Secretariat – Oh happy day [Official] – YouTube
He was born to run fast.
BETH HARRIS A.P.
Triple Crown Secretariat Still Dominate 50 years On – Bing video
On May 5, 1973, Secretariat blazed around the track in Kentucky Derby in
a record 1 minute and 59 seconds. Secretariat had an unusually large heart,
an engine that propelled him to a Triple Crown sweep 50 years ago.
The colt nicknamed Big Red remains the heartbeat of an industry that has yet to see such dominance on and off the track replicated. His name recognition, even among those who don’t follow sports, is still strong 34 years after his death, and eight of his descendants
will run in the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, including.
Secretariat: The Triple Crown Experience – YouTube
Champions Day at Churchill Downs is dedicated to Secretariat’s record-breaking
win of the Triple Crown. This year, Kentucky is honoring one of the greatest athletes
of all time. “He’s still the bar to me,” said Bob Baffert, who also trained Triple Crown
winners American Pharoah in 2015 and Justify in 2018. “I still ask strangers,
‘Who’s the best horse you ever heard of?’ and I’m hoping they say Pharoah.
They say Secretariat.” Preakness and Belmont in record times that still stand
and ended a 25-year Triple Crown drought.
“It says he was beautifully prepared for each of those races, and his competition was not
as good as he was,” said Dave Johnson, track announcer for the 1973 Belmont in which Secretariat won by an astounding 31 lengths. “He was a special animal.” Big Red’s path
to Triple Crown glory began in the Derby. He was the first horse to cover the 1 1/4-mile distance in under 2 minutes with a time of 1:59.40. It would not be repeated until Monarchos clocked 1:59.97 in 2001.
Secretariat’s rival, Sham, led for the majority of the thrilling contest. Big Red, however, promptly narrowed the gap in the finishing stretch & surpassed the leader in the Derby’s final moments with a two and a half length win. Secretariat’s recorded time was a world record. While there have been 148 victors of the Kentucky Derby throughout history,
only two of these winners have officially completed the race in under two minutes.
RELATED: How to watch the 2023 Kentucky Derby: TV channel, live stream
It is commonly believed Sham cracked the two-minute race time in the 1973 Derby
alongside Secretariat, but only the number of the first-place finisher was officially recorded at that time in history.
The other Thoroughbred to have completed the Derby under the two-minute mark was Monarchos. The 3-year-old and his jockey, Jorge Chavez, finished the 2001 Kentucky Derby in just 1:59.97.
Secretariat FACT VS FICTION – YouTube
What other records did Secretariat break?
Aside from posting the fastest Derby time in history,
Big Red still holds a number of records in American horse racing.
At the age of three, Secretariat set the record in each of the
Triple Crown races, achieving the following times:
Kentucky Derby – 1:59 2/5
Preakness Stakes – 1:53
Belmont Stakes – 2:24
The infamous horse was named the ninth American Triple Crown winner
in history, and each of his Triple Crown records still stand to this day.
RELATED: Secretariat at 50: How the Big Red Five have kept the story alive
Secretariat Preakness video 1973 – Search (bing.com)
Two weeks later, Secretariat broke out of the starting gate. Jockey Ron Turcotte
made a split-second decision in the first turn to swing Big Red to the outside in
a rush to the front. They won by 2 1/2 lengths over Sham, who had also finished
second in the Derby. “I could make five, six moves with him in a race.
A normal horse you could make one or two,” Turcotte told The Associated Press
by phone from his home in Canada. “Down the lane I never asked him to run.”
Secretariat just galloped to the wire very easily.”
The Pimlico track’s timing device showed Secretariat clocked 1:55 for 1 3/16 miles,
but it had malfunctioned. It wasn’t until 2012, at request, that the Maryland Racing Commission reviewed the video and revised his time to 1:53, another track record. Secretariat’s popularity exploded in the three weeks leading up to . He became a pop culture phenomenon, appearing on the covers of Time and Newsweek while helping distract a nation dragged down by Watergate and the Vietnam War.
Secretariat Belmont Stakes 1973 & extended coverage (HD Version – NEW!)
“He had just about everything,” Turcotte said. “He was a good-looking horse,
he was a very strong horse, had a long stride that covered a lot of ground, a very
cooperative and generous horse. He would give you whatever you asked of him.”
In the Belmont, Secretariat was the 1-10 favorite in the grueling 1 1/2-mile race
against just four rivals, including Sham who was back for another try.
Secretariat went to the early lead along the rail and was soon challenged by Sham,
ridden by Laffit Pincay Jr. The two horses were even through a 1/2 mile at a blistering
pace in what became a match race with the rest of the field about 10 lengths behind.
Sham poked his head in front around the turn, but soon weakened. Secretariat began distancing himself from the field. He ran the mile in 1:34.20 and reeled off 1 1/4 miles
in 1:59, faster than his record time in the Derby.
Big Red completed the last quarter in a scant 25 seconds.
