If you’re reading this, you may already think that Secretariat was the greatest horse of all time. I’ve read things about him over and over again and I never tire of learning things about him.
What an amazing athlete. I don’t believe there will EVER be another horse like him.
The Owner
Secretariat’s owner was a lady named Penny Chenery-Tweedy. Penny’s tenacity and never quit attitude is the force that opened the doors for Secretariat and collected the team to nurture the horse along to greatness. She was an amazing woman who believed in Secretariat.
Her father owned the farm where Secretariat was born and she took over at the passing of her parents. Let’s not forget that the story of Secretariat took place in the early 1970s and in the sport of horse racing – It was a mans world to say the least. In 1983, Penny, along with two others, became the first women to be admitted as members of The Jockey Club and in In 2003 the Arlington Park track established the annual “Penny Chenery Distinguished Woman in Racing Award.”
The Two Jocks
Secretariat’s jockey during his Maiden and Maiden win / break races was Paul Feliciano. Paul rode Secretariat to a fourth place in his maiden race and to a victorious first in his second.
Ron Turcotte, who would ride Secretariat throughout the rest of his career, joined the Secretariat crew for Big Red’s third race on July 31, 1972.
As an apprentice jockey, Turcotte rode Northern Dancer to his first victory – from there Northern Dancer would become the most successful sire of the 20th Century.
The Derby
In his famous Kentucky Derby win, Secretariat ran faster every ¼ mile down the track. This was unusual as most horses run fastest at the beginning, then slow as they tire throughout the race. His Derby time is still the fastest time on record at Churchill Downs at a smoking 1:59.97.
The Belmont
09 Jun 1973, Elmont, New York, USA — The field is so far behind, jockey Ron Turcotte has to turn in the saddle to look for it as he guides Secretariat to victory in the Belmont Stakes. — Image by © Bettmann/CORBIS
The Belmont Glory and the Look Back are two of the most famous images in all of horse racing. They were taken as Secretariat won the Belmont Stakes. This win stands as one of the greatest victories in all of sports history.
Secretariat blasted out of the gate and surged to greater and greater speeds down the track to win the race by an amazing 31 lengths in an amazing 2:24.00. These are both track records to this day. To put this win in perspective, the greatest win margin at the Kentucky Derby is only 8 lengths and at the Preakness it is only 11 and a quarter.
The Triple Crown Victory
The Triple Crown, racing’s most elite set of victories, is comprised of winning the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont Stakes all within 5 weeks. Secretariat was the 9th winner. The amazing part is there was a 25 year gap between Secretariat and Citation, who won in 1948. Many people had started to believe that a Triple Crown victory was no longer possible for a horse until Secretariat smashed that belief, followed shortly after by Seattle Slew and Affirmed.
The Passing
Secretariat passed away on October 4th, 1989 at the young age of 19, by euthanasia because of chronic Laminitis. He is one of the few racehorses to be buried whole – usually only the head, the heart, and the hooves of winning race horses are buried. During the necropsy, he was found to have an extremely large heart, an estimated 22 pounds, which is almost three times the size of a normal horse which averages 8 pounds.
What an amazing horse and an amazing legacy. I will always think of him.
Source: Secretariat.com
Blessings to you!
Charity