SECRETARIAT - 1973 Marlboro Cup

The inaugural Marlboro Cup event was created with SECRETARIAT in mind and he did not disappoint. He, along with his wonderful stablemate Riva Ridge, finished 1-2 in a record time of 1:45 2/5. While EASING through an extra furlong, SECRETARIAT set a time of 1:57.80 for the mile and a quarter that was later tied by 4 year old Spectacular Bid for the present day record.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Sports
• Horse
• Racing
• SECRETARIAT
• Riva
• Ridge
• Cougar
• Onion
• 1973
• Marlboro
• Cup
• Belmont
• Park
• New
• York

[bbmtge]

@eckythimble Very important to note that Sec, while setting a WR in this race, was absolutely nowhere near his TC form. Also, Cougar II would never had started his charge that soon if it was a longer race. Zenyatta did the same thing in hugging the rail and making a very measured move to the outside with a very specific distance remaining in her. Sec showed in the KD he could make a charge of immeasurable distance. Even champions horses could not/cannot do the same.

[rscarbro100]

@eckythimble One example how fast that Santa Anita track was when SB ran his WR 1:57 4/5. The Bid went through the mile in 1:32 4/5. Relaunch was in 2nd with a 1:33 flat 1 mile. Flying Paster was the 2nd place finsher in a time of 1:58 2/5 time for the 1 1/4 mile. He came within 1/5 of a second of tying Noor WR that The Bid broke in that race. No way the Bid or Paster would have ran that time on a Belmont Park track like Big Red did. The Bid & Paster were 4 yrs. at the time.

[eckythimble]

This classic race gives a good example of what would likely occur if Zenyatta took on Secretariat, both in form. Watch Cougar come from way back to a thundering close third behind Riva Ridge. A great, Zenyatta-like run but by this time Secretariat was already well on his way to smashing the unofficial mile and a quarter world record, having already broken the mile and one eighth mile world record at the post.

[kwgrid]

YAY! The Meadow took home a bucket-o-money that day!!! ♥

[rscarbro100]

Why did not Turcotte hit big Red with a whip after coming out of the turn? I tell you why. As Whitney Tower said Turcotte knew he had plenty of horse left in him even after running the 1st 6 furlongs in 1:09 2/5 with only 4 workouts in 2 wks. after being off for 6 wks coming off a serous illness that would have put most stakes horses out for the yr. yet not in top form he pulled away for a world record. Charles Hatton said Laurin never did get to the bottom of him. That is hard to imagine.

[casterTroy1941]

Only a handful of athletes in history had the presence of dominance among other elites. There's a particular swagger that demands a sort of reverential treatment by their competition. The moment they are on the field, the court, the ring, or even the track, the most finely tuned athletes submit and give space to allow greatness through-Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali, SECRETARIAT. It's almost magical.

[ItsCappyBitches]

I remember seeing an interview (somewhere) by Riva Ridge's jockey where he said he thought he had a shot at it in the turn and then he saw a red nose in the corner of his right eye and it was then that knew he was riding for second. Just unreal

[bbmtge]

@liszt1186 What is interesting about PO's fall of "73 campaign is that he (from memory) set a stakes record at Saratoga for 7 furlongs, a track record at Belmont for 1 1/16th miles, ran the 2nd fastest 1 1/2 miles in history and the only horse to run the 2 mile Jockey Gold Cup faster was the great Kelso...and in that race, PO hit the rail!!! PO defeated Sec, Forego and Rive Ridge that summer/fall. Not too shabby, huh? Jerkins brought out the best in a horse that had been given up on by everyone.

[bbmtge]

@liszt1186 I missed this post. You make a great point. I think, simply, that Sec was worn down as he never fully recovered from his virus, ran the MC two weeks prior and was completely unprepared for the 1 1/2 mile distance. Key word here is VIRUS. Funny how so much criticism was laid on the horse, though he ran ~2:26 and 3/5th's in the WW. However, Prove Out ran an awesome race with the last 3 quarter fractions run at 24 seconds each!!! PO still has the 2nd fastest 1 1/2 miles on dirt...con

[MelC54]

Where is "ONION"? I think I saw "ONION" cross the finish line about 12 lengths BEHIND SECRETARIAT.