All of these were great horses, but to me there will never or hasnt been since i should say a horse like secretariat. Seems the horses had more heart and will to run back before than they do now. Just my opinion.
Secretariat would have lost to American Pharoah. War Admiral to. The GOAT will always the horse who’s owner said to racing in Kentucky, Man O War. Citation was greater than Secretariat
I think it's more to do with their legs than the will to run. Breeders have been putting speed above soundness. It seems to me that the occurrence of leg injuries is far higher today than it was 50, 60, 70 years ago.
50 years ago still ranks as the best sports moment in history. (And I was at the Miracle on Ice in 1980.) What a majesty. How lucky we were to have witnessed it.
I was only 10 years old at the time but I clearly remember watching it. I just wish I could have appreciated it more, what I was witnessing, at the time.
@@penelopelopez8296 we're roughly the same age. I suppose it's hard to contextualize, although it leaves me today with the same overwhelming joy I know I felt then, where no other re-visited event quite does the same. I don't think it's because I was so young; I remember the Miracle Mets and Mark Spitz's seven gold medals of around the same time, I heroized Babe Ruth and Bob Beamon and Wilt's 100 and Pele. All the amazing feats since then in all sports, including other amazing horses (I just rewatched Rich Strike's last quarter in the Derby on a loop about twenty times). But the Belmont? With the flag waving in the foreground? Praying that Big Red would do as hoped and pull away down the back stretch? With the whole country falling apart? With monthly air raid drills in school? "Moving like a tremendous machine"? AND CONTINUING TO PULL AWAY? AND TO SET A STILL UNBEATEN RECORD- BY SECONDS? Many people forget the emotions of Franz Klammer's downhill. I consider that to be of an oft-overlooked moment, especially to Amero centrists. I dunno. There's something that lives up to our ideas of "greater than perfect", of mythology about the feat on that day, and the fact that it was witnessed by so many. It wasn't until after the race that I heard the stats about how fast he was going relative to every race ever run, and how the fear was that the horse could even die from going so fast. The mythology only grew in years later, learning about the size of Secretariat's heart, etc. And, I think it matters that the feat wasn't by a human being. It makes our awe all that much greater. It is beyond all of us. I don't think I've ever thought about it once without crying.
@@johntucker7063 hardly Secretariat has unbroken records if that horse could have beaten him then Secretariat wouldn’t have those records to begin with
@@donnastarpaw Citation won 16 races in a row, a U.S record that stood for approximately 60 years (Cigar tied it). He won a race between the Preakness and the Belmont on the way to his Triple Crown. He won 19 out of 20 races as a three year old horse until he was seriously injured. He was the first horse to have $1 million in earnings (1950 dollars). Eddie Arcaro (his main jockey) never allowed him to run at full speed, so we don't know how fast he could have run. He is ranked third all-time, right behind Secretariat and Man of War.
Man O’ Wars owner, Sam Riddle, was afraid that Man O’ War would get a bad post position and end up stuck in traffic or boxed in the big derby field. He claimed that he didn’t believe a 3 year old thoroughbred was physically mature enough to run a mile and a quarter on the first Saturday in May…..which we know was hogwash because several years later he entered War Admiral in the Derby. He was concerned that Man O’ War would get a bad post and lose because of it. He didn’t care if war admiral lost a race…..he only cared about Man O’ War.
@@johntucker7063 And the Derby wasn't really "the thing" it came to be in another decade, though Matt Winn was really starting to look successful at hyping it.
Sir Barton deserves more respect IMHO, during his lifetime his accomplishment wasn't recognized for the amazing thing that it was. I'm just happy that he got a relatively happy ending with someone who appreciated him... even if Wyoming is an admittedly off-beat locale for a triple crown winner to retire to!
Actually Sir Barton was very much recognized for his greatness AT THE TIME. Problem is we have forgotten it. He was a record-setter (including 1 SAR record matched by Man O'War 3 weeks later) and largely considered the best of 1919 and possibly of 1920, certainly for the handicap elders. As to Man O'War detractors, they try to say he was afraid of Exterminator, that Exterminator was the real measure of greatness, but in truth, Exterminator was not considered quite as great as Sir Barton that year. Exterminator actually had a great year, but much of DRF press was watching and praising Sir Barton.
