He was the best of the best. There will never be another like him.

Not as good as Dr Fager or Spectacular Bid. Swaps either now that I am thinking on it.

@@davidbracher8322 None of the aforementioned wanted Secratariat on June 9, 1973.

He is I agree

@@donaldgarrettson3627 Why not? 1973 for Secretariat saw him lose to parential Allowance runner, Onion. And a solid minor stakes winner, Phone out. Triple crown racing is restricted racing. A LOT matters on how strong the 3yo crop is. His venture into open company was just short of disasterous. But all that aside. He just doesn't match up against horses like the Bid or Dr Fager from a straight mathematical venue. Secretariat's best time for the Classic distance of 10 furlongs..the distance of where champions are judged, is a 159.70. he did that full out at light weight. Spectacular Bid holds the world record at 1:57.78. that was achieved with him under restraint and with a 130 lbs. Almost 10 lengths better than Secretariat. He is faster at all distances except the seldom run 1 1/2 miles. Dr. Fager ran a 1:59 flat with a staggering 139 lbs. Not to mention half a dozen other races at different distances that eclipse Secretariat. Swaps broke the ,1:59.barrier 3 times. He held 5 world records from 4 different tracks, always with big weight. If not for Spectacular Bid, he would still hold all but 1 of those records. The Bid took of them...I could go on... And trust me. I know a great deal about this sport, especially the history of it. Secretariat was a perfect storm. The sport was looking for a star. Color TV and millions of viewers was new. He was hyped for months, they hard rolled surfaces prior to his races to achieve fast times. And of course, his Belmont against claiming horses was a visual bomb. But if you think he could run with a 4yo Spectacular Bid...you are just being a fan. Not looking at it objectively.

Me too. Still tear up and get that same amazed feeling,

I now watch it every year on May 5 all three races and get emotional every time that I grew up watching all three races live that year

Me too, and I still cry....

It never NEVER gets old!

What a beautiful stride.....

He was better than great, definitely a legend in his own right. Almost won KD with two teeth busted out, fast as lightning at the Preakness to keep pace with Red, and by Belmont he was spent yet still kept pace as long as he could. High level of disgust for Pincay/Martins handling of him, just goes to show how God-like Red was..

To bad that Pincay broke his heart in the Preakness

I was just thinking the same thing. What an amazing horse to watch.

Sham was certainly special, but Secretariat refused to be beaten.

Could Google it but what became of SHAM?

yeah, that entire call was super dope. they don't make 'em like that anymore.

It was cool, but since you said racing I have to disagree & say the most iconic sentence was, “We lost Dale Earnhardt”, imho.

I also love, "It's almost a match race now."

@@BrokenHalo5 Yeah! I also love "...but Secretariat is all alone..!"

one of the greatest calls in sports history

You see the power of Secretariat at 2:50. He was kicking it into high gear.

Secretariat had great endurance. He did not race against slow horses, he was just faster and had long distance muscles, heart and lungs. He was slow out of the gate but his acceleration was phenomenal. With every stride he gained almost a foot plus at the near end of the races when other horses are pooping out, or at least reached their top speed. At Belmont Secretariat was still gaining speed and distance as he crossed the finish line. I still get a lump in my throat when I see his triple crown races.

I am so gratefull to have seen him run in person.Something I never forget.

@@jogman262 Yep I've watched that 2:50 a lot. You can see the exact stride (and no whip) when he just starts going faster faster, making distance between every horse, every stride is a gain, there is no slowing down, no top speed reached. He is the GOAT

@@brianhochstetter8303 I saw it on TV, the first time I ever watched a horse race. I suppose because people were all excited about a possible triple crown winner that are so few and far between. So kinda weird the first horse race I see is the greatest horse race ever with the greatest horse of all time!

Especially considering the “speed” that’s been built into the track surfaces these days.

I cry every time I watch the Belmont....I was there..

@@richardabel6283 Wow! A very historic event. I do get teary myself watching replays of Big Red

GOAT!!

I doubt if they'll ever be broken, especially the Belmont record.

A great point, unbelievable to cut the fractions as he ran. One in a million.

