Rosario
• 2012: I’ll Have Another – Mario Gutierrez
• 2011: Animal Kingdom – John Velazquez
• 2010: Super Saver – Calvin Borel
• 2009: Mine That Bird – Calvin Borel
• 2008: Big Brown – Kent Desormeaux
• 2007: Street Sense – Calvin Borel
• 2006: Barbaro – Edgar Prado
• 2005: Giacomo – Mike Smith
• 2004: Smarty Jones – Stewart Elliott
• 2003: Funny Cide – José Santos
• 2002: War Emblem – Victor Espinoza
• 2001: Monarchos – Jorge Chavez
• 2000: Fusaichi Pegasus – Kent Desormeaux
• 1999: Charismatic – Chris Antley
• 1998: Real Quiet – Kent Desormeaux
• 1997: Silver Charm – Gary Stevens
• 1996: Grindstone – Jerry Bailey
• 1995: Thunder Gulch – Gary Stevens
• 1994: Go for Gin – Chris McCarron
• 1993: Sea Hero – Jerry Bailey
• 1992: Lil E. Tee – Pat Day
• 1991: Strike the Gold – Chris Antley
• 1990: Unbridled – Craig Perret
• 1989: Sunday Silence – Pat Valenzuela
• 1988: Winning Colors – Gary Stevens
• 1987: Alysheba – Chris McCarron
• 1986: Ferdinand – Bill Shoemaker
• 1985: Spend a Buck – Ángel Cordero Jr.
• 1984: Swale – Laffit Pincay Jr.
• 1983: Sunny’s Halo – Eddie Delahoussay
• 1982: Gato Del Sol – Eddie Delahoussay
• 1981: Pleasant Colony – Jorge Velásquez
• 1980: Genuine Risk – Jacinto Vasquez
• 1979: Spectacular Bid – Ronnie Franklin
• 1978: Affirmed – Steve Cauthen
• 1977: Seattle Slew – Jean Cruguet
• 1976: Bold Forbes – Ángel Cordero Jr.
• 1975: Foolish Pleasure – Jacinto Vásquez
• 1974: Cannonade – Ángel Cordero Jr.
• 1973: Secretariat – Ron Turcotte
• 1972: Riva Ridge – Ron Turcotte
• 1971: Canonero II – Gustavo Avila
• 1970: Dust Commander – Mike Manganello
• 1969: Majestic Prince – Bill Hartack
• 1968: Forward Pass – Ismael Valenzuela
• 1967: Proud Clarion – Bobby Ussery
• 1966: Kauai King – Don Brumfield
• 1965: Lucky Debonair – Bill Shoemaker
• 1964: Northern Dancer – Bill Hartack
• 1963: Chateaugay – Braulio Baeza
• 1962: Decidedly – Bill Hartack
• 1961: Carry Back – Johnny Sellers
• 1960: Venetian Way – Bill Hartack
• 1959: Tomy Lee – Bill Shoemaker
• 1958: Tim Tam – Ismael Valenzuela
• 1957: Iron Liege – Bill Hartack
• 1956: Needles – David Erb
• 1955: Swaps – Bill Shoemaker
• 1954: Determine – Raymond York
• 1953: Dark Star – Henry Moreno
• 1952: Hill Gail – Eddie Arcaro
• 1951: Count Turf – Conn McCreary
• 1950: Middleground – William Boland
• 1949: Ponder – Steve Brooks
• 1948: Citation – Eddie Arcaro
• 1947: Jet Pilot – Eric Guerin
• 1946: Assault – Warren Mehrtens
• 1945: Hoop Jr. – Eddie Arcaro
• 1944: Pensive – Conn McCreary
• 1943: Count Fleet – Johnny Longden
• 1942: Shut Out – Wayne Wright
• 1941: Whirlaway – Eddie Arcaro
• 1940: Gallahadion – Carroll Bierman
• 1939: Johnstown – James Stout
• 1938: Lawrin – Eddie Arcaro
• 1937: War Admiral – Charley Kurtsinger
• 1936: Bold Venture – Ira Hanford
• 1935: Omaha – Willie Saunders
• 1934: Cavalcade – Mack Garner
• 1933: Brokers Tip – Don Meade
• 1932: Burgoo King – Eugene James
• 1931: Twenty Grand – Charley Kurtsinger
• 1930: Gallant Fox – Earl Sande
• 1929: Clyde Van Dusen – Linus McAtee
• 1928: Reigh Count – Chick Lang
• 1927: Whiskery – Linus McAtee
• 1926: Bubbling Over – Albert Johnson
• 1925: Flying Ebony – Earl Sande
• 1924: Black Gold – John Mooney
• 1923: Zev – Earl Sande
• 1922: Morvich – Albert Johnson
• 1921: Behave Yourself – Charles Thompson
• 1920: Paul Jones – Ted Rice
• 1919: Sir Barton – Johnny Loftus
• 1918: Exterminator – Willie Knapp
• 1917: Omar Khayyam – Charles Borel
• 1916: George Smith – Johnny Loftus
• 1915: Regret – Joe Notter
• 1914: Old Rosebud – John McCabe
• 1913: Donerail – Roscoe Goose
• 1912: Worth – Carroll Shilling
• 1911: Meridian – George Archibald
• 1910: Donau – Frederick Herbert
• 1909: Wintergreen – Vincent Powers
• 1908: Stone Street – Arthur Pickens
• 1907: Pink Star – Andy Minder
• 1906: Sir Huon – Roscoe Troxler
• 1905: Agile – Jack Martin
• 1904: Elwood – Shorty Prior
• 1903: Judge Himes – Harold Booker
• 1902: Alan‑a‑Dale – Jimmy Winkfield
• 1901: His Eminence – Jimmy Winkfield
• 1900: Lieut. Gibson – Jimmy Boland
• 1899: Manuel – Fred Taral
• 1898: Plaudit – Willie Simms
• 1897: Typhoon II – Buttons Garner
• 1896: Ben Brush – Willie Simms
• 1895: Halma – James Perkins
• 1894: Chant – Frank Goodale
• 1893: Lookout – Eddie Kunze
• 1892: Azra – Alonzo Clayton
• 1891: Kingman – Isaac Murphy
• 1890: Riley – Isaac Murphy
• 1889: Spokane – Thomas Kiley
• 1888: Macbeth II – George Covington
• 1887: Montrose – Isaac Lewis
• 1886: Ben Ali – Paul Duffy
• 1885: Joe Cotton – Erskine Henderson
• 1884: Buchanan – Isaac Murphy
• 1883: Leonatus – William Donohue
• 1882: Apollo – Babe Hurd
• 1881: Hindoo – Jim McLaughlin
• 1880: Fonso – George Lewis
• 1879: Lord Murphy – Charlie Shauer
• 1878: Day Star – Jimmy Carter
• 1877: Baden‑Baden – Billy Walker
• 1876: Vagrant – Robert Swim
• 1875: Aristides – Oliver Lewis