@@emilycarrick3570 There are some that say that, but the owners basically denied it. Read the great book "Boots & Saddles" by the son of Cmdr Ross, who was also there himself. Even so, SB definitely had problems but he did well considering. Both he and MOW beat the track record, and if you saddled MOW with the same weight, he'd still likely finish in front of SB but just by a length.
Agree! Unlike Whilraway and Citation, Secretariat didn't compete after winning the TC. At least not very often. Secretariat could have become the best horse ever but its owner effectively ended that possibility.
@@benthekeeshond545 Secretariat didn’t need to do more after the Triple Crown he set track records in all 3 that still stand over 50 years later I think that’s more than enough to earn him the title of world best racehorse at least IMO
@@donnastarpaw This Secretariat had a great 3-year-old season but not comparable to that of Whirly or Citation. 3 records indicated that Secretariat was good for a few months. Do you watch football, basketball, or baseball? Can one player with 1 MVP season become the GOAT? Besides, the running fields in thoroughbred racing can be so different. Therefore time cannot be used to judge a horse. W/L record is the standard.
@@johntucker7063 By w/l records, we can't dismiss the Great Man'o War. They are all good within their eras. This is why we can't pick a better horse from different time frames. Unless we can manipulate time. When the Great Joe Montana was asked if he is the greatest QB ever, Joe flatly answered NO.
Secrétariat avait un cœur de 11 kilos, plus du double d'un cœur moyen. Rien n'est un hasard, d'ailleurs la plupart des chevaux célèbres ont tous un cœur plus gros que la moyenne. Ils étaient nés pour être des athlètes. ☺️
Sad Barbaro never got to be apart of the greats. I loved that horse with all my might and cheered for him and it’s a horse I’ll always remember watching as a young child when I started getting into horse racing, but the poor fella. Never got the chance to truly take off and become as famous as these magnificent champions. Now as for a favorite still in the spotlight, I have to say one of my other very favorite race horses has to be the mischievous Japanese white spotted thoroughbred filly, called Buchika I believe?
Seabiscuit beat war admiral because war admiral broke slower and never got into the race after having a long campaign. Seabiscuit also had every advantage…..his trainer got to pick which track they would run on…..the distance…..the date of the race and they could cancel if the weather was bad. It was so stupid. It wasn’t a match race…..it was a parade for men with too much money.
@@penelopelopez8296 Got to pick the track? Would a CA guy pick the east coast, except to brag about it? They certainly engaged in negotiations with different tracks, etc - Woodward managed to get them to Pimlico with the right incentives.
sorry to war admiral fans, but the stipulations were all dictated by riddle, war admiral's owner, including the walking start, which favors fast starters like war admiral. both horses carried 120 pounds. war admiral drew the rail, the fastest line, ran his fastest time for 1 3/16 and seabiscuit still blew his doors off.
He’s not really a triple crown winner. He had a point system in place to modify his competition which the first 11 real triple crown winners did not have the luxury of. When they change elements of the triple crown it no longer is what it once was. It’s now a triple point system series of races. It’s not a triple crown.
@@penelopelopez8296 I think American Pharoah deserves credit since he was the first horse in 37 years to win the Triple Crown. In addition, he won the Breeders' Cup Classic to finish his outstanding career.