You do not specify, but for clarification: it was the Kentucky Derby in which Secretariat ran each quarter faster than the prior. *In the Belmont, he was slowing down through most of the race, albeit more gradually than the other horses,* hence him continuing to increase his lead throughout. I don't have time right now to do a full analysis, but here is proof of my claim about the Belmont: at 6:06 - 6:10, Chick Anderson says the first three quarters of a mile (half of a mile and a half race) had been run in 1:09 4/5. If Secretariat had run the second half of the race that fast, his final time would have been 2:19 3/5 -- more than 4 seconds faster than his actual time of 2:24 flat, which is the still-standing dirt track world record for the distance.

@@marysueeasteregg thanks I actually sent a second post specifying my comment about the negative splits was about the Derby. A remarkable horse. I’m not a horse racing enthusiast but his accomplishments, and the details of each race, has stayed with me for nearly 50 years.

I used to work with a lady that was a horse lover, she even ran the Omak Race as a girl of 15. She was all things horses and I did not know a thing, so I asked her a few questions- Why did not all the top horses run in the 3 triple crown races? She said the Races are exhaustive for the horse and there is only a short time between the three races. For a horse to recoup and run better in the last races is unheard of. That is why owners dont run in all three races, she told me.

@Kevin Payne. ProveOut in the Woodward, on wet Sloppy ground, not trying to break a TR ran 2.25.4. That's 1.4secs off secs 2.24 BTW That's when he thrashed Secretariat by 4.5L giving Sec 7lb in weight. Great horses don't lose 5 races., and Sec never ran a recorded sub 11sec Furlong

GOAT!!

Always a beautiful run x 3

@cappystrano1 gives me goosebumps every time

Big red, was hid real name!

Wouldn't it drive you nuts if you had a race horse who always came up from the rear? I mean really? He always started out last! But came in strong! Never another horse like him ever! ❤🎉

And the records still stand, amazing!

Love "BIG RED" since I was 13 years of age during that time...

Was right up there but hsitory has many others...Would hve liked to see a Dr. Fager challenge to him at 9 furlongs

I just started getting into horse racing last year. It gives me chills.

Truly the horse that God Built 🙏 to run👏

Me too

That and Secretariat is all alone. He came to the track that day to show the world who he was and my God did he ever..

Yes, one of the great sports calls of all time.

he's all alone, thats epic

I can watch anything Secretariat anytime, and still get teary eyed and chill bumps watching his triple crown races 🐎….. since a child i watched the triple crown races each year with my mother and I’m keeping that tradition with my great niece…..

Me too. He was the Superman of horses. I actually got to see him go right by us in the Preakness. That year you could actually get to the main railing at pimlico. I believe the jockey said he thought someone touched secretariat going down the stretch. Incredible memories!!

No question about it.

Then came along the GREATEST HORSE OF ALL TIME, FRANKEL, who could NEVER forget the 2.000 Guineas at Newmarket 15 lengths clear at half way against top group one horses to win in a canter, then the Queen Mary, 11 lengths turned into a procession, 14 races unbeaten, his grace of sheer SPEED will never ever be forgotten, yes Secretariat was magnificent, but a computer race would always place FRANKEL above any racehorse in the history of all flat racing,

Well said

He owns the track records for Belmont and Churchill Downs, but not for Pimlico. He does still own the track record for the Preakness at Pimlico.

Great memories.

The greatest sports feat of all time!! Belmont

One mile and 3/16ths: Farma Way, 1:52.55 set May 11, 1991 at Pimlico, an older horse at that time.

Nice, and thanks for sharing that special memory.

Very touching, Barb. I understand.

Special memories. I cry every time I see that race.

Bless you Barb. A true connection.

Thank you for letting us in on that wonderful experience.

Well said. Thank you!

"But Secretariat is all alone! He is out there almost a [one] sixteenth of a mile away from the rest of the horses! (6:27) Secretariat has opened a 22-length lead! He is going to be the Triple Crown winner! Here comes Secretariat at the wire! An unbelievable, an amazing performance! He hits the finish 25-lengths in front!" As it turned out, the estimate from that staggering distance to the second place horse was too small. It was 31-lengths! "An amazing, an incredible performance!" I saw it on television on that incredible June 1973 day!

And hand ridden never touched with the stick in the stretch by Ron

And then came Flightline

I still get goosebumps watching that Belmont.

