Racing as a four-year-old, Carry Back had disappointing early form but returned to his best with wins in the Metropolitan Handicap, Monmouth Handicap and the Whitney Stakes to establish himself as one of the leaders of an exceptionally strong handicap division headed by Kelso. In October, he became one of the few American champions to race in Europe when he contested the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. In the same year, he became the fourth horse, after Citation, Nashua and Round Table, to earn $1M in prize money.