Horse racing's 9th triple crown Champion. He was the first horse, in 25 years to win the crown. And he too, is said to be the greatest ever. From ESPN's Jewels of the Triple Crown www.freehorseracegame.com
All I know is, no other athlete has ever brought me to tears the way Secretariat did when he won the Belmont. To this day I begin to well up at "he is moving like a tremendous machine" and by the final turn tears are rolling down my face and I can't speak. I truly love Secretariat for having that effect on me. No one and nothing else ever has in the 40 years since.
My favorite horse, and athlete, of all time...his wins in the Triple Crown were the most emotionally memorable moments ever recorded. A true legendary horse...still holding world records 35 years later...and two races won from last position and still set the records! And the only one he gave the other horses a running start...he beat them all by 31 lengths...incredible! And no other horse can beat 2 of those records and has only tied the third! He was God's gift to man:-) LOVE Secretariat!!
Your accolades to this amazing athlete is truly warranted and brought back some great memories. The magnificent Big Red will always bring a smile to my face and a tear to my eye when I think of him. Thanks for posting such a terrific tribute.
I was eight years old at the time, and I remember Secretariat well. But not until I vacationed in Lexington and visited his grave did I comprehend the magnitude of this horse. They still talk about him; he was as loved as any human athlete ever, the gentle giant. Tears still well up in my eyes as I watch the Belmont video. The famous picture of Turcotte at the rail looking back with Sham and the rest of the pack just rounding into the homestretch says it all: THE greatest horse that ever lived.
One race does not make a great horse. Breaking the track record and winning all 3 great races in the Triple Crown, now that's a great horse. His name is Secretariat, the greatest horse ever, and it's really not even close.
That Secretariat was AMAZING! Defiantly one of the greatest of all times! It gives me chills just seeing him run the 1975 Belmont Stakes. He made it look so easy! I wonder what caused him to loose at Saratogo to Onion, the horse who never won a stakes race? Oh well, he's simply one of the best, and greatest! Go Big Red!!
i own a ex racer who is secretariats great grandsone, wonderful, magnificant animal is his twin! its soo nice to see more than just images of secretariat!
i have always wanted to be a jockey but i always thought that i wouldnt be good at racing. But when i heard about Secretariat i have a great feeling that i would win races. Thank you so much Secretariat, i love you -3
Phar Lap and Secretariat raced in different periods about 50 years apart. Both were great horses. For Phar Lap to appear on the list of "Top 100 US racehorses in the 20th Century" says it all, since Phar Lap was from New Zealand (raced mainly in Australia). Phar Lap is known for his big heart. Secretariat's heart was even bigger! Both horses were called "Big Red", as was MOW.
Thanks for sharing...I've been dying to see a movie written about my all time favorite athlete and didn't know if they were actually going to do one. Thank God for Walt Disney...can't wait!!!
this video still has the best showing of this race. You can hear announcer clearly and roar of crowd building, and the fans running onto outside track. Announcere's comments are thrilling as Secretariat rounds the last turn w/steam blasting fm his nostrils... "they're standing and they're cheering because this is his last race, he's in the stretch in a blaze of glory... Secretariat, ladies and gentlemen he's ALL yours... and he's coming to the wire !!!...
I love the horse, he is something to see on film, I can't imagine what it was like to see him in real life. But his story combined with his owner is what gives us reason to believe and to hope and have faith. I could watch these races for ever they are kicks! You know God has to show out every once in a while what a creation!
What I also meant to say is video was really put together nicely. Love announcer caught off guard in Preakness as S starts his sneak attack on first turn. No horse did it before or since, thought to be suicidal at high speed, but he did it. Old pros couldn't believe it.
Secretariat is my god...too supernatural for humans to understand this miracle horse. Most magnificent creature ever born on this Earth...the perfect "10". His greatness will never be matched again. History is proving that.
When you live in the middle of horse country as I did during those years it is hard to explain to people what this meant to the nation. It was something I doubt we will ever see again. Such a magnificent animal. I know the first time I saw him up close I was blown away by his size. After God created Secretariat he broke the mold and threw it away.
I've heard of Phar Lap and read some about him. I hate how he died. I never understand how people can do things like that. The thing about Secretariat is how naturally competitive and athletic he was. The downside is not having seen him run at 4 y/o and more. I think he was just coming into his prime. There have been other great horses but I've watched their races and there was a lot of need for the whip. Not so with Secretariat.
