What's amazing is that in the 50 years since Secretariat raced, no one has beaten ANY of his times at all three tracks. His win of 31 lengths actually was called 25 at the time and was remeasured to 31, a record that will NEVER be broken. I adore the racing aspect of this movie because it just blows me away every time. He ALWAYS started in the back and then shocked everyone in the Belmont when he just kept running faster and faster. When he passed, they discovered that his heart was 3x the size of a normal horse. Literally had the heart of a champion.
@@JO-qd2bvIt's just absolutely iconic. There are a lot of moments in sports where I wish I was alive to witness, but this one has gotta be in my top 3. Every time I watch the actual footage, my jaw drops every time.
At the turn of the century, ESPN did a countdown of the top 100 athletes of the 1900's. Secretariat was the only non-human on the list at number 35. Had his own hour long special on ESPN that's worth checking out on RU-vid. It's listed under ESPN Sport Century - Secretariat. Without the commercials, it's only about 40 minutes long and well worth your time. It does a great job of not only showing how impressive he was as an athlete, but just how much he meant to the fans, many of whom didn't care about horse racing at all until Secretariat came along.
@@orangeandblackattack you wouldn't see that Horses name in the U.S triple Crown as Nijinsky wouldn't have lowered itself to running on flat round dirt tracks. Nijinsky won the 2000 Guineas Epsom Derby & The St Leger ( pronounced correctly Darby ) The Proper Triple Crown , Not some 2nd rate flat dirt track racing. Tell me are the Americans still pumping your poor Horses full of steroids & Blood Thinners to get the most out of the animals ? Unlike the UK & Ireland then where most Horses are treated for life not just a Racing Life.
@@orangeandblackattack Nijinsky won the Proper Triple Crown The 2000 guineas, The Epsom Derby, The St Leger. Not on flat round dirt tracks but on real tests of race courses.
Not sure what accents the guys playing Lucien and Ron were using but they weren't Quebecois or Acadian (New Brunswick). And Lucien's French wasn't very convincing (and I'm English).
I remember when Secrtariat died. There were dedicated news programs. I was young and had no idea why this horse was special. My father explained it to me. He was not into racing but he respected great athletes. He explained that this was one of god’s true gift to the world being taken and returning home.
@@davidr7412I miss Vin and Chick Hearn and Bob Miller!! These old school guys always elevated the game with their memorable calls. But Dave Johnson - wow - he really captured the feeling and essence of that magical Belmont run.
Best part of all these horses is you can go right to youtube and watch most of their big races live as if you're watching it for the first time. And it's truly amazing to watch these once in a lifetime horses that dominated their sport.
During the run to the Triple Crown,in the Kentucky Derby, Secretariat ran each of the quarter miles faster than the one before - the horse was literally accelerating all the way around the track. In the Preakness, he went from dead last to first in about 300 yards - watch the documentary people have mentioned - it really does it justice - the other horses look like they're going backwards. Then in the Belmont he won by 31 lengths. 31 lengths.
It was a feat that will never be matched. In any other year Sham would have been a Triple Crown winner, he just had the bad luck to be up against Big Red.
You also have to consider Sham broke his leg which is why Secretariat took the lead, and Sham took dead last. The announcers actually called it like 26 or 28 lengths because they were more excited then figuring out the lengths. it was later changed to 31. Also, at the time Secretariat did not have the fastest time at the Preakness but later experts re did the timing or something like that and found he did in fact run the fastest.
I'm from Germany and saw the Triple Crown Races when they where life shown on AFN (American Forces Network) for the Ammerican troops that where stationed in Germany at that time and still are. One aspect You seem all to miss out on is the Fact that Ron Turcotte never used his whip in any of the Triple Crown Races with Secretariat and any other race he rode on Secretariat, while the other jockeys used it in a manner which almost seems redicules. That says a lot about Ron Turcotte and especialy Secretariat no other horse ever had the will to win a race like Secretariat did particularly in the Triple Crown Races he showed them all what he was made of and the incredible intention to win the Triple Crown Reces with an exclamation mark in every one of those races and by far the most unbelievable performance in the Belmont Stakes which lasts over 50 years and will last for ever. May the memory of Your breath taking and awe inspiring performance last in all eternity SECRETARIAT!!!
