The 4 fastest Derby paces of all-time

[Calzone Lord]

2000: Half mile in 44.86 seconds

Eight different horses were positioned within less than 10 lengths of that pace.





Congaree won the "race within the race" by falling only 4.75 lengths short to Monarchos and Invisible Ink. Point Given finished 2nd, losing by only 11.5 lengths. Express Tour finished 3rd beaten 14+ lengths. Everyone else was defeated by 20 lengths or more.


Congaree, who soundly defeated Monarchos in the Wood Memorial, is not in the Hall of Fame, but he did perform at a Hall Of Fame caliber level for an entire 12 months stretch:




Point Given, who is in the Hall of Fame (much to the chagrin of Pat Cummings) raced four more times, and swept the Preakness, Belmont, Haskell, and Travers. He won the Belmont by more than 12 lengths over Monarchos and Invisible Ink. He won the Haskell in a bar shoe. He won the Travers in a bar shoe over a game E Dubai (sire of Fort Larned)

Express Tour, who finished 14+ lengths behind Monarchos, had just defeated Street Cry and Lido Palace in Dubai in his prior start. Two starts later, he won the Gr 2 Jerome by 5.5 lengths at 8/1 odds.

Monarchos and Invisible Ink never won another stakes race of any kind. 4th place finisher Thunder Blitz lost his next seven races, including the West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer Park and three different N2X allowance races.



2013: Half mile in 45.33 seconds

This time, again, Eight different horses were positioned within less than 10 lengths of that pace.

Here's how all 8 of them performed:



Time will tell the rest.



1986: Half mile in 45 1/5

I don't have the cooler, more modern looking charts for the 80's races, but, according to the official chart, five different horses were positioned within less than 10 lengths of the pace.




Of those five, the horse with the best result was Snow Chief, who finished 11th beaten only 19.5 lengths by last-to-first winner Ferdinand.

In his very next start, Snow Chief won the Preakness by 4 lengths over Ferdinand. Broad Brush finished a soundly beaten 3rd.

Snow Chief won the $1 million Jersey Derby over Mogambo and Tasso at 1 1/4 miles in his next start after the Preakness. He was named that years champion 3-year-old despite his 19.5 length Derby defeat.