Man-o-War, in the 1920s, only got whipped once in his whole carreer!! they are both such great Thoroughbreds!

Ron Turcotte was a beast, but ended up paralyzed from racing. From what I remember, there wasn't a fund to help with his on going medical issues at the time. He lived off appearances and signings

Still alive, didn't realize it. Paralyzed 5 years after this historical race

I've watched Secretariat's triple crown many times and today was the first time I realized Turcotte never went to the whip

@@pshore73 Turcotte tapped him once right at the head of the stretch in the Derby, maybe to correct his line rather than get more speed out of him. In the other two races, he might as well not have carried a whip; he didn't use it or need it.

Yes we are blessed.

He was the greatest.he could have run another mile and a half.and win by 50 lengths.

He truly was. Analysis shows he had a longer gait than most horses; other horses had to work harder just to keep up with him. But after he died, the autopsy showed his heart was larger and pumped much more efficiently than other race horses. He simply pushed more oxygen to his body, and didn’t get tired. It’s why he was faster as the races progressed. He was just getting warmed up in the front half! He was similar to Sea Biscuit in that regard. While an enlarged heart can be a problem, in their cases, it was not a problem, they pumped more efficiently. A normal Thoroughbred heart is 8.5 lbs. Many racing horses have larger hearts, up to twice that size, such as Sham. Secretariat’s heart was 22 lbs, just massive. He was a genetic freak, touched by God to be something truly special.

Oh yeah, love watching his growth from 2-3 years old. In his first few races he wouldn’t stretch out and grab the earth but as he matured and in my opinion mastered his own technique, he was nearly unbeatable. Obviously at Belmont, he was.

I wept the whole way through tonight … back then I was in my footie pyjamas screaming for my parents to come see what even an eight year old (who still sorta believed in unicorns) realised was absolute joy, perfection, and power in motion.

I do every time I watch him He was astounding and completely unforgettable! His legend will always live on.

I just watched this video after countless times seeing it and I teared up.

😢everytime brother

That horse was fast and he was happy proving he was fast.

I agree one hundred percent

I get chills watching him engage that gear. Literal chills.

Yes, the Preakness! Passing the entire field, on the outside, in the first turn. Nothing compares with that dominance.

Secretariat and Bobby Orr were in a class unto themselves.

For me, the Derby, his legs and hooves around the turn as he began to pass. Lovable, this horse, loved much.

Ali was.

@@lewisc215 Haha, yeah I mean a horse isn't an athlete. It's a horse. Greatest horse of the 20th century though. I know Tyson would say Ali as well, but dang Tyson has to be the GOAT.

@@GeorgeLCostnza How is a horse not an athlete? Is the jockey also not an athlete?

@@Oak6 Because it's an animal. Yes, the jockey would be an athlete on account of them being a human being who performs a physical activity in competition. The horse isn't trying to win any particular events. It's just trying to run faster than the other animals.

@@GeorgeLCostnza so the jockey who rides the horse is an athlete but the horse itself who trains and does the work isn't? 🤔 Oh well, Secretariat has been on the best athletes of the 20th century list for about 23 years now🤷🤣

Sham was a champion in any other year. Such a shame for him.

@@juanitamannhe was a champion, won 4 in a row out west and should’ve won Wood barring jockey error. He was truly magnificent and a brave warrior. I love Secretariat but Sham is extra special.

I watched all three on television. I was really, really hoping for a triple crown winner, as there had never been one in my lifetime. Strangely, I remember the Belmont race as really not all that exciting at the time. I was happy Secretariat won, but I didn’t appreciate the magnitude of his 31 length world record time win that day. I sure appreciate it now. I could watch the three races all the time.

In 1973, the country needed Secretariat. And boy did he deliver.

What you said. Every bit!

😮​@@jeffkersey7186

I did too, the beauty of the horse..

same here i cry like a baby watchiung

Bruce, it’s because you’ll never see a beast of a horse like this again. I’m glad I was alive to witness it and I’m glad they got it on film because nobody would believe what this horse had done unless they saw it for themself.

My husband was at the Derby and saw that win. He still gets teary watching all three races.

Glad to hear that I am not the only one! The background music helps too. Great video.

Another was, "Do you believe in miracles, YES!"

@@larrylindgren9484 Man I have watched that game ending 100 times. Yes sir.

@@thecofieldcollection3792 ,and Larry Lindgren - You two have encapsulated the two greatest sports moments of the 20th Century. Well done.

true true

it just proves how much better horses can be than machines if you give them the chance

@ Kristine Twenty. Two years before in 1971 Canonero ll won the first two legs of the Triple Crown but finished fourth in the Belmont because of a foot injury. Secretariat was just a baby then. His time was coming and it came in a big way.

Sham was a great horse as well. It was his misfortune to be up against Secretariat. Not sure Secretariat was "just eyeing the competition" in the first 2 races. His times at all three triple crown races are still records (48 years later). The reason his Belmont win was such a big margin was due to Sham's strategy. He tried to take the lead - but couldn't - then tried to run with Secretariat and ended up gassed. He was the 2nd best horse in that race as well - even though I think he finished last.

Sham finished last in the Belmont because he tried to run with Secretariat … and ended up fracturing his cannon bone, almost breaking his leg. Sham was a good race horse, but he was nothing compared to Secretariat. He is and always will be the greatest race horse of all time. He demolished all competition in Belmont just to show he was the best - he ran his race and cemented his place in history. If another horse even shows that kind of greatest in the future, it’s probably one of his descendants.

Same here. There's something very special about this horse. To me it seems he's always in a world of his own in a very lofty, majestic way. Others? Don't matter. Free and dignified he breezes along. So very much himself. It touches my heart every time. Tears. And I'm a man of 63 years old.

@Theo Bolt 61 here and I still get goosebumps watching that great horse. An athlete we can all look up to.

:'-)

That is so cool you met the real Secrateriat

@@rebekahlikesmusic2723 yes it was, It's one of those moments burned in my memory. One thing that is interesting is how ordinary the surroundings were. Yes, horse farms are not like other farms, but there was not infrastructure like you might have expected for such an animal. He had a stall and a paddock and excellent care, much like the other horses in the barn. We pushed feed in on 2 wheel dollies so the bags could be emptied in the feed bunk. Exactly the same as other barns/farms. He was well cared for, I'll say that.

Fascinating. I know how you feel. Got to pet him in 1974 and he almost bit my hand in a playful manner. Have several old pictures. I remember the stall right next to his was Riva Ridge's...a really nice natured horse who was close to winning the triple crown in 1972. Yes, the stalls were plain but clean. One of the greatest thrills of my life!

Wowwwww i bet that was unreal!!!!!!!

Joe, beautifully heartfelt description. ❤

I watched it to, got so excited when he won. Such a happy day for me. I was 14 years old.

I've never wished I could have been at any race before until I saw that magnificent horse pull away an win by 25 lengths not any race ever not drag racing not nascar or any other form of racing that had to be the moment to witness an be alive to tell about that race ! Amazing !

Joe Planning, excellent writing. I too remember that race as a child. After this Triple Crown I started going to the local horse race. They were fun. I liked the casual atmosphere of the track crowd. I never saw another race that was as exciting or as stunning as Secretariat. It is the ultimate horse race in history.

Did he ever lose?

Literally! His heart was more than 2 times bigger than they hearts of the other horses.

Yes, I heard that. His racing looks so effortless.

All ❤️ heart then some now I need a drank 🍷😅

Turcotte never went to the whip and why would he?!! Big Red was in a class by himself, still is, and always will be. I used to go to the museum by Churchill just to watch films of his races. There will never be another like him.

@@sherryldickens1129 His races were effortless, at least for Turcotte, the jockey. He never once went to the whip, and I am glad. All he had to do was watch the traffic and turn him loose at the right time. He was more than a horse, especially to those of us in Kentucky. I am in my 60's now and still tear up every time I watch him run. He stole my heart before he even won the first race. I will never forget him.

To this day he still holds the world record for a mile and a half (The Belmont length) on dirt.

The greatest for sure.

@@stevefowler2112 He holds the track record at all three Triple Crown race tracks. Nothing else need be said,

@@gkm072159 Just saying, beyond the triple crown records (the derby and Preakness are 1 1/4 miles) he still holds the world wide record for dirt at 1 1/2 miles (Belmont/Championship length) to this day.

@@stevefowler2112 And I always think about how fast he could have ran had he not retired. Remember, the Triple Crown races are ran by horses that are only 3 years old. Thoroughbreds don’t fully mature until they’re 4 or 5 years old. If you look in the record books, the vast majority of speed records are held by older horses. Heck, there’s even an 11 year old horse that holds a speed record. For example, Secretariat doesn’t hold the world record for the 1 1/4 (Kentucky Derby distance) and he doesn’t hold the world record for the 1 1/8 (Preakness) Those times are both held by older horses. He still holds the world record for the 1 1/2 (Belmont) though. I just think that if he had continued to race, his times would have gotten faster.

Sham could have gone down as an old-time great horse had he run in any year but this one. Won't Sham had set the old records in the first two races? Sadly he was running adjust a super horse who ran faster.

Agreed 100%

Sham was a great, a true champion. But he was born the wrong year. A year earlier or later, he would have been a triple crown winner too.

Sham was a very great horse. He got to go back to his birth place after retirement. Hancock wanted to ensure that Sham had a great retirement and made certain that he made it back home for stud duty. He did have a great retirement and was well cared for.

yea pretty crazy that sham would hav won the derby in any other derby other than that one and he’s forgotten bec of it

Poor Sham.

I believe Sham was at least partly responsible for the success of Big Red. That horse pushed Secretariat to excel even that much more.

Right. Sham was a GREAT horse. The best of the rest. But Secretariat was a once-in-a lifetime horse.

I hated seeing him be whipped so hard when he was giving every ounce he had..

Glad you said "athlete." Secretariat was the only non-human to be included in ESPN's 50 Greatest Athletes back in the early 2000's. His run at Belmont is the greatest ever. We will never see a horse like him again.

Greatest athlete of all time

Did you have a mint julip or bourbon LOL. I was not at the Derby but a few years ago I went to some races there and got to see American Pharoahs show off stable there. I think that was the year he won it all. Vibes still hung in the air. Cool place

Secretariat came to Arlington Park, IL in late summer 1973. He won the race by 21 lengths. His odds were 2:1. You won a dime on a $2.00 bet. Nobody cared, everyone ran to the window to buy a ticket to win just to have it as a souvenir. Incredible horse to watch race in person, almost surreal.

I wish I could've watched that like you! Truly witnessed history infront of your eyes

How emotional was it in the stands? I heard in an interview that people were crying in happiness. Did you notice that yourself? I watched it home on TV and was very emotional myself.

yeah you can see it in his neck. Once the rider let him go oh heck yes

the H.O.R.S.E

I never get tired of watching this magnificent horse race, sadly I never got to see him live as I live in Australia but we can appreciate what an awesome champion he was.

that horse is the "gas gas gas" meme

Greatest by far...

and throws down his smoke and stomps it out as he turns on the afterburners!

I'm just playing with you

Comes from dead last, on the outside and still wins with ease!! Spectacular!!

Did the same thing at the Derby. He broke last on purpose. He knew who he was and was simply playing with the rest of the field. The Belmont proved this to be true.

🐎RIP The GOAT of Racing.

I agree with that 🍻

It's the best, gets the emotions going.... it's like we are seeing something that we have never seen before, just amazing!

In your life , have you ever seen anything like that

“The Giants win the pennant!! The Giants win the pennant!!”, has to be another one.

@@lesblakeman “Better than most.” Honestly I’ve been watching golf forever and have followed Tiger’s entire career. There are literally too many calls to choose from.

Sport magazine gave out there sportsman of the year in 1973 beating, amog others Muhammad ALi. When asked what the Louisville native thought of that: "Well he had a much better year than I did."

@Bobb Grimley Or just human. Typos are common with our species.

@Bobb Grimley totally uncalled for

@Bobb Grimley Go take care of your brothers Diabetes.. oh wait.

@Bobb Grimley actually it is “brother’s”. With the period at the end, maybe you should learn 4th grade grammar…

SAME!!! No matter how many times I watch him run, it chokes me up and I'm wiping tears from my eyes. He was just an amazing animal.

There is a new rising star, with Secretariat's blood on both sire and dame's side. He's called Flightlight. So far wherever he pops up he just destroys the opponents - not quite 31 lengths yet but very much Secretariat style!!

@M. W. flightline is retired

Spectacular Bid will argue that

@@119jle Fun Fact: Spectacular Bid and Secretariat were buddies and would race each other along their shared fence line.

he looked like he was having the time of his life, what a magnificent horse he was!

His momentum carried him a furlong past the finish line, and his time for the mile and five-eighths was faster than the Belmont track record.

I just feel sorry for poor Shan. Always destined to be the bridesmaid.

The princequillo blood is the key I suppose . Secretariat had a natural big heart weighing at 22 pounds which helped him pump more blood which means more oxygen . There's books about it and a guide into tracing which horses had the big heart genes which were passed on through the x chromosome. The furthest horse they could trace it back to is a horse named pocahontas from England.

He never stretches his neck out so you can tell he's not running at his full speed in the first 2 races. That's why they put blinders on him. He just liked to race with the other horses.

Ronny said he NEVER laid a whip on him when they raced. The horse knew what to do and just took over!!!

I think the simplest thing to say is that Secretariat liked to run. No need for a whip. No need for anything except a little bit of steering. The horse just liked to run.

@@kegginstructure he didn't just like to run, he loved it. Everytime he would go faster and faster, it was amazing. I wish I was there to see it with my own eyes

My favorite story from this race is when Turcotte said he was just curious to see how far ahead they were, and you can see at the 6:47 mark he sneaks a peek over his right shoulder. He said even he was shocked when he saw they were 30 lengths ahead.

@@dirliedirl the most famous and well known picture in horse racing, and maybe even in sports!

Same here!!

same here

Me too.

Every time I see it and I've seen it countless times, tears come to eyes at the Belmont.

Me too

I WAS 13 DURING THOSE THREE RACES AND I HAVE NEVER EVER FORGOT ANY OF IT. ISNT GREAT WE HAVE YOU TUBE TO BRING BACK THOSE MEMORIES !

Kathleen I cried too !

Beautiful 💙

I was 13 back then and a horse crazy teen. Love watching these every year after the derby, I start watching them. Cry each time, love the movie of his life too.

It's as if all of you have read my mind. My words from other people. We were lucky to see this beautiful horse.

My family has /had been in the business for over a century. At one time my cousin was CHD President, CEO, CFO, COO…(time will tell if selling out to big corporations was worth it). I had the pleasure of seeing Secretariat, (“Heart of a Champion) up,close during 1973 Kentucky Derby. I was in the band that played at the fence edge my old Kentucky Home, and pre race entertainment between the finish and first turn. To be quite open about what I witnessed in the industry,….outside rooms in the industry…it’s not pretty. I know it’s glamor and charge behind to festivals, brew ha ha etc. …I’ll leave it at that. Not negative, just the intensity racing vs. individual competition are worlds apart. My mom was in the saddle with jumpers as I called it, at the riding club. I learned to ride bareback as a kid through Cherokee Park and Iroquois Park both historic are part of the Olmsted Parks Conservancy. Remember a fall and knocked out for a few minutes once. In the late 1970s met a girl’s family in Sarasota and rode bareback on the beaches during winter months traveling south in a southeast circuit road band. My wife and are today great friends with our mentors and business coaches and partners who personally rescue the most beautiful horses from these racing type industries and elsewhere, who have their own phenomenal horse barns second to none right on their home property getting love, care, attention 24/7. My eyes are leaking just to hammer out a little about my life here. I love the majestic energy and just hearing them breath is forever stamped on my heart. Lastly, for what’s it’s worth… I was approached in 1995, was told by a woman who I only met briefly at a synergy symposium …she said, “in another life you were a Knight on a white stallion.” I’ll take it. Gotta run. All the best to you in this 2022. All things are possible. Use your imagination, your imaginal acts to dream your dreams of the unseen to the seen. It’s possible. It’s possible. ..,, and SUDDENLY. Did want to add this below from a friend of mine .. I’m in a small city. By the sea. I often come here to think. To write. To plan. To sail. This morning’s sunrise was immaculate. Last night’s stars, spellbinding. As I ended my run, I saw an elderly woman, her face wrinkled via the experiences of a long life. She wrote in a book. She was alone. She looked sad. .It made me think of the poem I often begin my leadership presentations with (it comes from the great poet Rabindranath Tagore): “Spring has passed. Summer has gone. Winter is here…. …and the song I meant to sing remains unsung. For I have spent my days stringing and unstringing my instrument.” What message does this poem convey? …to me, it’s always been a potent reminder of the shortness of life. And how very easy it is for us to get hypnotized into spending the best hours of our days being busy being busy…”stringing and unstringing our instruments.” On this precious day within what I sincerely hope you’ll leverage into a GREAT life, here’s what I truly wish for you: …that you’ll behave with bravery and be someone who displays true courage …that you’ll model decency and stand for kindness …that you’ll act with humility and deliver value to others …that you’ll practice gratitude and celebrate your simplest blessings …that you’ll sweat the small stuff and get the tiny details right …that you’ll move your body and flex your mind …that you’ll get up if knocked down and rebound when you stumble …that you’ll remember that the quality of your performance reflects the caliber of your practice …that you’ll carry a smile and radiate positive energy …that you’ll delete distractions and do work that matters …that you’ll achieve small wins, that in time will produce greatness.‎.. Be great, Robin (Sharma)

His heart and lungs were 3 times normal size which gave him the ability to pump more blood faster and oxygenate the blood faster resulting in much faster racing speed, it was really unfair to let him race against normal horses.

No, there won’t be another horse like him ever. The young people today are so jealous because they didn’t get to see him. I was only 10 years old at the time and had to appreciate what I was witnessing. I also got to see Ruffian and Forego. The 70s was a great time to live in NY.

@@penelopelopez8296 I was 9 when Secretariat won the Triple Crown. Even as a kid you new he was a one of a kind. However, Ruffian was/is my favorite racehorse of all time. Bawled my eyes out when she went down in her race with Foolish Pleasure.

@@penelopelopez8296 Frankel was even better. Big Red still one in a million. But it's about the horse's you beat aswell. 👍

BRAVO! Agreed 110%!

Oh wow Diane, I love horses and wish I could have had the honor to have seen big Red race! Amazing you got to experience history like that! Just amazing!

Watched it on TV. Still I felt privileged to see the Belmont. Couldn't wipe the tears away fast enough. Struggled to see that stretch run.

@@carmenz7863 I have an older brother who tried being a jockey, and ended up going into harness racing because he couldn't keep his weight within limits. I was 10 and absolutely loved horses. We couldn't miss the chance at our local racetrack.

I got to see him at Claiborne Farms in Aug 77. He just had a presence and posed every time he saw my mom raise her camera

Wow, what a fantastic memory!

That is such a beautiful story! Thank you so much for sharing that

Wonderful story, thanks for sharing

Wow what a memory. The man in the hat must have been his trainer Lucien Lauren. Everything I have read about the Secretariat is he was very intelligent for a horse and enjoyed attention

Awesome story.

I went once and brushed a fly off his nose.

Even if he was on amphetamines, this would still be an amazing feat. They can only have so much of an effect. We've had many horses drugged over the years and none of them come close to him.

I'm so glad they made a movie about the triple crown!

Muhammed Ali lost out to him as Sportsman of the year, and Ali, being from Louisville said "Well he had a better year."

I didn't know this was a thing; horses are considered athletes? Thanks for answering.

Why doesn’t the horse named Sham get credit for being very close to “the greatest athlete of all time” in two of the three races?

@@chazm3 he does

me too...100%

Totally, what an incredible athlete. The greatest athlete ever.

Me, too. Nothing more beautiful than a great horse race.

Me too! When I'm feeling a little low, I come to KZfaq to watch Secretariat. Really love this footage.

In all those 100 times, did Secretariat ever lose ?

You got that right.

Yeah, but the “rest of the horses” at Belmont was just four as many of the owners already conceded the race to be a match race between Secretariat and Sham. Little did anyone know that it was just one horse’s run for the ages. 31 lengths is a margin of victory that probably will never be approached. Big Red just came ready to run that day. The fact that each split was faster than the previous one and he was gaining speed all the way is incredible

Poor Sham-always the bridesmaid.

Yeah, but the Preakness was truly stunning. It looked like Big Red was shot out of a cannon. From last to first in about 30 seconds.

Preakness. Getting out dead last, hit the outside and past the entire field in the first turn. All three were God like.

Just beautiful and PERFECTLY stated. He makes me cry every time too. It is purity, and intrinsic joy so sublime, touching God Himself. The last bits of light I wish to see before I die, is Secretariat winning the Triple Crown. Because if there isn't a Heaven or, he isn't in it then, I'm not there.

Well said! My face is wet on this reply. I'm 61 and still emotional about Big Red!

Thank gosh I’m not the only one who cries watching his footage. It’s just something I can’t help, tears stream every single time I watch him race. I wasn’t even alive when he was but there’s just something about him that makes me emotional. It might be because I grew up with one of his grandson’s. My parents got him two years before I was born and he passed when I was in my late 20s.

I'm now 70. I'd just gotten out of the Navy in '73, and was working on a ranch in Colorado. After a day of work, the foreman met us all in the barn, brought beer along, and toasted to all of us on having seen the greatest horse of all time win the triple crown. I'll always remember Jim, the foreman - looked like the Marlborough Man - every time I see films of these races, especially the Belmont.

I was nine years old and watched the Belmont with my grandfather, who was a huge horse racing fan. After the race he turned to me and said "Son, remember what you just saw, because I'm telling you now you'll never see anything like it again." And almost 50 years later, I never have.

God surely used the mold for the perfect horse with Secretariat. He won those races because of his groom Eddie Sweat. It takes more than millionaire's too produce a horse this strong and also personable.

One of the best calls in sports history, right up there with "Do you believe in miracles?"

Yes, I've seen beautiful horses being beaten to perform a task to please onlookers. Ha, beautiful horse flesh being BEATEN to run to the finish line. The Sport of Kings, usually overweight ones who couldn't run a block without gasping for air ! PUSHING their horses beyond what is even sometimes physically possible? Like to see some of the KINGS riding their own horses to the finish line someday. Ha ha ha ha ha. Now someone tell me please, what do YOU do when a Thoroughbred gets tired ?

@@lyndafaye6748 ok, karen.

Well said & so very true!!

@@Saltinator LMAO

That's amazing!! I heard that people were crying/weeping.

Was watching this and all three races live , what a feeling have to admit I was a Cham fan till the Belmont,wanted the old boy to win the crown , was 14 and working at local track

seek help

EVER!!!!!!!!Dr.BRYANT LANE.AMEN HALLELUJAH HALLELUJAH JOY JOY JOYFUL JOYFUL PLEASURE TO SEE THIS!!

Same story as me, only I was 13.

Ha, beautiful horse flesh being BEATEN to run to the finish line. The Sport of Kings, usually overweight ones who couldn't run a block without gasping for air ! PUSHING their horses beyond what is even sometimes physically possible? Like to see some of the KINGS riding their own horses to the finish line someday. Ha ha ha ha ha. Now someone tell me please, what do YOU do when a Thoroughbred gets tired ?

No doubt about it.

Me too. I was 10 and old enough to know that what I saw that day was special!

I'm your age, Bruce Musto. I grew up in Indiana just across the river from Louisville, and I remember Secretariat as a star, not just a great athlete. He had charisma. Everyone adored him.

agree 100%

Yes, I've seen beautiful horses being beaten to perform a task to please onlookers. Ha, beautiful horse flesh being BEATEN to run to the finish line. The Sport of Kings, usually overweight ones who couldn't run a block without gasping for air ! PUSHING their horses beyond what is even sometimes physically possible? Like to see some of the KINGS riding their own horses to the finish line someday. Ha ha ha ha ha. Now someone tell me please, what do YOU do when a Thoroughbred gets tired ?

No Ron let him run his race without holding him back. His speed the entire race is the greatest feat of all time!

I agree. I was 25 when I watched Neil Armstrong set foot on the Moon and 29 when I watched Secretariat win the Belmont. Now, five decades later, those are still the two most remarkable events I've ever seen. Secretariat was America's horse. He came at a time when we needed something to feel good about, something to inspire us. Love you Big Red!

@@lyndafaye6748 I have too & it just makes me sick

It's uplifting is what it is.