Known as one of the oldest sports in history, horse racing has brought on a lot of fame and fortune to these Equine beauties. They endure a lot of training with practice sessions using jockeys to perform in and win major competitions. The winning equines gain fame throughout the world because of the way they performed during an event. However, there are a few that have done a lot of hard work and made their way to the top. Here are some of the top racing horses in recent times with their background:

Affirmed- Considered one of the world's most renowned horses, he was also known as the eleventh winner of the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing and is still the last horse to do so. He is a descendent of Triple Crown winner War Admiral through dam sire Crafty Admiral. After winning several events, Affirmed is a representative of thoroughbred champions. This led him to become one of the most famous horses of all time.

Barbaro- Known for his impressive recoveries from various injuries, Barbaro has won several racing events such as the Kentucky Derby, Florida Derby, and the Holly Bull Stakes. He is a third generation bloodline of Mr. Prospector along with several other Triple Crown hopefuls that have included Big Brown, Eight Belles, Afleet Alex, Smarty Jones, Funny Cide, and Fusaichi Pegasus. Barbaro is also known as the Heart of America to many of his fans. Barbaro has a book written about him that focused on his injuries from the Preakness Stakes.

Cigar- As a product of Maryland's oldest breeding farm, Cigar was the first American racehorse known to have won 16 races in a row since former Triple Crown winner Citation. This retired horse is known as one of the best competitors at the Kentucky Horse Park. This thoroughbred great was the richest racehorse in America, and had his final race at the Breeders Cup Classic in 1996.

Red Rum- Known for winning the Grand National in 1973, 1974, and 1977 Red Rum is considered one of the greatest racehorses of all time throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland. Being bred to win 1 mile races, Rummy had started his career participating in cheap races as a sprinter and won a five furlong race at Aimtree Racecourse, home of the Grand National. Red Rum was once ridden by Lester Piggot during his early career. He was purchased by Ginger Mc Cain after being passed around several training yards. Red Rum was purchased for Noel Le Mare, who trained him on the sands of Southport. This helped prepare him for his many Grand National wins and has led to several books that were written about him.

These are just a few of the famous horses of the racing circuit, along with many more due to their brilliant performances, their victories, and their out of this world speed in that we can learn about. They are the heart of the sport of horse racing and the spirit of what these events represent.