SECRETARIAT - Bay Shore Stakes 1973

[@gh9111]

With every passing year his legend grows. I'm 66 now and watched all his triple crown races when I was 16. Still get chills.

[@lired70]

Secretariat, the greatest equine enigma! I always love to see him break last, then power charge to the lead! Like Eddie Maple's said "when you see those blue and white silks you know it's all over". There are many great horses, however, Secretariat will always be my favorite. Not because of his speed and stamina, he just represented so much in the equine arena, and was a blessing to us humans who were going through some really troubled times. RIP Big Red, you are loved!

[@captainamericaamerica8090]

HE WAS BADLY BEATEN MORE THA SEVERAL TIMES.

[@reverendjamesduncan7398]

@@captainamericaamerica8090 untrue. Even more so, her post is 100% accurate.

[@captainamericaamerica8090]

@@reverendjamesduncan7398 You're untrue. I'm a race historian! You're a blind Delusion filled sec fan boy.

[@ronnie6508]

Secretariat's signature was to usually break last, come-from-behind and smoke them at the end. Man I loved that horse. Rest in peace Big Red!

[@elizabethsmith6977]

great horse.i love this horse.His smashing victories are still so vivid in my memory.What a year it was.

[@BogWraith1]

It continues to amaze me how Big Red in seemingly every race he ran, passed the 1/4 pole in last place. It's like it wasn't enough just to race, but to do it from the furthest possible position on the track that he could find himself in. Whenever I watch any of his races, I remember back to what the late Bill Nack wrote in his book on just how Secretariat ran, with each succeeding quarter mile, faster then the one before. When other horses, and indeed other athletes as well would begin to tire and slow down, he got stronger and stronger. I've never seen anything like that, anywhere! He is the greatest, ever, and his likes will never be seen again!

[@lired70]

Bob Wraith: It is said that Secretariat was the perfect equine specimen. Penny Chenery said that "he was beautifully balanced". I think that is what made him so great. She also said that centrifugal force made him go faster around the curves of the track. IMHO, he was well bred! He had it all. He was beautiful, intelligent, fast, docile and durable! I truly believe that is what is missing from today's race horses. Breeders are not as mindful of the horse. It's like they are almost manufactured. Like throwing mud up on a wall and hoping that some of it sticks! A quick buck is made and the horse breaks down. It's so sad! It is hard to believe that Secretariat was won from a coin toss that Penny Chenery's father made a year before he took ill. That coin toss and handshake was honored and Penny knew what she had in Secretariat's pedigree! A beautiful equine star was born and he still shines today! It's funny, but it truly is about getting back to basics, like they did back in the day. I also think that a lot of credit has to be given to his Jockey Ronnie Turcotte. He always gives Secretariat all of the credit, however, the jockey has to use judgement and guide his horse to victory. Bravo Ronnie Turcotte!

[@BogWraith1]

Well said Patty. I agree 1000% with your comments on the way things are done today as opposed to how they were back in the day. This goes for most everything, not just about the subject of horses at hand here. I also couldn't agree with you more about Ronnie. As a fellow Canadian, I am naturally very proud of Mr. Turcotte and always marvelled at how he simply let Secretariat pace himself and run his own race. He never pushed or tried to dictate the race, rather he guided him through the traffic areas so he would emerge in the open and then simply hit his stride, leaving the other horses in his wake. I would add one thing to the list you wrote about him being "beautiful, intelligent, fast, docile and durable". He was also a HAM who loved the attention and getting his picture taken. He was a true star and media darling and he knew it! I shall love and miss him, forever!

[@lired70]

Bog Wraith: He was a ham:) I think that was his genius! What horse really knows when and how to turn it on for a camera? What I also have to say about Ronnie Turcotte is that he was so humane. I have to say that Sham was a great contender for Secretariat. However, his jockey Pincay just kept whipping him at the Belmont Race. I was cringing watching it. IMHO, when a horse like Secretariat is in the zone and there is no way any other horse on the track will ever catch him, they should be made to concede! Even Ronnie made a comment about poor Sham being hit over and over again. I bless him for hand riding Secretariat to victory. He never touched the whip! These horses run their hearts out just for a bit of oats and hay. They don't deserve to be hit, or run until they are cooked! I have heard that many of these horses won't even respond to the whip, it doesn't make them run faster! I shall miss him forever too. However, he left his mark and his hoof prints in the hearts of so many. I for one visit him every day on KZbin. He really brings me to tears.