He finished in 2:24, his third record in as many races. “The Belmont was such a magnificent display of speed and stamina,” recalled Johnson, Sham was injured
and finished last. He never raced again. Secretariat’s legend has only endured.
He had his own U.S. stamp and was the subject of a 2010 Disney movie.
“He was a beautiful horse,” said Pincay, now 76 and retired in 2003.
“You never saw him do anything stupid. Some horses jump down
and get nervous. He was very businesslike.”
Secretariat’s heart — which a 1989 necropsy found weighed 22 pounds, compared
to 8 1/2 pounds for the average horse — was the basis for an Audi car commercial
in 2017. “He could turn air to oxygen much faster than another horse could,”
Turcotte said. And on the 50th anniversary of his history-making triumph,
Secretariat is being given another round of celebration.
The Kentucky Derby Museum is featuring “Secretariat: America’s Horse,”
a new exhibit that uses technology to show how his physique helped make him
such a standout. His three Triple Crown victories can be viewed on a 10-foot wall.
People Behind Secretariat – Bing video
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame is taking a traveling exhibit
to the Triple Crown cities of Louisville, Kentucky, Baltimore and New York —
as well as Secretariat’s birth state of Virginia.
The exhibit features his Triple Crown trophies and the story of the people who
guided him. Turcotte is the lone remaining member of Secretariat’s team.
Chenery, his owner, died in 2017 at age 95; trainer Lucien Laurin died in 2000;
died in 1998; and exercise rider Charlie Davis died in 2018.
Bill Nack, the former Sports Illustrated writer who closely chronicled Big Red’s career,
also died in 2018. Turcotte, 81, became a paraplegic after a riding accident in 1978.
He travels less these days while caring for his wife in his tiny hometown of Drummond, New Brunswick, where there’s a statue of him and Secretariat crossing the finish line. “There’s never been a horse like him,” Turcotte said, “I doubt there will be another one.”
In 2015, on his way to the Belmont winner’s circle for American Pharoah in 2015,
Baffert shared a celebratory embrace with Chenery. “I whispered in her ear,
‘He’s no Secretariat, but he’s as close as I’ll ever get,’” the Hall of Fame trainer said.
“You’re damn right,” she replied.
Historic Photo of Secretariat at 1973 Belmont Stakes. (© Bob Coglianese )
Fondly known as Big Red, Secretariat was the fastest and the greatest thoroughbreds
that American racing history ever produced. A stalwart in speed and agility the champion
rose to national fame when he won the Horse of the Year award as a two-year-old colt in
1972 followed by a thumping victory as Triple Crown winner (Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes – in the first two new track records were set and, in the latter,
a new world record), in the year 1973.
So, what’s the secret of a stalwart stallion?
Thoroughbred family tree goes back to one horse.
What made the world-famous horse a champion of champions?
They called him the perfect horse. You couldn’t pick him apart.
He was built to perfection. And his copper coat was astounding in the sun.
Everyone that knew him said, Secretariat commanded attention.
He knew he was all that. They even called him a ‘ham’ in front of photographers.
And, when he lost, he would sulk in his stall – and think.
He’d always win by a record after he lost.
The X-factor
Born on March 30, 1970, his distinctive features were his three white socks
and a big white blaze on his face. Secretariat had a Big Heart (two and a half
times larger than a regular horse) – due to a rare genetic mutation.
This particular gene is often dubbed as X-factor because the gene is
located on the X-chromosome. Genetically, he was well-disposed.
His parents were Bold Ruler (his sire) and Somethingroyal (his dam),
daughter to Princequillo (a thoroughbred Ireland born horse known
for his successful stints in long-distance races and his ability to sire
many strong successors). Since the gene sits on X-chromosome,
Somethingroyal who foaled the champion passed on the genetic
trait to her son.
More than anything else, the big heart gene link can be traced back to the 1830’s.
It is said that 1837 born Pocahontas had been the prime source of large heart gene
that passed on to her progeny; for the last 180 years, this gene has been the secret
behind equine genetics and all the champion racers of today.
Bold Ruler (Secretariat’s sire) at Belmont Park
after his victory in 1956 Futurity. (Internet Archive Book Images / Flickr)
The heart of Secretariat was two and a half times the size of a regular horse.
It weighed a massive 22 lbs. (Approx.10 kg). A large heart has the capacity to increase strength and stamina. Secretariat’s stamina was due to a tremendous cardiovascular system; as if 4 big engines pumped together to win the race. Many other physical factors contributed to his victory (like his muscular build) but the big heart catapulted the agile movements of an equine athlete.
Immense track record
Till date, no other racehorse could match Secretariat’s track record.
The legend started with a fourth spot but good performances sat easy on him.
He debuted on the 4th of July in 1972. The same year he won 7 of the 9 races,
earning him the most coveted Horse of the Year award.
The path-breaking Triple Crown win that turned him into a legend was finished
in less than two minutes, thereby also setting an all-time high Derby record
(he clocked a Derby time of 1:59:40).