Secretariat's domination of the 1973 Belmont Stakes will always defy belief. Possibly the most dominating performance in the history of sport. Still gives me chills.
Fastest horse ever … Secretariat still holds the fastest times in all three of those races but Winning Brew - The Speed Queen - is the fastest horse ever recorded; she set the world record at a speed of 43.97 mph back in 2008.
Brings me to tears. I saw it on TV in 1973. I was scared that he has either going to break a leg or fizzle out. I have read that Sham, who ended up finishing 4th never ran well again. He was beaten and he knew it.
Secretariat was absolutely UNREAL. I was 8 years old when he won the Triple Crown. It was all anyone talked about for a week. I drew pictures of him all the time. His achievement at Belmont is still considered one of the greatest miracles of modern sports.
One of the books I read about Secretariat, Jockey Turncotte explained that he could feel Secretariat shift into gear. The horse would start slow because it didn't have the stride, but when he shifted, no other horse in history was as fast, not even close. That's part of what made him a miracle. He broke the meta of the horserace. See, the distances that are selected for these races, 1 miles or 1.5 miles or whatever, are designed to test the best a horse can do- accelerate, reach a peak speed, sustain, and right when a typical champion horse runs out of steam, end the race because there's nothing more to gain. You can diagram a horse's performance with a chart that climbs, levels off, then declines, and you train the horse and jockey for the decline to be right after the finish line. But note Secretariat's quarter-mile times for the first Triple Crown race, the Kentucky Derby: 25 1/5 seconds, 24, 23 4/5, 23 2/5, 23. Every quarter mile was faster than the last. He accelerated through the whole race. The last race, the Belmont, was another miracle. You asked 'how much is the horse and how much is the jockey?' Well normally a jockey steers a bit to give the horse room *if the horse is ready to run*, or tap the horse with the crop to shift gears. These can be crucial elements in sustaining a horse's endurance and conserving energy for an effective run. But with the Belmont, Turncotte said "This horse really paced himself. He is smart...*I never pushed him.*" The horse decided to smash the record. And his endurance, which everyone was afraid he'd lose? “I still had a lot of horse when I passed the wire,” Turcotte said. “He was not tired.”
I grew up with horses.I was 11 years old and the first poster of an "athlete" I had on my wall was "Secretariet." My parents loved him. We had quarter horses and Secretariet was built like one.He was like a muscular sprinter, winning long-distance races. My mom openly weeped, and (though he denied it forever) it was the first time I saw my dad shed a tear as we all cheered wildly when he won "The Triple Crown."
I vividly remember when Secretariat was the focus of the nation. My family didn't know anyone who was into horse racing and like most Americans we weren't into it either. But Secretariat was clearly, even to those of us who were completely ignorant about horses, something special. Watching that final race was...stunning, unbelievable and unforgettable. Not likely to ever happen again. I love this movie. Edit-changed "watchung" to "watching".
Just a few days before i graduated from high school i watched the Belmont and for the first time in my life i saw perfection. And i have only seen it a very few times since.Big Red destroyed the field that day and left an untouchable legacy.and God whispered in his ear"faster".
Alright, so while I loved the entire reaction, the highlight for me was seeing you two being an absolute bundle of nerves during Secretariat's legendary Belmont Stakes run at the end. When they cut to him pulling away from Sham, and seeing both of y'alls jaws just absolutely drop...!! That was some of the most fun I've had watching *any* reaction! Fun fact- As of 2024, Secretariat still holds the record fastest times for all three triple crown races.
"It's OK you're way ahead, you can slow down" No he couldn't, he was still accelerating. Each 1/4 of the track was faster than the last and it took another 1/4 of the track for him to coast down. He still holds the records at each of those races. As the credits say his record at Belmont has "never been approached".
This is what many do not understand. The Belmont was the "killer" part of the Triple Crown. It was the longest race of the three. Many times, speed horses that won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness would fold down the stretch of the Belmont - the distance was too much for them. That was the big question with Secretariat - would he be able to handle the distance of the Belmont without faltering down the stretch. Hell, that horse was still accelerating down the stretch. Greatest athletic performance that I have ever seen.