According to the Nack biography, Ron Turcotte galloped him another 1/4 mile after race ended, maybe to cool him down (?) I love him, he fills my heart. The beauty of it all...
No, there will never be another, and that is why his fans say he is without any doubt whatsoever, the best horse that ever stepped on a race track. No horse that ever run would have been within 5 or more likely 10 lengths of Secretariat. A tremendous machine, he was that day at Belmont, that he set the track record once again, for the third race in a row, on his way to the Triple Crown.
Secretariat was a prime example of "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts." He was outstanding in confirmation, looks, ability, heart, and attitude. For example, Man-o-War was a great horse but he was mean as hell. Riva Ridge was great but a bit of a prima dona. He needed a lot of attention and would pout when he lost and not want to work. Secretariat was an all-star athlete. He loved 'his job.' He had personality...was very endearing. Show me another horse like him! Show me! ♥
At 1:48, Jim McKay says that Ron Turcotte is looking over his shoulder to see how far ahead Secretariat was; actually, he's looking at the infield teletimer (which is what informed him of the record time so that when the outrider asked him on the clubhouse turn how fast they went, Turcotte could answer accurately, "Two twenty-four flat!"). He *does* do a full look over his shoulder when coming out of the far turn. Other vids here confirm this.
Yeah Earl 31 on the recap. But, that's part of the Glorious race's attributes. Big Red had so much separation and was continuing to extend the lead though the wire. "He was moving like a tremendous machine" to the point that the announcer couldn't calculate the separation in terms of links; they were a blur. Too many in motion to even guesstimate as BR was picking'em up and laying'em down. And Brent, com'on performance enhancing substances had been available since the mid-nineteenth century in some form or another. Cocaine, caffeine , plant based analgesics.... The way Big Red sprinted the entire mile and one half, his heart would have exploded had he been juiced.
I saw a video interview of Ronnie Turcotte where he said he was looking at the infield clock, not at where the other horses were. He said he scared himself when he saw the time.
Secretariat was an amazing horse, the perfect horse. But you can't forget Bold Ruler, his sire. That horse was a phenomenal stallion who proved himself time and time again with weights unbelievable and running for a year with a 2 and a half inch bone splinter in one of his legs. Hint of what was to come I guess.
cont. Let’s assume for a minute that ManO'War, Citation, and Count Fleet were all in their prime and ran a race that was 1-¼ miles in distance. At the finish line it was Man-o-war by 2 lengths over Citation with Count Fleet third by a nose. The winning time was 2:00 4/5. This means that as a rule of thumb (1/5 equals a length) Citation’s time was 2:01 1/5.
That 100 length win is deceptive, since there was just one other horse in the Lawrence Realization, the race chart for which says "Hoodwink made no effort to keep pace with the leader." To be fair, Man o'War was under restraint much of the race, as was typical for him. Still, we're told Hoodwink made no effort to race Man o'War -- or importantly, any *other* horses in the race, the way four horses were vying for 2nd and 3rd money in Secretariat's Belmont, or the way the two other horses in Count Fleet's Belmont, which he won by 25 lengths, presumably were competing against each other. Which track records does MOW still hold? The 1 5/8 mile of the Realization, perhaps? It won't be beaten because no dirt races are held at that distance now. Most of his records would have been beaten by now by virtue of faster tracks and lighter shoes.
Secretariat is the greatest creature to ever be born. God's horse. We will never see anything again on this level. I think of Christ as just another man. Secretariat was the miracle. Man is too vain to think that God would make a horse supernatural and perfect...physically, genetically, temperment, personality, power, confidence and with breathtaking perfect beauty. That's the flaw of man's thinking. A horse that made an entire nation cry watching him race & still watch him 37 yrs. later....
@swanningaround Ruffian !Secretariat's trainer, said this quote to the press "As God as my witness, she may even be better than Secretariat." Ruffian was undefeated in her first ten races, covering distances from 5.5 furlongs (1.1 km) to 1.5 miles (2.4 km) with an average winning margin of 8 1/3 lengths. She won her maiden race in record time and by 15 lengths
@swanningaround Secretariat's trainer, said this quote to the press "As God as my witness, she may even be better than Secretariat." Ruffian was undefeated in her first ten races, covering distances from 5.5 furlongs (1.1 km) to 1.5 miles (2.4 km) with an average winning margin of 8 1/3 lengths. She won her maiden race in record time and by 15 lengths
@rscarbro100 no.... it was his athleticism as you quoted Andy Beyer. He made it up as he went along, each of the Triple Crown races was majestic individually, what he did in each is unbelievable. That's why Nack's bio is so thrilling. And I loved reading about reactions of knowledgeable horse people, and the old timers who'd seen it all.
