Big Red
Fifty years later, Secretariat’s legacy lives on.
“The G.O.A.T”: a title reserved for the handful of athletes so dominant that they became synonymous with their sport, setting the standard of greatness that all future generations are measured against, and doing it with a flair that transcended sport making them cultural icons.
In basketball there was Michael Jordan, in boxing Muhammed Ali, in baseball Babe Ruth, in golf Tiger Woods, in hockey Wayne Gretzky, and in the world of thoroughbred racing there is only one name……Secretariat.
Sired by 1957 Horse of the year Bold Ruler, and foaled by Somethingroyal, Secretariat was born March 30, 1970 at Penny Chenery’s (then Penny Tweedy) The Meadow Stud in Virginia. In 1972 he won 7 of his 9 races and was named Horse Of The Year, only the second 2 year old to earn that honor. In 1973 he was syndicated for a then record $6.08 million. Expectations were high and Secretariat didn’t disappoint, having a year for the ages in which he became the first horse in 25 years to capture the Triple Crown. Winning wasn’t enough, he dominated…. setting track records in all 3 races that still stand 50 years later culminating with a devastating 31 length victory at The Belmont Stakes. For 1973, Secretariat was again named Horse of the Year and also won Eclipse Awards as the American Champion Three-year-Old-Male Horse and the American Champion Male Turf Horse.
Altogether, Secretariat won 16 of his 21 career races, with three seconds and one third, and total earnings of $1,316,808. Secretariat retired to Claiborne Farms where he passed away in the fall of 1989. An autopsy revealed Secretariat truly did have “The Heart Of A Champion” as it was measured to be about 2.5 times larger than an average horse.
Coming out of the Vietnam War and the Watergate Scandal, America needed something to feel good about and Secretariat’s pursuit of the Triple Crown captivated the nation. He quickly became a cultural icon appearing on the covers of Time, Newsweek and Sports Illustrated, with his Belmont Stakes victory being watched by 15 million people (more than half of all TV viewers at the time).
Secretariat left an indelible mark on horse racing and American culture and received many honors including:
1974 - Induction into National Museum Racing Hall Of Fame
1994 - Ranked #17 out of the 40 greatest sports figures by Sports Illustrated
1999 – Ranked #35 out of the Top 100 Athletes Of All Time by ESPN
1999 – Featured on a stamp by the US Postal Service
2005 – Named 2nd Greatest Sports Performance Of All Time by ESPN
2010 – Disney released the film “Secretariat”
2016 – Ranked #13 as Greatest Moment In Sports History by Sports Illustrated