Fun facts: Secretariat won the "triple crown" of horseracing (The Belmont Stakes, The Preakness Stakes, and The Kentucky Derby) in 1973, and TO THIS DAY holds the fastest time in ALL 3 of the races. He is the only animal to be named one of the top 100 athletes of all-time
@@Cherokee9898 Epsom is not a loop , goes up & down & has a 12 ft slope running down from rail to rail. Newmarket has a huge dip on a straight track & Doncaster certainly isn't a loop. Belmont pekingese & kentucky are all flat loop dirt tracks not grass
@SoundWave1984-cu6xb Juvenile comparisons ? UK & Irish horses aren't filled with steroids blood thinners & EPO. It's all illegal here. Not so in the U.S l
Not only has no racehorse ever matched Secretariat, no horse can ever really play him in a movie either. Watch his RU-vid vids and zoom in and compare Secretariat to his competitors -- he was MASSIVE. His neck is almost twice as thick. His owners had to specially make his harness and saddle.
About that other super horse Ruffian … Secretariat’s niece, who Lucien Laurin has been quoted many times as saying, “As God is my judged, she might be better than Secretariat.” Bill Nack wrote about the legendary Secretariat and this film is heavily based on his book - but Ruffian changed his life. No horse could ever play Ruffian or Secretariat in a movie. However, I think Towering Inferno played the legendary Australasian champ “Phar Lap” very well. “Phar Lap” is a great movie! Phar Lap was also called Big Red and born on Oct 4 (same day of Secretariat’s death). The irony was that Towering Inferno was later killed by lightning…
The necropsy of Secretariat revealed that his heart was physically bigger by around 25%. This was the key to his success on the racetrack. He could just pump so much more blood than any of his competitors. Turns out this trait was only passed through on the maternal side... His son's would never inherit the gene, only a daughter and then a grandson could have it...
A necropsy was done on Sham when he died of a heart attack in 1993. Sham's heart weighed 18 pounds, that's twice the size of a normal thoroughbred's heart. Veterinarian Thomas Swerczek did the necropsy on both horses, for whatever reason he didn't weigh Secretariat's heart, but based on the weight of Sham's heart, he estimated Secretariat's heart at 22 pounds. Sham and Secretariat were first cousins; they were both grandsons of Princequillo who carried the gene for the "x-factor." Princequillo sired both Sham's dam The Squaw and Secretariat's dam Something Royal.
Secretariat put on the greatest performance by any thoroughbred ever in the 1973 Belmont Stakes, setting a world record for a mile and a half on dirt of two minutes and twenty-four seconds flat which still stands. He also ran every quarter mile in the Kentucky Derby faster than the previous one!
I’m old enough to remember when this was happening and let me tell you Secretariat had the attention of the entire world.. I was about 9 years old I had never paid much attention to horse racing, but I remember my dad and I watched and It was so exciting.. Secretariat was absolutely amazing, and I horse or not, I agree that he was one of the greatest athletes who ever lived
One thing this movie doesn't say: after driving Secretariat so hard at the beginning, after Secretariat pulls away, Sham fades and finishes the Belmont Stakes LAST.
I think it destroyed Sham. He never raced again after the Belmont. He retired to stud. Sham also had a heart that was twice the size of normal thoroughbreds. Sham also broke the 2 minute mark in the Derby
@@allenwhitmer8192 During the race, Sham suffered a hairline fracture of his right front cannon bone. Sham's jockey noticed that Sham was laboring extra hard and pulled him up. The broken bone in his leg wasn't discovered until a month later when they began working him out to race again. The verticle fracture ran almost the entire length of the bone; it was repaired with three screws.
They say, while Secretariat was pasturing, he would look up and watch airplanes fly by. You really need to watch the original race footage. It will make you smile and cry at the same time.
I remember hearing that in one of the documentaries, the guy couldn't believe, it was like Secretariat had a wider grasp of the world than other horses, so cool
I have this movie at home...saw it in the theater, and am old enough, I lived that history as a teen. Oh Happy Day was a hit in 1968, but when Secretariate came around the last turn and that song started up, tears were welling up in my eyes, remembering that event as it happened on TV that day in 1973.
Secretariat's birthplace, Meadow farm is preserved as The Meadow Event Park in Caroline County, Virginia with all of the buildings in place. They have events on Secretariat's birthday and is also home to the annual State Fair of Virginia.
Agree with other commenters. If we're doing horse movies and if you haven't seen it, THE BLACK STALLION (1979) is probably the greatest horse film of all time. It is a genuine work of art that is crazy entertaining. A cinema classic.
One of the most memorable days of my life was when I watched Secretariat win the Belmont, like a "tremendous machine". Goosebumps then, and now just recalling it.
This movie always makes me tear up. Growing up on a farm and riding horses for a good majority of my life thanks to my parents. This movie always reminds me of my dad who isn't here with us anymore but reminds me of his spirit and his determination. Glad you guys did a reaction to this amazing and heart warming movie!
And still to this day Secretariat holds the fastest times in all three triple crown races Kentucky Derby , The Preakness , & The Belmont. Truly AMAZING!!
Secretariat STILL holds all 3 triple crown records! RU-vid has many, many videos of him racing and interviews of people. Reporters, trainers, etc. This horse lives in the stratosphere when all the other ones are down on earth!
about once a month I watch the 13 minute RU-vid presentation of the real Secretariat winning the triple crown. It makes me cry every time! He's moving like a tremendous machine!
Bucket list moment for me was going to the Derby 2 years ago to complete the triple crown set. Between races they'd show old races on the big screen, and seeing Secretariat run, while in the place where he raced all those years ago, was one of many special moments that day.
The real Penny is in the final scene cheering on watching the race. She was every bit the Ellen Ripley of the real world. She was strong and smart, and her success proved it. When you have a bond with a horse, it is an amazing thing. The connection is indescribable. Running....? There are no words. Also, whichever of us managed to get the horse when we played Monopoly, always named it Secretariat.
Whatever ANY other film that might have ANYTHING to do with horses--you simply HAVE to watch "THE BLACK STALLION"!! It is the grandest, moving and without QUESTION quite simply the most visually BEAUTIFUL one of them all!! None other comes close to equaling it! It is a superb cinema masterpiece!!! PLLEEEEEZE...do NOT mist it! Every aspect will stay within you for the rest of your life!! It is close to flawless!!
i go to the Belmont race every year for the past 15 years, its an amazing experience. i was there when American Pharoah won the first triple crown since secretariat. i recommend going to it once in your life. some people consider Secretariat to be the greatest athlete ever and its hard to argue. what he did at belmont was unbelievable. he was actually running faster each section of the race. meaning his last 1/4 mile was faster then the previous.
Ahh, Seattle Slew (1977) and Affirmed (1978) won in between Secretariat and American Pharoah. I can certainly understand forgetting Seattle Slew, but the tag team of Affirmed/Alydar should not be so easily dismissed.
My grandmother was an avid horse rider and would love to tell us about all the horses she had and the one time she met Secetariat and in her younger days Seabicuit, she had the photos and cried every time she talked about them. My grandmother was an accomplished lady, was one of those Rosie riviters during WW2 and got her captains licence boating and navigating for large fishing boats also showing off her sailboat racing trophie.
Interesting factoid if no one else had mentioned it before. At the Belmont, which is 1 1/2 miles, they had left the timer on at 1 5/8 miles. After slowing down for an 1/8th of a mile Secretariat broke that record too. (unofficially of course)
Secretariat’s record times in ALL THREE Triple Crown races still stand today…51 years since he ran them in 1973. His autopsy (he died at age 19) showed his heart (22 lbs) was over 2-1/2 times that of a normal thoroughbred’s 8-1/2 lb heart. You should watch the RU-vid clip of the actual Belmont Stakes…amazing to see.
SO EXCITED to see an actual reaction to this movie! I LOVE horses and ESPECIALLY Sectertariat. It makes me cry every time! Hard to believe that even today only 13 horses have ever done it. To this day his winning times in each of the Triple Crown races has yet to be beaten.
Sham finished 2nd in the Derby to Secretariat, but the amazing part is that Sham's time is STILL the 2nd fastest Derby ever. He would have beaten every other horse to ever run the race.
There's a series of documentaries on ESPN called "30 for 30." There's one on another racehorse called Charismatic, seen as an underdog horse, who won the first two legs, then fell in the Belmont because jockey Chris Antley pushed him just a little too much. But one of the most amazing moments was as soon as the Belmont was over - Antley noticed that one of Charismatic's legs had fractured a bone, which usually means the horse has to be euthanized. Antley jumped off onto the dirt, and risked being trampled because other horses were still finishing the race, but he took the injured leg and held it in the air until paramedics arrived. Antley was able to save Charismatic because of it. Charismatic managed to live for 20 years, because Antley saved his life. Sadly, Antley himself died in 2000 from a drug overdose.