I agree with you on his being the greatest. I love him more than I cld express. But, it was the Kentucky Derby where he ran each quarter faster. BUT again, Bill Nack lays out his fractions in the Belmont Stakes, and it is breathtaking, 4 of the 1/8ths were in 11 sec and change, the others 12 sec or 12 and a fraction, the last 1/8th in 12 4/5. Then he galloped out another 1/8th to break the record for 1 5/8th miles, PULLING UP !!
@rscarbro100 I guess I need to start fm the beginning and learn more important details/info. I read it twice 6 yrs ago when I was learning all this and refer to it all the time. That's a major piece of information. Glad you have the book. I was in WalMart last night, and shld've looked at new edition to read the new preface and any other additions. I have the green/grey/white 2nd edition paperback. They're all over Ebay and Amazon, also both editions on Secretariat website. thanks again
Sometimes I wonder whether the mythical Pegasus or the Fictional Shadowfax could have vied with Secretariat. I would like to give a personal thank-you to God for creating the greatest athlete of modern times and having the perfect track announcer to call his epic races. Note to ESPN Secretariat belongs at # 1 not Jordan
I say: Never!......it's likely there will be another Trip Crwn Wnr, but there will NEVER be another Secretariat. He was a phenomenon, & loved by a Nation & even now - speak of Secretariat & many (most?) people will say how beloved Sec was & is. Man O War & Sec - Equine Nobility.
Secretariat's trainer, said this quote to the press "As God as my witness, she may even be better than Secretariat." Ruffian was undefeated in her first ten races, covering distances from 5.5 furlongs (1.1 km) to 1.5 miles (2.4 km) with an average winning margin of 8 1/3 lengths. She won her maiden race in record time and by 15 lengths
How do you know Secretariat so well? I'm obsessed with Secretariat and you seem to have an intimate knowledge of my hero. BTW, is Walt Disney really making a movie about Secretariat? I'm his BIGGEST FAN!!! I worship that horse and am so mesmerized by his achievements...I can't get enough of him. Any feedback would be appreciated:-)
I don't think the mold was broken, but he was definitely one of those flukes of thoroughbred breeding. They have found that the size of his heart was passed to him from his dam. Maybe, we'll see another one of these days. He could pass the gene onto one of his daughters and maybe one of them will pas it on to one of her sons. Let's hope so.
There is no point in debating this issue. Secretariat was the fastest race horse of all time. Not because of what he did on the track but because he just was. When you run a mile and a half and run each quarter mile faster than the previous quarter, that is all you have to say. Physically, he had no equal.
@bbmtge I wish the movie had been a box office hit like Seabiscuit was.I did see the Sect movie and enjoyed it.I live near Va and hope the next time we go up to DC, to stop at the Caroline Co Fairgrounds and see the barn where Big Red was born.They moved it across the road there to make room for the state fair.
@rscarbro100 Yes, that is the perenniel question. Nack said he wld've run as a 4 yr old w/the proverbial refrigerator on his back. Imagine how much stronger he wld've been, assuming full health and nothing wrong. Even Citation's owner/trainer saw him 1st time waiting for infamous Wd Mml to start and said he looked the size of a 4 yr old.
@rscarbro100 thanks... I've had the Angelfire site as a Favorite for about 3 yrs now. In fact the guy whose' site it is I think got the Nack story on #1 fm our comments on RU-vid. He posted Nack's story AFTER I discovered the site. He added it as "new information" he found. I'm asking about the 2 guys you mention, Tommy Trotter and Phil Georgeff. Is one of those men the one who put Secretariat 14th on the list??
@kenderova yes, Lucien said that after Ruffian's Spinaway I think. She was very fast. She was huge for a filly, magnificent. But, first of all, Lucien was impressed with her time as he shld've been, and the operative word is MAY. Bill Nack, S's biographer said on Talking Horses blog, Blood Horse website that she possibly cld've beaten him going a mile, but with that big engine and his size and power she cldn't have beat him beyond that. Also, Lucien backed off that statement a bit later.
At peak value, the question of who was better, SEC or MOW, will never achieve full resolution and you must surely know that. All the rest of the great ones including Citation, Dr. Fager, Spectacular Bid, Count Fleet, Swaps, Ruffian, etc. will have to take a ticket and stand in line behind Secretariat & MOW. FYI, I strongly feel Secretariat was the faster horse, but a half-century of condition changes, etc. make the comparison of these 2 great thoroughbreds virtually impossible.
