Secretariats last race - Victory for the greatest horse in modern times

was an American Thoroughbred racehorse, who in 1973 became the first U.S. Triple Crown champion in twenty-five years, setting new race records in two of the three events in the Series—the Kentucky Derby (1:59 2/5), and the Belmont Stakes (2:24)—records that still stand today.
Secretariat was sired by Bold Ruler (a grandson of Nearco) and foaled to Somethingroyal. He was foaled at Meadow Farm in Caroline County, Virginia. Like the equally famous horse Man o' War, Secretariat was a large chestnut colt and was given the same nickname, "Big Red."
Owned by Penny Chenery (aka Penny Tweedy), he was trained by Lucien Laurin and mainly ridden by fellow Canadian jockey Ron Turcotte, along with apprentice jockey Paul Feliciano (first two races), and veteran Eddie Maple (last race). He raced in Penny Chenery's Meadow Stable's blue and white checkered colors and his groom was Eddie Sweat.

The story of Secretariat began with the toss of a coin in 1968 between Christopher Chenery of Meadow Stables and Ogden Phipps of Wheatley Stable. The idea of a coin toss came from Phipps, the owner of Bold Ruler, and Bull Hancock of Claiborne Farms as a way to get the very best mares for Bold Ruler, and when the toss went their way, to add well-bred fillies to their own broodmare band. Bold Ruler was considered one of the important stallions of his time. He had a fine balance between speed and stamina, having had a frontrunning style but the stamina to go 1 1/4 miles; he finished 3rd in the 1957 Kentucky Derby. After his racing career, Bold Ruler was retired to Claiborne Farms but still was controlled by the Phipps family. This meant he would be bred to mainly Phipps' mares and not many of his offspring would find their way to the auction ring. Phipps and Hancock agreed to forgo a stud fee for Bold Ruler in exchange for getting to keep one of two foals produced by the mare he bred in successive seasons or two mares he bred in the same season. Who obtained which foal or even received first pick would be decided by a flip of a coin.
In 1968, Chenery sent two mares named Hasty Matelda and Somethingroyal to Bold Ruler, and in 1969, a colt and filly were the result. In 1969, Hasty Matelda was replaced by Cicada, but she did not conceive. Only one foal resulted between Bold Ruler and Somethingroyal. As stated in the original agreement, the winner of the coin toss could pick the foal he wanted but could only take one, while the loser would get the other two. Both parties assumed Somethingroyal would deliver a healthy foal in the spring of 1970. The coin toss between Penny Chenery and Ogden Phipps was held in the fall of 1969 in the office of New York Racing Association Chairman Alfred Vanderbilt II, with Hancock as witness. Phipps won the toss and took the weanling filly out of Somethingroyal, leaving Chenery with the colt out of Hasty Matelda and the unborn foal of Somethingroyal.
On March 30, at 12:10 a.m., Somethingroyal foaled a bright red chestnut colt with three white socks and a star with a narrow blaze. By the time the colt was a yearling, he was still unnamed. Meadow Stables' secretary, Elizabeth Ham, had submitted 10 names to the Jockey Club, all of which were denied for various reasons. Approval finally came with the 11th submission, a name Ham herself picked from a previous career association, Secretariat.

Secretariat's owner entered into a syndication deal that precluded the horse racing past age three. Accordingly, Secretariat's last race was against older horses in the Canadian International Stakes at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Canada. It was the second time in his career that he raced on grass and the first time he was asked to go one and five-eighths miles (just a furlong further than he'd already run twice that year). Secretariat won with another impressive performance. With Ron Turcotte out with a five-day suspension, Eddie Maple rode Secretariat to victory by 6 1/2 lengths.
Altogether, Secretariat won 16 of his 21 career races, with three seconds and one third, for in-the-money finishes in 20 of 21 starts, and total earnings of $1,316,808.
At age three, Secretariat was again named Horse of the Year, as well as winning Eclipse Awards as the American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse and the American Champion Male Turf Horse.

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[Dannykeith46]

@bbmtge Like I always said my goog friend, If Secretariat had been a European horse, his name and time fractions would be more hallowed than the queen of England and Winston Churchil. European enthusiasts just can't stand the thought of owning up to the fact that an American horse was the most supernatural thoroughbred of all-time!

[AlienBeliever897]

I'm glad that he won his last race. :D

What an amazing horse..

[brownbigb]

@Dannykeith46 look up kincsem and talk after that.

[BigPetrov]

@bon1042 Lasix had nothing to do with Barbaro's breakdown. This medication thins the blood and guards against internal bleeding when horses are pushed to their limit in races. As I have shown in my earlier comment, many great US horses have won major races without Lasix, both at home and abroad (Dubai). Barbaro had a breakdown, like Rewilding on turf in the UK last year. This happens in racing.

[bon1042]

@BigPetrov I read that Barbaro was given Lasix before the Preakness. In post parade Edgar Prado looked back 2 or 3 times as if he felt Barbaro walking with a hitch in his step or something. On the NBC blog after he broke rt hind leg a man said he noticed it while watching. Lasix is for water retention, is that right?

[XxSodano]

He was a complete freak of nature, there will never be another secretariat. Greatest thoroughbred to ever step foot on a track.

[tikizia1981]

@Dannykeith46 U R abolutly wright<This guy dont even deserves an answer , Whats scientificly true is that he had a heart twice as big as D normal<<<<RIP BIG RED

[cmf4321]

@Dannykeith46 I completely agree! Something about Secretariat brings out some of these people's worse fears...their own mediocrity. What I find interesting is that it seems to be mostly the male gender that makes the accusations. Maybe some of these "boys" (smile) should be taking steroids to feel better about themselves. Secretariat was "pure" confidence! I'm just glad that a woman owned him. His greatness didn't need a man. He was the MAN! lol Glad you're a fan too:-)

[Dannykeith46]

@cmf4321 - I am so fed up with pathetic so-called "know-it-alls" stating SEC used performance enhancing drugs. I guess Mickey Mantle and Babe Ruth used them also because they hit a baseball further than the standard limits set by most baseball players??? If an individual cannot simply recognize supernatural ability and a "once in a lifetime" miracle such as Secretariat, they should try an button their tongues rather than ramble on with outlandish, undocumented accusations!!!!!!!!!!

[cmf4321]

The greatest supernatual miracle on Earth...was this horse. Secretariat was the embodiment of perfection. Something us humans will never see in each other. A horse that was capable of the unimaginable. His performances in the highest level of competition has never been equaled...The Triple Crown. He was retired when he had not even reached his peak! And he was physically the most gorgeous horse that ever raced. This will never happen again. Thank God it happened at a time it could be recorded.

[cmf4321]

@gweightman I'm sure if you got straight A's in school, u probably cheated. If u do well at work, u probably took credit for someone else's work. Ur logic. If u can't recognize the supernatural..the ONE miracle creature on Earth...ur blind to greatness & u will never achieve what u can't recognize. Secretariat WAS the miracle on Earth. The perfect "10" didn't need drugs. He had it ALL..physically &mentally. NO HUMAN ever has. We'll never see anything like this again. And we haven't.

[711ATOM]

Horse racing's greatest decade, the finest horse we will likely ever see running its last race, and what do we get at 2:52? "Coming Up - Olga Korbut & Evel Knievel." AAAHAHAHA! How 70's can you get!