I was standing at the inside rail at the Preakness as he went roaring by...a big, beautiful horse! I still get chills whenever I watch the clip from the Belmont Stakes. Another inspiring film about a horse is "Seabiscuit"....perhaps even more inspiring in a way...
Seabiscuit was one of the first radio star celebrities. Everyone in the country was taken by him because he epitomized the everyman, the underdog. And he ran his races and won in the end. There is a good documentary that was done on PBS about him. I like it better than the live action movie, although I think the movie was good.
After his death they did an autopsy/necropsy on Secretariat and found that he had an enlarged heart which might have accounted for his spectacular speed and endurance
technically, his heart was physically 2.5 times the size of a normal horse. The terms can be confusing. Enlarged heart, which is what my dad suffers from, means the walls of the heart are very thin. This was not the case for Secretariat. His enormous size was able to break up oxygen twice as efficiently as a normal horse. I was confused when I first heard it until the documentary on ESPN clarified it. But your point in general is correct. Its funny too, because marathon runners have enlarged hearts in a good way due to the distances they run. Its all quite fascinating. Cheers!
Worked in Kentucky on a breeding farm with a lot of the veterinarians who manage the horses. Turns out it's a misconception. He never had an autopsy/necropsy. The myth came from a vet listening to his lungs with a stethoscope and saying "His heart has to be twice the normal size"
@@brianalambert1192 A necropsy was done on Sham when he died of a heart attack in 1993. Sham's heart weighed 18 pounds, that's twice the size of a normal thoroughbred's heart. Veterinarian Thomas Swerczek did the necropsy on both horses, for whatever reason he didn't weigh Secretariat's heart, but based on the weight of Sham's heart, he estimated Secretariat's heart at 22 pounds.
@@ct6852 Racehorses are tested, but I don't know if it's for steroids. There are drugs that give them an unfair advantage, but I can't think of the names offhand
That shot when Secretariat comes charging around the corner at the end is one of the best set-up, and executed, pieces of cinematography I've ever seen.
The Black Stallion is a MUST WATCH if you like horse racing movies. It is amazing. Probably the best horse movie ever. The cinematography is unmatched.
I was 13 and was playing a little league baseball game on the Saturday when Secretariat won the Belmont in 1973. I remember one of my teammates father went to his car to listen to the race on the radio, because it was a very big deal that no horse had won the Triple Crown in 25 years. When he came back from listening and said Secretariat won by 30 lengths, I didn't know what that meant. But when I watched the replay later, even though I was a dumb young kid, I saw what that horse did and it was so obvious that I was seeing a once in a lifetime event. I still remember the announcer and the awe in his voice when he called Secretariat "a tremendous machine". And then I read many years later that when he passed away, the vet who did his necropsy said his heart was almost 30% larger than any other horse heart he had ever seen.
My dad told me about seeing it on tv and how the tv had to pan forever to see the horses behind Secretariat. It was burned into his brain. This story is amazing and wonderful and why I'll always love this horse.
I think there is actually a fairly common therapy where people with psychological trauma go to ranches and bond with horses. I've seen some testimonials on tv and online and they say it's effective.
OMG! Thank You so much for this reaction. The way you reacted to each race was exactly the way we all reacted in real life! This horse took the country by storm. We followed every race with like our lives depended on it. Your reaction brought back all that emotion. I loved Secretariat in real life. And then there's Diane Lane. A great actress who I've watched since she was a little girl (her first movie is called "A Little Romance" and she is amazing in it at 14 years old!) And in every movie thereafter. Thanks again girls!!!
I was alive then and there was so much excitement surrounding secretariat.He brought the nation together when we really needed it! Now whenever I feel a little down, watch big reds triple crown races,it makes me cry but I feel so happy when I’m done.I think you you should watch the races on you tube and see for yourself how great and beautiful of a horse he was!❤ great reaction as always,you two are fantastic.Always puts a smile on my face ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
The absolutely insane thing about Secretariat's run at the Belmont...Secretariat had a faster split at each marker. He was accelerating the entire race, and was still doing so after the finish line.