Horse racing's perfect horse. If anyone can show any prove of any horse who have run the next quarter mile faster the one before than i would admit that secretariat is not that special. The thing is no one can say any other horse who is like the big red. The greatest ever racing horse ever lived.
@hilocomtoot a deep wide chest housing those lungs, plus that 21-22 lb heart, highly muscled (Charles Hatton said "Secretariat has muscles in his eyebrows) and another said "Secretariat doesn't walk he waddles." Combine it all and as Turcotte said, a smooth ride, like steering a jet plane. His canon bone was a little shorter than average 8" in, good control, less chance of fractures. Sec was thought to have perfect conformation.
After Secretariat lost, it was discovered that he had been running with a virus. It took him 2 weeks to recover from being sick. If they had known, he wouldn't have been in the race that day. BTW, it was really awful seeing what happened to Ruffian...my sympathy...I see you're a fan.
cont. 2 Now lets assume that Secretariat ran the same 1-¼ mile distance against Riva Ridge, and Sham. At the finish it was Secretariat winning with a time of 1:59 2/5. Does ManO'War get the nod as a superior horse because he beat a higher level of competition but ran a slower time to Secretariat?
@rscarbro100 can you find the SI articles in an archive. I've read a little. The accepted fact among those who don't have a vested interest in knocking Secretariat in any way they can is that the track conditions had slowed later in the wk. One guy tried to justify diminishing S's performance by referring to other races earlier that wk where track records were broken. BUT track had slowed acc to Beyer and those who really knew.
@rscarbro100 WHERE did you find this information ! It's great to find out who tainted the vote, but the WHY is what is important. It supports my sense all along that a lot of BigCy's bitterness has to do with fact Citation stood for so long, 25 yrs as the last TC winner and then not just another good horse wins, but arguably the best American thoroughbred ever. Please tell me where you got this info thanks
I can't believe someone is saying another horse was greater because he beat another great horse without even using the whip, lol. Get real, Secretariat won by 31 lengths, who needed a whip, lol. Oh, and by the way, he broke the track record by around 4 seconds and still holds that record 40 years later.
@rscarbro100 ,thats how greatness is achieved whipping yr oppenent at home then going to the other side of the world and whipping them 2,even when u are 75% fit
@rscarbro100 There appeared in the West an enormous gelding considered by many experts --including jockey Eddie Arcaro, New York State Steward Francis Dunne and Marshall Cassidy, who succeeded his father as dean of American racing officials-- as the greatest thoroughbred ever to race on the American continent. What is more striking, the horse concerned gained his lofty stature in exactly 2 minutes 2 4/5 seconds. Phar Lap.
This is fm the angelfire site by the guy who set it up: In the old west where the Great Plains Indians once thrived, it was said that a tribes greatness was determined by how mighty his enemy was. Well is it true that the level of competition determines a racehorse’s greatness? cont.
Sec's 2:24 is still the record on dirt. Sec was better on turf. Turcotte estimated 10 lengths or more. Also, he didn't use the whip. Sec would have probably blasted Hawkster, especially if Turcotte actually asked him to. God only knows what he could have done with more encouragement. If he and Hawkster met on that track & Hawkster stayed with him, Sec would have just kicked it into new gear and won. If it had counted, Sec also set the 1 5/8 record while slowing down after the Belmont!
@swanningaround ,i think Ribot was the same no one could beat him,not sure if u know the Phar Lap story,he was that good that they were forced to change the rules and handicapp him even on wfa races,which in turn forced Phar lap's owner to race him in the northern Hemiphere
@bbmtge I know, but Nack wasn't invoking the Bold Ruler jinx miler myth. He was just saying that it was POSSIBLE Ruffian cld've beaten Sec going a mile, but over distance.... wld never happen.
@BigPetrov Red Terror won from 1200m to 3600m in both hemispheres No wonder they retired Sec at 3,he lost 2 of his last 3 races on dirt ,the writing was on the wall Bid was a champion!!!!
@rscarbro100 I know all about Bill Nack's explanation as to why MOW came in first. He explained it on one his 3 or 4 Q&A's with fans on Talking Horses on Blood Horse website. You used to be able to go to the site and open any of them. But now they're not accessible, but are in a book published in last 2 or 3 yrs.
