Known as the Sport of Kings and a magnet for Middle Eastern royalty and the mega-rich, horse racing, at least at the top end of the sport, is a millionaire’s playground. While it is possible to get into horse ownership relatively cheaply, via syndication or the odd bargain buy, the price of an elite performer is more than most of us would earn in more than one lifetime.
Nowhere are the staggering sums more spectacularly displayed than in the world of flat racing, and specifically in regard to the colts. If a racehorse can mesh an appealing pedigree with stellar racecourse performance, you can expect its sales price to head into the stratosphere. Lured in by beautiful breeding, on-course brilliance, and a potentially lucrative stud career, those with the resources are prepared to reach deep into their incredibly deep pockets. The result? A list of racehorses sold for truly eye-watering sums.
1. Justify
- Price – $75 million (2018)
- Sire – Scat Daddy
- Big Race Wins – Kentucky Derby (2018), Preakness Stakes (2018), Belmont Stakes (2018)
Topping the list is a horse that Irish powerhouse Coolmore agreed to purchase following his win in the 2018 Kentucky Derby. Initially settling on a price of $60 million with the China Horse Club, Michael Tabor, John Magnier and co. consented to pay an additional $15 million if the horse went on to win the US Triple Crown. Following wins at Pimlico and Belmont, Justify cemented his place in US racing legend and became the most expensive racehorse of all time.
Retired at the end of his three-year-old season, Justify ended his career with five wins from six starts – the only defeat coming when disqualified having crossed the line three lengths clear in the Santa Anita Derby.
Justify’s Race Record
| Date | Race | Course | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18th Feb 2018 | Maiden | Santa Anita | 1st |
| 11th Mar 2018 | Allowance | Santa Anita | 1st |
| 7th Apr 2018 | Santa Anita Derby | Santa Anita | 1st (Disqualified) |
| 5th May 2018 | Kentucky Derby | Churchill Downs | 1st |
| 19th May 2018 | Preakness Stakes | Pimlico | 1st |
| 9th Jun 2018 | Belmont Stakes | Belmont Park | 1st |
As impressive as that race record was, Justify needed more in his favour to demand such a staggering sum. The added value was provided by his wonderful pedigree. Sire Scat Daddy won twice in Grade 1 company before standing at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud in Kentucky. Dam Stage Magic had shown only limited ability at the track but was sired by the brilliant Ghostzapper, whose four Grade 1 wins included the 2004 Breeders’ Cup Classic.
With flag-bearing stallion Galileo heading into his twilight years, it was easy to see why Coolmore were drawn to Justify as a potential sire of the future. Initially standing for $100,000, Justify’s covering fee had climbed to $200,000 by 2026, by which time he had sired over 400 racehorses. Standout names on Justify’s stallion CV include 2025 St. Leger winner Scandinavia, 2025 2,000 Guineas hero Ruling Court, and the 2024 Cartier Racehorse of the Year, City Of Troy.
2. Fusaichi Pegasus
- Price – $70 million (2000)
- Sire – Mr Prospector
- Big Race Wins – Kentucky Derby (2010)
When shelling out $75 million for Justify, Coolmore broke their own world record. 18 years earlier, the Irish operation had paid $70 million for another runner who made his name on the US racing scene.
Racing in the colours of Fusaro Sakiguchi, Fusaichi Pegasus won three of five starts in 2000, including a brilliant success in the Kentucky Derby. On racecourse form alone, Fusaichi Pegasus was no match for Justify, nor was his pedigree as appealing at first glance. However, while sire Mr Prospector’s biggest wins came in handicap events, he had already proven himself as an excellent sire of sires, thanks to the stud exploits of Kingmambo, Machiavellian, and others.
Fusaichi Pegasus’s Race Record
| Date | Race | Course | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15th Apr 2000 | Wood Memorial Stakes | Aqueduct | 1st |
| 6th May 2000 | Kentucky Derby | Churchill Downs | 1st |
| 20th May 2000 | Preakness Stakes | Pimlico | 2nd |
| 23rd Sep 2000 | Jerome Handicap | Belmont Park | 1st |
| 4th Nov 2000 | Breeders’ Cup Classic | Churchill Downs | 6th |
For Coolmore, this investment wasn’t as successful as their outlay on Justify. Initially offered for a fee of $150,000 in 2001, by 2021, Fusaichi Pegasus’s stud fee had fallen to $7,500. While there were hits along the way, including Queen Anne Stakes winner Haradasun, the expensive purchase didn’t have the impact at stud that may have been hoped for.
3. Shareef Dancer
- Price – $40 million (1983)
- Sire – Northern Dancer
- Big Race Wins – Kentucky Derby (1983)
Taking third spot is the 1983 Irish Derby winner. Initially purchased for $3.3m by Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the colt was syndicated for a total of $40 million at the end of his Classic campaign.
In Shareef’s Dancer’s case, that impressive sum resulted from a combination of his Classic winning ability at the track and wonderful pedigree. Sire Northern Dancer is recognised as one of the most influential stallions in the history of the sport and is credited with kickstarting the Vincent O’Brien era of dominance in the 1960s and 70s. Dam Sweet Alliance was the daughter of 2,000 Guineas and Epsom Derby winner, Sir Ivor, and won the 1977 edition of the Kentucky Oaks.
Shareef Dancer serves as an example that excellence on the track and an impeccable pedigree don’t always translate to success at stud. Having reached a stud fee of £100,000 soon after his purchase, that fee had dropped to £3,500 by 1999. That decline was reflective of a mediocre stud career, which failed to produce a genuine superstar.
4. The Green Monkey
- Price – $16 million (2006)
- Sire – Forestry
- Big Race Wins – None
Unlike the other entries on this list, The Green Monkey attracted his huge fee before ever setting foot on the racetrack. Descended from the Northern Dancer line on his sire’s side, his own sire Forestry had won the Grade 1 King’s Bishop Stakes at Saratoga. Dam Magical Masquerade was a daughter of the 1990 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Unbridled. Lots to like on paper, but this purchase didn’t pay off.
Running in the colours of Michael Tabor, who was part of the ownership group, The Green Monkey failed to win in three career starts, amassing a mere £5,327 in prize money. His career at stud didn’t work out much better, with his four offspring winning only a combined £75,184 at the track.
The Green Monkey’s Race Record
| Date | Race | Course | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15th Sep 2007 | Maiden | Belmont Park | 3rd |
| 13th Oct 2007 | Maiden | Belmont Park | 4th |
| 21st Nov 2007 | Maiden | Hollywood Park | 4th |
5. Palloubet D’Halong
- Price – $15 million (2013)
- Sire – Baloubet du Rouet
- Big Race Wins – None
Rounding out our top five is a horse that never appeared at the racecourse. However, that doesn’t come as a surprise, as Palloubet D’Halong spent his career in the showjumping sphere.
Following his win in the 2013 Grand Prix de Rome, Dutch Olympic gold medallist Jan Tops bought the horse as a present for his wife, fellow showjumper Edwina Alexander. The $16 million price was a particularly high sum, as Palloubet D’Halong is a gelding, meaning he has no breeding value.
Five racehorses, purchased for a total of $216 million, and ranging from successful stallions to racecourse flops and extravagant gifts. The previous world record stood for 18 years – how long will it be before the next multimillion-dollar thoroughbred emerges to knock Justify off top spot?