A small horse at fifteen hands tall, Sarazen had a difficult temperament that made him hard to handle, and his original owner had him gelded.

Sarazen's 1925 wins included the Dixie Stakes on Preakness Day on the turf at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland.

He also won the International Special No.3 at the Latonia Race Track in Covington, Kentucky, over a field of top American and European horses.

While setting a Latonia track record, 3-year-old Sarazen defeated Belmont Stakes winner Mad Play, the future Hall of Fame filly Princess Doreen ("The Princess" came back to beat him in the 1926 Saratoga Handicap), and Pierre Wertheimer's 4-year-old colt Epinard, the champion 2-year-old of France who would retrospectively be named American Champion Older Male Horse.

Sarazen came back the following year and became the only horse to have his name engraved twice on one of the oldest trophies in American sports, "The Annapolis Subscription Plate."