With one of Pennsylvania’s marquee annual races upon us this weekend in the Grade 2, $500,000 Penn Mile Stakes at Penn National Race Course, we thought it time to pay tribute some of the greatest racehorses in Pennsylvania history.

Specifically, we’re looking back at some of the best Pennsylvania-bred horses; the list includes classic winners, warhorses, legendary fillies and mares, and steeplechase champions.

Two stakes races on Saturday’s card at Penn National pay tribute to great Pennsylvania-breds: the Danzig Stakes and the Lyphard Stakes. Both sons of the great Northern Dancer, Danzig topped the U.S. sire list in 1991, ’92 and ’93 and his son Danehill became arguably the most influential modern sire in Australia; while Lyphard was the leading U.S. sire in 1986.

But there are plenty of other great Pennsylvania-breds:

Smarty Jones and Pat Chapman (Coady Photography)

Smarty Jones: For five weeks in 2004, Smarty Jones was undoubtedly America’s horse. An unlikely success story, the horse was bred by his owners Roy and Pat Chapman at Someday Farm in New Hope, Pa. Smarty Jones won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, and attempted to become the first undefeated (he was 8-for-8 at the time) Triple Crown winner since Seattle Slew in 1977. He held the lead in midstretch of the Belmont Stakes but was denied Triple Crown glory by Birdstone. It was the final race of Smarty Jones’ career. He has gone on to have moderate success as a stallion, and now stands at Calumet Farm in Lexington, Ky.

Storm Cat: Pennsylvania has produced some of the most notable racehorses in recent years, as well as perhaps the most influential sire of the last 30 years. After retiring from racing in 1987 (we shouldn’t overlook the fact that he did earn $570,610 in just eight career starts, including a second-place finish in the 1985 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile), Storm Cat began a prolific stallion career that would last two decades and hit its height when his stud fee rose to $500,000. For perspective, 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah’s stud fee is considered extremely high … and it’s only $200,000. Storm Cat produced 181 stakes winners and his progeny earned more than $129-million.

Lil E. Tee: The only other Pennsylvania-bred to win the Kentucky Derby was Lil E. Tee. Like Smarty Jones, Lil E. Tee prepped for the first Saturday in May by running in the Arkansas Derby (he finished second). Unlike Smarty Jones, Lil E. Tee went off as a 16.80-1 longshot in the Kentucky Derby. Under the ever-patient guidance of Hall of Fame rider Pat Day, Lil E. Tee rallied late and swept by the field to win the 1992 Kentucky Derby. The horse would go on to win two more races the following year, ending with career earnings of $1,437,506.

Alphabet Soup: This horse solidified his legacy in the penultimate race of his career, winning the 1996 Breeders’ Cup Classic by a nose at odds of almost 20-1. Equally surprising was the fact that he’d held off 1995 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Cigar, the Horse of the Year in both 1995 and 1996. Alphabet Soup retired with 10 career wins and $2,990,270 in earnings. After a long run as a stallion, Alphabet Soup was pensioned to Old Friends Farm retirement facility in Georgetown, Ky., in 2015. 

Go for Wand: This superstar, bred in Pennsylvania, finished no worse than second in her first 12 career starts, winning 10 of those races. Her Grade 1 scores included the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, Ashland Stakes, Mother Goose Stakes, Test Stakes, Alabama Stakes, Maskette Stakes and Beldame Stakes. Her epic run ended abruptly following a catastrophic injury she suffered in the stretch of the 1990 Breeders’ Cup Distaff. She was named the Eclipse Award winner as champion 3-year-old filly that year, which followed a 1989 campaign in which she won champion 2-year-old filly honors. She was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 1996.

Hard Spun in 2010 in retirement. (Eclipse Sportswire)

Hard Spun: Hard Spun was always a pretty highly regarded Triple Crown prospect from the time that he was purchased as a yearling for $485,000 in 2005. He won his first four career races and was fairly well supported in the Kentucky Derby — he finished second to the favorite, Street Sense. Hard Spun came back to run in the next two legs of the Triple Crown, finishing third and fourth in the Preakness and Belmont Stakes, respectively. After winning two significant stakes races later in the year and finishing second in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, he retired with $2,673,470 earnings. He’s gone on to a successful breeding career, too, and sired more first-crop stakes winners than any horse in history. He stands at Darley in Lexington, Ky.

With Anticipation: One of the best turf runners to ever come out of Pennsylvania, With Anticipation was 15-time winner who earned $2,660,543. Trained by Hall of Famer Jonathan Sheppard for Augustin Stable, his highlight wins came in taking back-to-back editions of the Man o’ War Stakes at Belmont in 2001 and 2002. He also emerged victorious in the United Nations and Sword Dancer Handicaps in 2002. Many also will remember his brave run in that year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf, when he finished second to heavy favorite High Chaparral.

Flatterer: This Pennsylvania-bred was one of Jonathan Sheppard’s legendary trainees on the steeplechase circuit. A four-time champion from 1983-1986, Flatterer was simply dominant during his reign as the top steeplechase horse in the U.S., ending up with 24 lifetime wins. Among his greatest accomplishments were winning the Colonial Cup four times, the Temple Gwathmey Handicap twice, the American Grand National in 1983, New York Turf Writers Cup in 1984 and the Iroquois Steeplechase in 1987. He was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 1994.

Princess of Sylmar winning 2013 Kentucky Oaks. (Eclipse Sportswire)

Princess of Sylmar: Bred by her owner Ed Stanco for his King of Prussia Stable, Princess of Sylmar became a fan favorite when she captured the 2013 Longines Kentucky Oaks at odds of 38.80-1. She wasn’t just a longshot, she was the second longest shot in the field of 10 horses. After beating the likes of Beholder in the Oaks, she went on to defeat champion older female Royal Delta later that summer. The filly retired in 2015 with nine wins from her 15 starts and earnings of $2,017,220.

Fabulous Strike: Another Old Friends Farm retiree who was born in Pennsylvania, Fabulous Strike was a winner of five graded stakes and 15 races overall. One of the Thoroughbred tracks in his home state, Penn National, even named a race after him: the Fabulous Strike Handicap. Regional favorite Ben’s Cat won the race three years in a row from 2012 through 2014.

Page McKenney: Early on in his career, Page McKenney was entered in multiple claiming races, one in which owner Adam Staple claimed (or purchased) the horse for $16,000. It ended up being a wise investment; Page McKenney has gone on to win 18 races to date and has earned more than $1.5-million. Staple sold back an interest in the horse to his previous owner, Jalin Stable. Page McKenney is still active and is scheduled to run in the Mountainview Stakes on the Penn Mile undercard on Saturday.

Unique Bella. (Eclipse Sportswire)

Unique Bella: Before being sidelined by a shin injury earlier this year, Unique Bella was widely considered the prohibitive favorite to win this year’s Longines Kentucky Oaks. After finishing second in her career debut last summer, she’s come back to win four straight races, including three graded stakes at Santa Anita. The racing world eagerly awaits her return to the track.

Win Man: This appropriately named son of Con Man raced almost exclusively in Pennsylvania. His career, which spanned nine years, saw him run an astounding 178 times and win an equally amazing 48 races. Since most of those races were claiming races and starter allowances, Win Man earned significantly less than others on this list — “just” $416,000 — but retired with the second most victories of any horse in modern history.