You really have to see the actual footage of Secretariat winning the triple crown at Belmont in 1973, it'll give you a greater appreciation of what a great horse this was....
Ronnie Tourcotte and the other jockeys said when Big Red would run down the field it sounded like a freight train coming after them. When died and they performed the necropsy (autopsy for animals) his heart and lungs were were larger than any other thoroughbred horse.
I'm impressed they made this a good movie.... usually stories that have underdogs or rises and falls are what make good films, like say Seabiscuit..... Secretariat is very much a story that goes "Once there was a horse, it kicked the ever loving shit out of everyone and was the undisputed greatest horse in history, the end." which is hard to craft a compelling narrative around. Them including his owner and the story of his birth/training was very smart.
I have actually ridden a horse at a gallop and I can tell you that at that speed it's easier to get into a rhythm with the horse. It's much easier than trotting,
I grew up on a horse farm, and was in my teens for Secretariat's Triple Crown. After the 1st race, most folks I knew assumed the Triple Crown. There are a lot of strategies to run a race, most centering around sprint and hold, or constancy of effort with a finish kick. But no one's strategy is to build pace all race because you just can't do it. But Secretariat DID. Once you saw that..... when you witnessed him do a thing horses cannot do (build pace with each quarter), why would you think he would stop doing it? I was at an auction, and the settled scuttlebutt was something to the effect of, "No mere horse is going to beat Secretariat;" as if he wasn't a horse. And in his way, he wasn't. Has there ever been such an outlier freak of nature in the athletic sense like Secretariat? Never. It's a hell of a thing.
What is so great about this movie is that, even if you have seen the races a dozen times, even if you watched them on TV as they happened back then, still when Secretariat is running the races in the movie, it is as if you're watching them live for the first time, getting all tense and shouting, "Come on, come on, let's go, go, go" your excitement building all the time until the spectacular finish." Now, only a few more weeks until the Derby!
Fun fact about Sham the horse that raced Secretariat so hard in the triple crown races that year actually beat Secretariat once, at the Wood Memorial Stakes earlier in 1973 he finished 4 lengths ahead of him but he didn't win the race that horse was Angle Light who was actually Secretariat's stable mate 😊
I always felt that Sham & Secretariat were freinds. On the last race when they ran together they said ""let's put on show for the humans that they will never forget ""
Secretariat at the Belmont is the closest thing to perfection that any athlete has ever reached in any competition. Think of the greatest day that any athlete ever had and Secretariat at the Belmont was better.
Except it’s not. I can think of numerous better examples of more heart and persistence. When the fuck was secretariat ever actually knocked down and had to stand back up from pure heart. Absolutely never. I find Gerry Bertier getting paralyzed in a car crash and setting national records for the paralympics far more inspiring than some stupid horse running. I find the Titans perfect season more impressive with what they had to pull through and how they became a team. But keep thinking some stupid horse went through more than them 😂
Those are excellent examples of athletes overcoming adversity, and-indeed-had I said Secretariat overcame more challenges than any other athlete, you’d have a point. But I didn’t say that.
I will say, as a competitive equestrian for most of her life, there is something exceptionally magical about riding a racing horse and just letting them run like that.
Awesome story about a wonderful horse! FYI, there's no other experience of being on the back of a horse in a full out run, listening to the hooves as they contact the ground, knowing the power being exerted, feeling the glide of the horse's movements below you. Sheer exhilaration.
I'm not a horsey person but when I watched the Belmont live back then, I was blown away by the ridiculous lead Big Red had and kept on increasing as he came down the home stretch. A once in a lifetime bit of magnificence.
Secretariat still holds the stakes record for each of the Triple Crown races, the Kentucky Derby (1:59 2/5 ) the Preakness Stakes (1:53), and the Belmont Stakes (2:24).
Also champion, but it's about the jockey and how he gets to race at the end, it has a young John hurt playing the lead, it's mainly set in England with a bit of USA in it,it's moving. But it's the English steeple race, I think all up 32 jumps and twice around the track,some horses and jockeys do get injured during the race. Won't tell you what happens but you may like it.👋💕🇦🇺
I remember watching the Triple Crown races that year. Secretariat truly was the most incredible horse I've ever seen. The huge win in the Belmont was unbelievable.