He beat Twice A Prince by an astounding 31 lengths in the 1973 Belmont Stakes.
Even his loss at Champagne Stakes was actually a win, disqualified to the second
spot for interference.
He turned into an instant sensation and till date, he is remembered & admired by many.
Apart from Triple Crown wins, the thunderous horse leapt to several memorable wins in
the span of 16 months racing career: Watch Secretariat: Big Red’s Last Race (1975),
• Sanford Stakes
• Hopeful Stakes
• Belmont Futurity
• Laurel Futurity
• Garden State Stakes
• Bay Shore Stakes
• Stakes
• Arlington Invitational
• Marlboro Cup
• Man O’ War Stakes
• Canadian International
Accounts of people with Big Heart
ESPN Sports Century – Secretariat – YouTube
Secretariat, the handsome chestnut racehorse was close to a few privileged people.
Two names of repute include Penny Chenery – the breeder and owner & Ron Turcotte – his jockey. Penny Chenery bred Secretariat at her family-owned Meadow Stable in the American state of Virginia. Her father Christopher Chenery’s death led her to take on the reins of the business and she went on to create history with the birth of a racing legend. Chenery had an aptitude for business.
With all heart put in, she revived the Meadow Stable – had horse sense and her famous words quoted in a 2015 interview – “I love horses and I loved my dad” her famous words quoted in a 2015 interview – “I love horses and I loved my dad” – justify once more why she could take effective decisions towards breeding and training an American racehorse legend. Secretariat’s track record of producing race winners has been impressive – out of the 653 sired, 57 went on to earn the reputation as the Stakes winners.
The chestnut horse had a huge fan following and remained in the spotlight by appearing on the covers of newspapers like Time, Newsweek and Sports Illustrated. Chenery had once written to The New York Times that Secretariat was the answer for whole-hearted fun and admiration for people in America who were passing through a
state emotional downturn due to the Nixon and Watergate scandal in the early part 70’s.
Ron Turcotte is the man who rode Secretariat. He was the jockey who guided the Big Red to a historic win and Horse of the Year award at a tender age. This feat was followed by the invincible Triple Crown win. They both earned a name in history and became legendary figures. The summer of 1973 gave Ron an out-of-the-world experience when he rode a powerful, relentless horse determined to win.
He remembered how he could sense the rhythmic beating of the heart of the ‘big’ horse and the feeling of floating on air. The tale remains incomplete without naming Lucien Laurin, the trainer of the thoroughbred. Laurin was a fine jockey and a master trainer who saddled Secretariat and Sweat, the groomer who understood the temperament and need of the record making colt.
Monument of Secretariat at Kentucky horse park.
(Ken Mist / Flickr)
Death of a Titan:
Secretariat’s death revealed why he was ‘tremendous machine’ – YouTube
It was indeed a sad day for horse lovers when Secretariat, who symbolized brilliance with beauty, breathed his last on October 4, 1989, at the bluegrass nursery. He died of laminitis, a painful hoof disease. He was not just a horse; he was a hero who brought sensation at the racetrack for endless horse lovers.
Remembering … Sham (horseracingnation.com)
Sham spent most of his long stallion career at Spendthrift Farm, where he enjoyed a successful, but not spectacular career as a stallion, before later moving on to Walmac Farm. He sired many stakes winners, but none of his progeny would possess the great talent or the heart of their sire. It would be that great heart that eventually gave way.
On the morning of April 3, 1993, Sham was found dead in his stall, felled by a heart attack. Sham was 23.
An autopsy would reveal his heart to be about twice the normal size for a thoroughbred. Ironic or telling, only Secretariat‘s heart was found to be bigger. He may have been second to Secretariat in life, and then in death, but there should be no shame in that. Sham was a fantastic horse, who in his greatness brought out the ultimate greatness from our sport’s very best. I remember: Sham The Twilight of Greatness Part V – YouTube
GREAT VIDEO WITH EXCERPTS FROM HIS OWNER, GROOM AND JOCKEY.
I watched this with GLEE. Especially because there are interviews with those
who knew him intimately… and it shows Secretariat after retirement, at play.
Such a gorgeous boy. Here is the video.
SECRETARIAT – Heart Of A Champion – YouTube
SECRETARIAT – Full Documentary:
when Secretariat was voted top 60 athletes of the year!
So I found this older documentary about Secretariat. This was before the movie…
it almost felt like ESPN Sports Century had to explain why they picked a HORSE to
be one of the top athletes. I think it might be worth a watch. I know it’s a bit fuzzy,
but the information is solid and so interesting.
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Secretariat’s Triple Crown turns 50: Why there’s no GOAT argument in horse racing.
Kentucky Derby: 50 years later. Secretariat’s records still hold – Sports Illustrated
Secretariat’s death revealed why he was ‘tremendous machine’ – YouTube
It’s been 50 years since Secretariat’s Triple Crown win – YouTube
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