1972 Champagne Stakes (SECRETARIAT DQ'd to 2nd place)

[MichaelDominici]

Tough call from this angle. Stop The Music seems to push the issue...a defensive foul if you will. Secretariat did make a move to get out his path but, it does seem like it came just a little too late. I've seen far worse than this go on without penalty.

[5inthehole]

One last thought...both horses have the right to any position on the track as long as they do not intentionally cut off another horse or bump another while tring to get the position. Did Secretariat bump Stop the Music? I don't think so. Did he intentionally cut off Stop the Music to impede it's progress? Looks to me that Big Red was just racing for position and did not try to block the other horse. Still a tough call!

[5inthehole]

That's a tough call. I guess it could go either way...toughhhhhh! When judging a tough call, one should look into the tracks stewarts history. If he's been there for a long time he's probably made the right call. Anyone know who was the stewart that day?

[ronsmac]

That was a terrible DQ

[fuzzyjax]

I was 13 years old standing at the finish line, I remember it like it was yesterday, I swear that big red horse could smell the finish line. He stretched out his neck under the wire like no other horse I've ever seen. When I got back to my seat I told my Dad and he just laughed.

[TwoSlew]

That's bogus--he never should have been taken down. I've seen worse done TODAY and they leave the horse up.  Now Affirmed being taken down in the 1978 Travers Stakes is a justifiable DQ--Alydar and Jorge Velezquez could have been killed by what Pinkay & Affirmed did--But This.? Who owned Stop the Music? It must have been someone important.

[RAV52]

That DQ was totally bogus. That was one heck of a 2yr-old field, I must add!

[littlefootforever]

stewwarts can be un fair secretariat didnt deserve 2nd

[TheZinn21]

Very poor call. The bumping did not effect the outcome and was incidental at the most. What a joke.

[MelC54]

DQ or not, we still see who crossed the finish line first.

[lpvcrcd]

first I've seen of this race Looks like Big Red got a raw deal He may have leaned in but quickly moved away from Stop the Music .. This was not at a point where an outcome would have been in doubt

[eckythimble]

@lpvcrcd Fully agreed. Not only did Secretariat move away and also temporarily lose some speed in the process, but he won by 2-3 lengths drawing away. If he'd won by a 1/2 length or less with Stop the Music closing down, then there could have been a case for positions to be switched. But not according to the emphatic way Secretariat won it.

[chinabluedog]

i see what the fuss is about but sec still should not have been dq'd

[MeOhMy50]

regardless of the decision, thanks for posting!! I own a son of Stop The Music and its fun to get to watch him race!!

[mattliavaa]

absolutely terrible decision. he always had the other horses measure

[bbmtge]

Been waiting for this one. The two losses as a 2 yo aren't really losses in the sense of getting beat.

Thanks, again, CF1970 for your history of the Great One.

[AwsiDooger]

Thanks for posting this.

At first glance I thought it was somewhat bogus, but after a dozen more views I understand the DQ. The stewards probably would have let it go after the first bump, especially if Secretariat had immediately moved back to the right, but he continued to move left and pinched Stop The Music for several strides, forcing Stop The Music into the next horse.

It looks like Secretariat and Stop The Music are running straight but they are angling left in unison after the bump.

[cf1970]

You're welcome, sir. I respectfully disagree, but to be fair, if I were to see the front view the stewards surely had access to would I might be convinced otherwise. This DQ was a tough one, and this particular video evidence is just too inconclusive for me to change my mind.

I'm off to work soon, have a good night.

[Snags137]

Easily one of the worst DQ's in horse racibg history. Thanks again cf1970.

[cf1970]

I totally agree. You're welcome.

[terjer01]

Another awesome video, cf1970! Thank you wholeheartedly, my friend. What struck me most about this clip was a rather sedate "And down the stretch they come!" call from Dave Johnson considering all the action that was happening at that point. The opportunity presented itself for Johnson to let 'er rip: "AND... DOWN THE STRETCH, THEY COME!!!"

[cf1970]

Happy you enjoyed it. Dave Johnson's calls early in his career are rather subdued. I can only surmise that he was trying to establish a style that he was comfortable with without making any major errors. I stated in a partymanners video that I hoped he didn't say "and down the stretch they come" in his NYRA track call of Secretariat's Belmont (which, very unfortunately, is yet to be unearthed).

Thank you for the comments and kind support.

[RagsLover]

why was he placed in second if he came in first?!

[cf1970]

The stewards placed Secretariat second because it was determined that he impeded Stop The Music when he veered left after jockey Turcotte whipped him right-handed at 1:17.