Much has been made of BloodHorse’s top one hundred American racehorses of the twentieth century. When it was first published it immediately became a hot issue as many experts agreed with BloodHorse’s assessment while others disagreed. In addition to BloodHorse’s listing, several other lists were published, including our own, which, for the most part, is similar to the BloodHorse list, though there are several variations.

However, when it came to a separate list specifically for fillies and mares, there wasn’t one. Neither could I find an individual listing on another site. Though BloodHorse did not publish a separate list for fillies and mares, they did include the highest-rated members of the opposite sex in their final list. When reviewing their list, I found that 26 fillies and mares made it into their top one hundred, though not one was listed in its top ten, twenty, or even thirty. In fact, I had to go all the way down to #35 before I came to their highest-rated filly, that being Ruffian, who in turn was followed by Busher #40, Gallorette #45, Personal Ensign #48, and the European, though Kentucky bred, Dahlia at #50.

These five fillies and mares had exceptional careers, and all were eventually inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. They were champions with a reputation for being consistent and ultra-tough, and except for Ruffian, they all defeated some of the sport’s best males during their illustrious careers.

Following are BloodHorse’s top twenty fillies and mares of the twentieth century, with their placement in the top 100 in brackets: