December 10, 2024 • 10 mins
On this episode of Our American Stories, no horse had won the Triple Crown in horse racing in a quarter century. Heading into the third race of the Triple Crown - the Belmont Stakes - Secretariat was the oddsmaker's favorite, and America's, too. Here's the story.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:10):
And we continue with our American stories. Up next, a
sports performance story for the agents. In ESPN's Who's Number
one list of Greatest sports performances Ever, this athlete's performance
on a racetrack in Elmont, New York, on June ninth,
nineteen seventy three placed a close second behind NBA star
(00:34):
Wilk Chamberlain's one hundred point performance in nineteen sixty two.
He was the only athlete on that list with one
name and the only one with four legs Secretariat. Going
into the one hundred and fifth Belmont Stakes, there hadn't
(00:55):
been a triple crown winner horse racing's ultimate prize for
three year olds, Fincitation in nineteen forty eight, and for
good reason. The three races test very different pill The first,
the Kentucky Derby, is a one and a quarter mile
long race. The second, the Preakness, is shorter at one
(01:18):
and three sixteenth with some especially tight turn. Belmont, the
last of the three, is one and a half miles,
a thoroughbred marathon and with a far turn as wide
as the Suez Canal and a home stretch that never
seems to end. Only seven horses had won all three
(01:39):
races in one hundred plus years, making the feat as
improbable as a baseball player winning the Triple Crown or
a tennis player winning the Grand Slam. Six horses had
won the first two legs of the Triple Crown since
nineteen forty eight, Tim Tam in nineteen fifty eight, Harryback
in nineteen sixty one, Northern Dancer in nineteen sixty four,
(02:01):
and Kawi King in nineteen sixty six. Forward Passed in
nineteen sixty eight, and Conanero in nineteen seventy one. Their
dreams all died in the dirt at Belmont. The odds
were against Secretariat winning the longest and most difficult leg
of the Triple Ground, but Secretariat was no ordinary horse.
(02:21):
Sportswriting legend. Jerry Eisenberg, a man not prone to romanticizing
either athletes or animals, said this about the horse known
as Big Red. You can't anticipate greatness. You can't even
define it. It's something that God sticks into someone every
once in a while, and because it comes from God,
the gift can't be ignored and it can't be defeated.
(02:44):
The great athletes use it even if they aren't human.
Secretariat's godlike attributes weren't always apparent to everyone, and his
debut as a two year old in nineteen seventy two,
he had trouble at the starting gate and got pushed
around the track. You're finishing fourth in that race. Secretariat
won his next two. The second was under a new jockey,
(03:06):
Ron Turcott, but it wasn't until the Sandford Stakes in Saratoga,
New York, that Secretariot would show his real potential. Here's
Turcott to explain why. I was sitting behind two horses
and I started to make my move because there was
an opening, and when those two horses came in together,
they just ricocheted off of them like nothing had happened.
(03:27):
He went on to win it by himself, and that's
when he began to really impress me. What track pros
had witnessed that day wasn't an ordinary win. Here's Saratoga
track announcer Dave Toohnson. The Secretariat made his move in
that race. It was unlike any move I had ever
seen any two year old make. It was the kind
of move that took your breath away. You could hear
(03:49):
the collective gas from the entire Saratoga grandstand. It was
like whoa did you see? That? Secretariat would go on
to dominate race that year and become a Horse of
the Year, A rare feat for a two year old.
Historic qualities sparked interest from Thurbred investors early in nineteen
seventy three, and shares in the horse, thirty two in all,
(04:13):
was sold for record breaking six point eight million dollars.
After winning his first two starts that year, Secretariat ran
a disappointing third in a Kentucky Derby prep race in Aqueduct.
Many insiders were asking the same question, was the world's
newest superstud a super dud? Secretariat arrived at Kentucky Derby
(04:36):
with a big number of detractors. Some were happy to
spread rumors that the horse was lame. Despite the rumors,
Secretariat was favored to win the biggest race of his
young life, a Derby record one hundred and thirty four
thousand people jammed into Churchill Downs, and Secretariat didn't disappoint,
winning the first leg of the Triple Crown with the ease.
(04:57):
He was the first force to complete the Derby in
less than two minutes and to this day still holds
the record. By the fast, disturbing performance of all time.
The Secretariat arrived in Baltimore as a three to ten favorite,
and once again the horse didn't disappoint, cruising to an
easy win in the Preakness Stakes, the second leg of
(05:20):
the Triple Crown. The stage was set for the showdown
at Belmont Park in a shot at racing history. The
entire track, the entire world was pulling for Secretariat. Here
again is Jerry Eisenberg. Before the race, you could see
not only what secretaryat meant to veteran hard boiled step
(05:40):
over a guy with a heart attack so I don't
get shut out of the window, gambler, but also for
people who are at that track who were not gim
People brought their kids to see this horse. He was
the people's horse. The record crowd packed Belmont's grandstands as
the world rooted for Big Red to make history. He
(06:00):
went off at one to nine odds. It didn't take
long for Secretariat to establish himself, coming out of the
gates smoothly. Unlike other races where he raced near the
back of the pack until the time was right to
make his move, Secretariat made his move midway through the race,
breezing by the only competition in the field. Sham. Here's
(06:22):
track announcer Chick Anderson with the call.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
They're on the turn. It's Secretariat is blazing along the
first three quarters of a mile and one oh nine
and fourpeth, secretariatis lightening now. He is moving like a
tremendous machine. Secretariat by cold, Secretariat by fourteen links on
the turn. Sam is dropping back. It looks like they'll
(06:47):
catch him today because my ballot and twice a Prince
are both coming up to him now. But secretariatus all.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
Alone Onlookers were worried that Secretariat made his move too early.
Here's racing writer read he just accelerated and took the field.
I was like, good lord, what's Turcott thinking? But Penny Chennery,
Secretariat's owner, knew better. He was too early in the
(07:13):
race to be running like he was running. But it
must have been what the horse wanted to do. By
the fore turn, it was clear as Secretariat was going
to be the winner. It was just a matter of
the margin of victory. Here is Ron Turcott. Finally, as
I turned for home, my curiosity got the best of me.
I just had to turn around, and when I look back,
(07:35):
I scared myself. I never saw anything like it in
my life. It was like the horse I was on
and the others were racing on two different racetracks. Here again,
track announcer chick Anderson with the call.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
The lead is increasing, make it free lead and a half.
They're on the turn. Its Secretariat is blazing along the
first three cords of a mile and one O nine
and four best Secretary. It is frightening now he is
moving like a tremendous machine. Secretariat by Clode. Secretariat by
fourteen lengths on the turn.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Just moments later, Here again is chick Anderson with the
call at the stretch of the Belmont Stake in nineteen
seventy three.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
But Secretariat is all alone. He's out there almost the
six half of a mile away from the rest of
the horses. They're in the stretch. Checretariat has offered a
twenty king light lead. He is trying to be a
triple Crown hunner. Here comes Secretariat to the wire and unbelievable,
an amazing performance. He had the face twenty five lengths
(08:41):
and fund.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
Secretariat won the Belmont Stakes by an astonishing thirty one lengths.
Jack Whittaker, one of CBS's most seasoned broadcasters couldn't hold
back his astonishment. Everybody was just speechless, and when it's
set in, people were just crying. I literally saw people crying.
It was such an overwhelming sight to see. It was
(09:07):
a performance of a lifetime. Secretariat not only set a
track record, but a North American record for the one
and a half mile dirt race. In the fall of
nineteen eighty nine, Secretariat came down with laminitis, a debilitating
hoof condition. When it failed to improve after a month
of treatment, he was euthanized on October four, at the
(09:29):
age of nineteen. Secretariat was given the rare honor of
being buried whole. Customarily, only the head, heart, and hoofs
of a winning race horse are buried. Secretariat's autopsy revealed
some things that many race fans already knew. His heart
was huge. Literally, at twenty two pounds, it was two
and a half times larger than the horses running behind him.
(09:53):
Penny Chennery stated, he just had a superior power pack
and he loved showing it to the world. I wonder
what he thought. He must have had a sense of accomplishment.
We can't even know what Secretariat thought, but Heywood. Hail
Brown may have best summed up what we all thought
about Secretariat's performance that day in Belmont. Every now and then,
(10:16):
some athletes touched for a moment with a kind of
high level greatness that he might not ever achieve again,
but at that moment they are more than life allows.