[@BogWraith1]

Sham would have gone down as one of the greats and IMHO, would have won the Triple Crown if it wasn't for the fact that he ran against the greatest horse of all time. Two worthy champions, forever linked together through out time! Somewhere, I hope, they are together, frolicking and running like the wind together!

[@lired70]

Bog Wraith: This year Team Secretariat experienced such huge losses. Penny Chenery, Charlie Davis, Bill Nack. They were all so instrumental in caring and loving Secretariat. You know, IMHO, I truly believe that when an animal truly feels that they are loved, they will succeed. Secretariat had love in abundance. Not only from his owner and care takers, but from his fans! One can only hope that that Penny, Bill, Charlie, Eddie Sweat(his groomer I believe he passed in 1998) and Sham are all together thinking and saying WOW, The 1973 Triple Crown, what a ride!

[@DaveLynchJazzGuitar]

Man he went through that small gap in between horses like....get the hell out of my way, and just blew by them. See you later!!

[@Struwwel2]

Big Red had an extra gear. I've been watching old film of his races on KZbin, and time and again it's the same thing: he shifts into it rounding the clubhouse turn or on the home stretch and wins going away.

[@sohillsvettech1624]

Never realized sec carried 126 lbs in this race in the slop and gave up 8 pounds to champagne Charlie!! 6-7 lengths put on in the length of a single furlong at the end of the race and he wasn't even 3 yet!!!

[@abevillanueva1974]

That burst by Big Red at 1:12...bust right through the pack!

[@Tractorman-xj4gt]

"Secretariat getting the lead" - 'nuff said - done and done !!

[@kwgrid]

Sigh.... Watching all of his clips, I sometimes can't help thinking of what might have been. He was just hitting his prime. :( It's hard to even imagine what he might have done as a 4 y/o...heckfire, 5 or 6 y/o for that matter.

[@1JamesMayToGoPlease]

I'll always love Secretariat like crazy, but greater still was Seattle Slew.

[@herecomesforego1787]

Right to challenge the cult of secretariat, but on what grounds slew? Needless to say you know who my favorite is

[@1JamesMayToGoPlease]

@@herecomesforego1787 Slew was the ONE AND ONLY horse to have won the TC with an undefeated record!

[@kwgrid]

@eckythimble I had to chuckle at your comment. :) I guess "diplomacy" was not his strong suit. One of the commentators on the Sports Century clips said "He was an arrogant son-of-a-b*tch." LOL!! Personally, I think he was simply very secure in himself, a happy camper, loving his life. Lawd, I love this horse!! ♥

[@chevydryden4508]

He had another gear

[@fullstrutn]

gave me goosebumps how could ANYONE catch him in the open when he could stretch out

[@christopherduganberry236]

Prove out wasn't coming off 7 races in less than 2 months. Also, Saratoga is a dog track...only dogs run well there....just ask the dog that went right by American Pharoah in the Travers Stakes. Too bd they were too scared to bring Prove out to the Man O' War stakes or the Marlboro Cup or the Canadian International against the best turf horses in the world. Prove Out...another 4 race wonder who fizzled out when the going got tough...you know, running in more than 5 races a year. Yeah, Prove Out really went down in history because of Secretariat....if it wasn't for Secretariat...Prove Out would be the insignificant nobody that he was. He contributed nothing to the breed and he set no world records. Secretariat has become one of the greatest broodmare sires in history, Sired a Preakness and Belmont Winner and Breeder's Cup winner...what did Prove Out do? Oh, that;s right nothing....he won two races on an upstate New York dog track and that's it. WOW!!! When does the movie about Prove Out come out...how about the book? Let me know.

[@bon1042]

Whoops ! You forgot the little "iron lady", the grey daughter of Secretariat, Lady's Secret, 1986 Horse of The Year ! Watch here the 1986 Distaff.... I'm having a 75 yr old brain freeze.

[@aronldhowell8252]

Saw video of secratares off spring and it showed a colt with its mother running rampid acting and looking like big red

[@dwayneanderson7108]

He just has another gear everybody else doesnt!!!

[@danstenmou9913]

The greatest of all time, always coming from way back last to win races. No horse in history does that, Secretariat does that most of the races it ran. What if it leads every race from start like the final race of 'the Triple Crown' 1973. The result would have been the same, Secretariat would have won all those races by 30 lengths.

[@casumpangreynaldo6081]

ANG GALUNG TALAGA SECRETARIAT BRAVO

[@johntrue7113]

Torsion is my fave. He would have won the race if he had been much faster and if he did not get tired out so fast. Torsion is the best ever!

[@paulyarek]

Secretariat loped the last few yards

[@stevek8829]

240p