10 memorable Kentucky Derby horse names who became champions

The culture of the Kentucky Derby is multifaceted.

From the races and horses to the food, fashion and drinks, the Run for the Roses isn’t short of tradition. But one tradition that goes beyond races is the horse-naming process. There have been some good ones over the years to be called out during the Derby. Though the 2023 winner’s name, Mage, was one of the more common-sounding names, others over the past 150 years have been more outlandish and memorable.

Some horses will go down in Kentucky Derby history for being a long-shot champion or winning impressively. Other horses will be remembered for their monikers.

Here are 10 of the most unique Derby-winning horse names:

10. California Chrome (2014)

The Golden State once was known for its low riders, rims and hydraulics. California Chrome is a nice ode to the culture. After the horse won the Derby, Jay-Z purchased him for $55 million.

9. Funny Cide (2003)

There are two sides to every story and, evidently, a funny “cide” to the 2003 Derby winner. He beat Empire Maker in the Run for the Roses, becoming the first New York-bred horse to earn the honor. Falling a Belmont Stakes win short of the Triple Crown, Funny Cide made $3.6 million during his racing career and retired in 2008. The 23-year-old died due to complications with colic last year at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington.

8. I’ll Have Another (2012)

The only thing more popular than horses at the Kentucky Derby might be mint juleps. What better way to pay homage to the bourbon-based drink than to name a horse I’ll Have Another? The 15-year-old horse was a Belmont Stakes win away from the Triple Crown. He was scratched from the race due to tendinitis. The chestnut Kentucky native spent five years in Japan before returning to the United States in 2018.

7. Dancer’s Image (1968)

Three years before Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer,” there was Dancer’s Image, whose name was originally A.T.’s Image. After rallying to win the Kentucky Derby, he was drug tested and found to have bute, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug for the short-term treatment of pain and fever in animals, in his system. The drug was prohibited on race days. The case was litigated for five years. Dancer’s Image became the first horse to be disqualified from a Triple Crown race.

6. Spend a Buck (1985)

His owners made a lot more than they spent on the Kentucky-bred horse. Spend a Buck finished his racing career with a 15-10-3-2 record and earned $4,220,689. He lived his final years in Brazil before dying of anaphylactic shock after an allergic reaction to penicillin in 2002.

5. Gallant Fox (1930)

Naming one animal after another is an interesting choice. He wasn’t the only “fox” in the family, either, with his younger brother being named Fighting Fox. Born at Claiborne Farm, Gallant Fox was the first horse to surpass $300,000 in earnings in a year and became the second American Triple Crown winner in 1930.

4. Gato Del Sol (1982)

It’s one thing for a horse to be named after a different animal. But doing so in another language is next level. Translated from Spanish, it means “cat of the sun” and originated from a popular Mexican song. He sired 87 winners and two stakes winners before being euthanized at 28 years old in 2007.

3. Exterminator (1918)

If his name wasn’t unique enough, Exterminator earned the nickname “Old Bones” because of his bony appearance and even had a poem written about him by Guy McGee. The gelding raced until he was 8 years old and retired with 50 wins, nine of which were stakes races in 1920.

2. Lil E. Tee (1992)

One of the most popular songs in 1992 was "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix-A-Lot. Although Lil E. Tee sounds like a fellow rapper’s name, the Derby-winning thoroughbred was a 17-1 long shot when he won the Derby, beating favorite Arazi.

1. Clyde Van Dusen (1929)

One of the most original horse names just happens to sound like an actual name because it is/was. The son of Man o’ War was named after jockey-turned-trainer Clyde Van Dusen because both were smaller in stature. The mudder never won another stakes race but ended his career with 12 first-place finishes in 42 starts.

Reach Louisville football, women's basketball and baseball beat writer Alexis Cubit at acubit@gannett.com and follow her on X at @Alexis_Cubit.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: 10 funny Kentucky Derby horse names that won the race