The greatest race horse ever. His picture was on the three biggest magazines of the time. I watched all three races on TV and I stood and cherd the whole race. Especially the final race at Belmont.
My Dad was a staff plumber at Santa Anita in the early 70s. My Mom would take me there several times a season to watch these magnificent animals run. We watched all 3 of those races on TV, and the Belmont had me jumping for joy during that stretch run! Great memories and a great reaction ladies!
Those races were run in the spring and summer of 1973 when I was a 22 year old college graduate student. I didn't care about racing very much before that summer, and neither did any of my friends. In the summer of 1973 EVERYONE cared about racing and this wondrous horse, Secretariat, aka "Big Red". I watched every race on TV, and most other people did as well, all rooting for Secretariat. Secretariat won the Kentucky Derby in record time and still holds the race record at 1:59.4. Sham finished 2nd but also broke the 2 minute barrier, which is better than any other horse has ever run the Derby in. The Preakness was next, and was 1/16 of a mile shorter race than the Derby. Secretariat won that in a still record 1:53. Sham was again 2nd, only 2.5 lengths behind. The Belmont was where the "moving like a tremendous machine" call comes from. Secretariat destroyed a small field, including Sham, finishing the mile and a half race in 2:24, still a race record. Sham ran even with Secretariat for the first half of the race, but tired and finished last, worn out and with a broken bone in his leg that ended his racing career. Secretariat still holds the race record for all three races. I continued to watch the Triple Crown races for a few more years, and saw some good horses, but no more Secretariat's. I don't watch the races or follow horse racing any longer. But the summer of 1973 was one hell of a summer.
If you ever get the chance you have to go watch them race live and in person , it's almost beyond words how much power i guess you can call it when they all go sprinting by , you literally can feel the ground rumble. (but for that feeling really try to tickets on the ground level as close as you can , the view of the race isn't as good as higher up but being that close to the horses as they sprint by is again beyond words you just have to experience it)
Watching "Big Red" was like a religious experience. He captured the attention of everyone...the very young to the very old. We were witnesses to something very special...and even Secreteriat knew this! He actually "posed" for the camera and was aware of his surroundings...he even looked up into the sky to watch birds fly.
I do hope that you read on some of the actual details. As the movie cut out the racehorse Riva Ridge as well as how the actual Wood Memorial went down.
Watching the actual footage of the 1973 Belmont Stakes in color is a MUST. It is the most impressive, awe-inspiring athletic feat of all time. His time for each quarter of the race was faster than the previous quarter time - he ACCELERATED from start to finish! His time at the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and Belmont are still the track records after 50 years!
I honestly believe that Secretariat knew he was the best, and that he enjoyed the adoration, the photographs, and the applause. Watch the TV footage from after the races, the way he poses and tosses his head. What a ham!
When I was 12, I met Secretariat at Arlington Park racetrack. He looked me in the eye and exuded calm, self-confidence. He was enjoying his life of going around the country proving he was better than other thoroughbreds.
While visiting some family in Kentucky, we took a tour of Claiborne Farm, including Secretariat’s grave. It’s truly an amazing facility and well worth a visit if you’re ever in the neighborhood of Lexington.
Horses start racing at 2 years old, and they are born to run. Also the whip (persuader) that is used does not harm the horse, at least not in 2024. Another couple of horse racing movies are Phar Lap (Australia' greatest race horse), and of course, The Cup, which is a truly amazing story about jockey, Damien Oliver and the 2002 Melbourne Cup. Both are Australian movies and are excellent.
As a diehard equestrian, I adore this movie. I don't follow racing but this is really well done and captures the feel of the horse world pretty well. And they did a really good job of recreating that final race (I've seen the footage and this is pretty darn close). If you're interested in seeing more horse movies, I highly recommend Black Beauty. It is a truly gorgeous film and it WILL punch you in the feels.
I'm sure someone has probably mentioned, but in the Belmont Stakes scene (3rd leg of the triple crown) when they showed an old lady smiling hugely in the stands.. that was the real Penny Chenery... always a special scene for me.
@@brucethrasher8551 I had a feeling I was understating it 😬. Guess I should have checked first, I just remembered it was unusually large. That’s insanely large
When Secretariat was retired and died, it was in a small town here in Kentucky and there are a lot of cool statues and murals there and in my city as well. Legendary horse
