Secretariat

Imagine, the racing world as Hollywood. The time for great movies that everyone seemed to line up at the theatre to watch was gone. Bored? Sure. But hurray, here comes Star Wars, a movie that seemed to engulf every person who saw it. A movie unlike any other before it, and a film that would leave a mark on every movie lover of the 70's and would still be one of the greatest movies to present day.
   Now, you can compare what Star Wars did for the movie world as Secretariat did for the racing world? Sure.
   Racing seemed to be abit 'blah' after seeing such greats as Kelso, Damascus and Dr. Fager were retired. And who could mention the absence of a Triple Crown winner since Citation's 1948 victory. Secret-
ariat gave the fans what they needed. A new great champion. People swarmed the tracks to watch this great horse win race after race, break track records, and literally leaving his rivals miles behind him.
   At two years old, Secretariat accomplished something that only one horse before him (Native Dancer) and one after him (Favorite Trick) did. He was named Horse of the Year in 1972. Losing his very first race, the large red colt, known as 'Big Red', would go on to win the rest of his juvenile races, setting track records in virtually every stakes race he won. He raced in New York state, winning the Futurity,Hopeful and Sandofrd Stakes. In the Champagne, Secretariat had crossed the finish line first by two lengths, ahead of Stop the Music ( a horse that would always find himself 2nd best to Secretariat). But Stop the Music's jockey would make an inquiry on Secretariat, and the Belmont stewards would disqualify Secretariat and place him second.
   Secretariat would revenge his lose in Marlyand when he left Stop the Music eight lengths behind him in winning the Laurel Futurity (a nice quick finishing time of 1:42 and change). Secretariat was then taken to New Jersey, where he would win the Garden State Stakes. This race would end his two year old season in which he won the Eclipse award for Best Two year old and Horse of the year, in which he would beat out such horses as Key to the Mint, grass horse Cougar II and the legendary filly Susan's Girl for the honour.

finished third, four lengths behind Angle Light and Sham.
   However, Secretariat came back to win the American classic, the Kentucky Derby. Doing so he beat the Derby record set by Northern Dancer nine years earlier. The final time was 1:59 2/5.
   Two weeks later, at Pimlico Racetrack in Maryland, Secretariat set another stakes record by winning the second jewel of the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes. Although the final time has been debated, the record holds at 1:54 2/5.
   Now, Americans had something to look forward to. Something they had been praying and drueling over, for twenty-five years; a Triple Crown winner. People from all over flocked to Belmont Park to watch this 'super' horse take on his five rivals and hopefully deliver a stellar performance.
   Secretariat did not disappoint his fans. Leading wire to wire, running each fraction faster than the last, and leaving the other horses in his dust, Secretariat won the Belmont Stakes, and the Triple Crown.

It wasn't just that he had won the Belmont Stakes, but how he had done it. Once again he set a track, stakes and now a world record, and crossed the wire by an unbelievable thirty-one length victory. The world had seen nothing like him, and much likely would never again. He was a champion in the truest of forms.
But it wasn't over for Secre- tariat. Three weeks after he won the Triple Crown, 'Big Red' won the Haskell Invitational by nine lengths. Then, at Saratoga in the Whitney Handicap, Secretariat would suffer a lose, coming second to a horse named Onion. It was his first race against his elders.
In the Marlboro Cup Invit- ational, Secretariat beat his stable mate Riva Ridge and champion Cougar II to the wire. Secretariat would suffer

his last defeat of his career when Prove Out passed him in the Woodward Stakes.
   Secretariat would next try the turf. Running in the Man O'War (ironically the other 'Big Red') Stakes, won the mile and a half race by five lengths. His final career start would be in the Canadian Internationl at Woodbine in Canada (his trainer's, Lucien Laurin, country). The stands at Woodbine filled like never before as people wanted to see Secretariat run his final race. He won the thirteen furlong race by over six lengths.
   The decision to retire Secretariat was made after his 'in-debt' owner died. Secre- tariat was sold to stud, and the owner's liabilities were paid off.
   Although Secretariat didn't go on to sire more great champions like himself, he did have a ten percent average of stakes winners in his foal crops. He did however become a successful broodmare sire.
   Secretariat was not known for his many accomplishments at stud, but he would forever be one of the greatest horses