They do get something, and that something is the appreciation of the people and a more than assured retirement, as well as the treatment that every king deserves
il me semble qu'il y a eu un record de vitesse récemment chez les chevaux de courses (je l'avais vu passer en publication après le covid) , mais je ne sais plus qui ni quand et ou et quel type mais aujourd'hui j'étais à mon centre équestre et suite de panique pour une selle mal sanglé, un trotteur a couru comme un pur-sang et a fait tout le tour de la carrière avant de sauter la clôture ! J'ai jamais vu un trotteur aussi bien galoper et aussi vite haha oh sérieusement, pauvre cheval, heureusement on a réussi à le reprendre en mains et on a tout défait et on a refait un petit travail de désensibilisation (tout le monde va bien vous en faites pas)
The first 11 were real triple crown winners….no point system in place to make it easy. They ran against everyone…..not the same field of point system earners over and over and over again. And, they ran more than 4 or 5 times in their career. The last two are nothing more than triple point system winners…and that’s about it…..neither of those two would ever have survived Secretariat’s 21 race career or Citations race schedule and career or any year with more than 5 races. The triple crown ended with Affirmed…..speaking of which neither of the last two could ever match strides with Affirmed or Alydar. Come on, Man, we’re talking real race horses here……not 5 race wonder nags.
Actually I consider the '60s (as with most things) the downfall of racing, including the horses. In the '70s the trend had begun of racing them lightly - unless you're a claimer. For some reason the "best" horses ran less and less, with longer between-time, etc. Think of Slew - he ran only 3x as a 2yo yet was considered champ 2yo. Really? Meanwhile, for as many hot-house campaigns as we have now, I really respected American Pharoah, as he still ran a decent season and won many of the best races - not JUST the Triple Crown.
Whirlaway, Citation, and Seattle Slew are the best among the best. Unlike most other TC winners, they were proven horses after their 3-year-old Triple Crown. Affirmed also did well in its long career.
@@jeanday9747 Can the greatest racehorse be determined through 3 races? Besides, Whirlaway ran a very good time at the Kentucky Derby. Track conditions are different and therefore time cannot be used as the standard to judge a horse. Unless it is like a 20-sec difference. At the Preakness, Whirlaway started 10 lengths behind the last horse and this crazy horse still won by what??? more than 3 lengths. At the Belmont, all of them purposely slowed down the race because they knew Whirlaway had tremendous finishing speed. Therefore, Whirlaway couldn't record a fast time. Whirlaway is the only horse to have won the Triple Crown and Travers Stakes at Saratoga. Whirlaway won Horse of the Year as a 3-year-old and as a 4-year-old. Secretariat achieved a lot but in a short career. Nothing compared to Whirlaway or Citation.
Too bad Spectacular Bid received such a poor ride in the Belmont Stakes. He should have won the Triple Crown. Same for Native Dancer in the Kentucky Derby.
@@johntucker7063 Spectacular Bid also had a good career. A proven horse but missed the TC and lost to Affirmed in 1979 Jockey Club. That's why I didn't mention Spectacular Bid.
@@benthekeeshond545 You also forgot War Admiral's cut leg in the Belmont, and the fact many of these horses ran races within the TC. BEFORE the '70s when the schedule of the TC was FINALLY STANDARDIZED (again, I state the horses were getting softer then). Or in different order, etc. SB ran the Preakness 4 days after the Derby, and Gallant Fox ran Preakness before the Derby, etc. People think it's this huge "tradition" of 3 races in 5 weeks (2 weeks+ 3 weeks) but it was not stable until the '60s.
When the next really big EMP hits, the kind not seen since before the Industrial Revolution, there will be 2 forms of transportation, bicycles & horses. Make sure you have at least 1 of those now. There will always be detractors that say we don't need horses or racing anymore, so why do it? But we do need horses for more than racing. Thoroughbred racing ensures that horses continue to be bred for performance. Only 24,000 TB's are born each year. That's not enough for 1 in 1000 to have a horse post EMP, but it's enough to get a few necessities delivered like life saving pharmaceuticals. Most people really don't believe a big solar EMP can or will happen. But it's coming. It will take years for everything to get back to normal. Meanwhile, horses will be doing a lot of work. We will always need domesticated horses, & racing makes sure the horses we have are the best for breeding.
She won the Triple Crown for fillies, which means that she was only competing with other mares, since she did not run in any of the triple crown races, although she qualified for all of them
Driving cars kills nearly 50,000 people per year. I think it should be outlawed. 20,000 horse are born per year that wouldn't exist if it weren't for racing. Most race horses are well treated and loved. Unfortunately, racing is dangerous. But much less dangerous than war which horses no longer have to partake.