Triple Crown champions among the Derby winners

Among those 151 Derby winners, 13 went on to capture the full Triple Crown, sweeping the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes.

Those champions are:

• Sir Barton (1919)
• Gallant Fox (1930)
• Omaha (1935)
• War Admiral (1937)
• Whirlaway (1941)
• Count Fleet (1943)
• Assault (1946)
• Citation (1948)
• Secretariat (1973)
• Seattle Slew (1977)
• Affirmed (1978)
• American Pharoah (2015)
• Justify (2018)

Of these, Secretariat, Seattle Slew, and Affirmed form the so‑called “Speed Era” trio, while American Pharoah and Justify re‑ignited the modern Triple Crown narrative after a 37‑year drought.

Most Derby wins by a jockey

• 11 wins: Not yet reached; the record is currently held by Eddie Arcaro (5 Derby wins) and Bill Hartack (5 Derby wins), tying them for most in the race’s history.
• Other jockeys with 4 or more Derby wins include Bill Shoemaker (4) and Calvin Borel, Victor Espinoza, Kent Desormeaux, and Gary Stevens (3 each).

Most Derby wins by a trainer

• Several trainers have achieved 6 Derby wins across their careers, including Ben A. Jones, D. Wayne Lukas, and Bob Baffert (though connections of some wins have since changed due to suspensions and disqualifications).

These figures show how the list of Derby winners doubles as a hall of fame for the humans who guide the champions.

From Aristides to Sovereignty: A timeline of defining champions

• 1875 – Aristides (Oliver Lewis, Ansel Williamson)
  The first Derby winner, Aristides, set the template for fast, early‑running winners. The race was run at 1½ miles until 1896, when the modern distance of 1¼ miles was adopted.
• 1919 – Sir Barton
  The first official Triple Crown winner, Sir Barton established the Derby as the springboard for a sweep through the classics, even though the “Triple Crown” label came later.
• 1973 – Secretariat (Ron Turcotte, Lucien Laurin)
  Arguably the most famous Derby winner ever, Secretariat romped home in a then‑world‑record 1:59.4, a time that

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