Secretariat

Along with Man O’ War, he is considered to be one of the greatest racehorses of all time. ESPN counted Secretariat as one of the top 50 athletes of the twentieth century (ahead of Mickey Mantle).

A legendary thoroughbred racehorse whose name reigns supreme in the history of horse racing. The stallion with a chestnut coat, three white “socks” and cocky demeanor not only became the first horse in 25 years to win the Triple Crown in 1973, but he did it in a way that left spectators breathless.

Secretariat still holds the fastest time for each of the Triple Crown races, winning the Kentucky Derby in 1 minute, 59.4 seconds, the Preakness in 1:53, and the Belmont in 2:24 flat. In the Kentucky Derby and The Preakness, he started dead last, racing around all the other horses. His recordbreaking victory at the Belmont Stakes in 1973, which he won by 31 lengths, is widely regarded to be one of the greatest races in history.

Winning 16 out of his 21 races, Secretariat was not perfect, and it’s these things I think that humanize him and is part of why people loved him then and still continue to love him; in some small way, we recognize ourselves in him.

“You could look at Secretariat and you know that he was something special. In addition to being an extraordinarily good runner, there was a very imperious look to him. He had a big flashing copper coat on him, and when the sun's rays hit him it was a beautiful thing to see. It was the way God intended to make a horse.”

When asked about how he felt about Secretariat being put to rest in 1989, Arthur Hancock said, “How do you think I feel? Ten thousand people come to this farm every year, and all they want to see is Secretariat. They don’t give a hoot about the other studs. You want to know who Secretariat is in human terms? Just imagine the greatest athlete in the world. The greatest. Now make him sixfootthree, the perfect height. Make him real intelligent and kind. And on top of that, make him the bestlookin’ guy ever to come down the pike. He was all those things as a horse. He isn’t even a horse anymore. He’s a legend. So how do you think I feel?”
Arthur Hancock (William Nack Pure Heart)

Not perfect, but legendary and beyond words, Secretariat will be remembered forever in horse racing history as one of the greatest racehorses to ever live maybe the best there ever was.

Secretariat 1970 1989