It's the same thing that Babe Ruth did for baseball
and was something that everyone could think about and be
amazed about. And that's what he did for racing. The
story of Secretariat's greatest race Here on our American Stories
And we continue with our American stories. Up next, a
sports performance story for the agents. In ESPN's Who's Number
one list of Greatest sports performances Ever, this athlete's performance
on a racetrack in Elmont, New York, on June ninth,
nineteen seventy three placed a close second behind NBA star
(00:34):
Wilk Chamberlain's one hundred point performance in nineteen sixty two.
He was the only athlete on that list with one
name and the only one with four legs Secretariat. Going
into the one hundred and fifth Belmont Stakes, there hadn't
(00:55):
been a triple crown winner horse racing's ultimate prize for
three year olds, Fincitation in nineteen forty eight, and for
good reason. The three races test very different pill The first,
the Kentucky Derby, is a one and a quarter mile
long race. The second, the Preakness, is shorter at one
(01:18):
and three sixteenth with some especially tight turn. Belmont, the
last of the three, is one and a half miles,
a thoroughbred marathon and with a far turn as wide
as the Suez Canal and a home stretch that never
seems to end. Only seven horses had won all three
(01:39):
races in one hundred plus years, making the feat as
improbable as a baseball player winning the Triple Crown or
a tennis player winning the Grand Slam. Six horses had
won the first two legs of the Triple Crown since
nineteen forty eight, Tim Tam in nineteen fifty eight, Harryback
in nineteen sixty one, Northern Dancer in nineteen sixty four,
(02:01):
and Kawi King in nineteen sixty six. Forward Passed in
nineteen sixty eight, and Conanero in nineteen seventy one. Their
dreams all died in the dirt at Belmont. The odds
were against Secretariat winning the longest and most difficult leg
of the Triple Ground, but Secretariat was no ordinary horse.
(02:21):
Sportswriting legend. Jerry Eisenberg, a man not prone to romanticizing
either athletes or animals, said this about the horse known
as Big Red. You can't anticipate greatness. You can't even
define it. It's something that God sticks into someone every
once in a while, and because it comes from God,
the gift can't be ignored and it can't be defeated.
(02:44):
The great athletes use it even if they aren't human.
Secretariat's godlike attributes weren't always apparent to everyone, and his
debut as a two year old in nineteen seventy two,
he had trouble at the starting gate and got pushed
around the track. You're finishing fourth in that race. Secretariat
won his next two. The second was under a new jockey,
(03:06):
Ron Turcott, but it wasn't until the Sandford Stakes in Saratoga,
New York, that Secretariot would show his real potential. Here's
Turcott to explain why. I was sitting behind two horses
and I started to make my move because there was
an opening, and when those two horses came in together,
they just ricocheted off of them like nothing had happened.
(03:27):
He went on to win it by himself, and that's
when he began to really impress me. What track pros
had witnessed that day wasn't an ordinary win. Here's Saratoga
track announcer Dave Toohnson. The Secretariat made his move in
that race. It was unlike any move I had ever
seen any two year old make. It was the kind
of move that took your breath away. You could hear
(03:49):
the collective gas from the entire Saratoga grandstand. It was
like whoa did you see? That? Secretariat would go on
to dominate race that year and become a Horse of
the Year, A rare feat for a two year old.
Historic qualities sparked interest from Thurbred investors early in nineteen
seventy three, and shares in the horse, thirty two in all,
(04:13):
was sold for record breaking six point eight million dollars.
After winning his first two starts that year, Secretariat ran
a disappointing third in a Kentucky Derby prep race in Aqueduct.
Many insiders were asking the same question, was the world's
newest superstud a super dud? Secretariat arrived at Kentucky Derby
(04:36):
with a big number of detractors. Some were happy to
spread rumors that the horse was lame. Despite the rumors,
Secretariat was favored to win the biggest race of his
young life, a Derby record one hundred and thirty four
thousand people jammed into Churchill Downs, and Secretariat didn't disappoint,
winning the first leg of the Triple Crown with the ease.
(04:57):
He was the first force to complete the Derby in
less than two minutes and to this day still holds
the record. By the fast, disturbing performance of all time.
The Secretariat arrived in Baltimore as a three to ten favorite,
and once again the horse didn't disappoint, cruising to an
easy win in the Preakness Stakes, the second leg of
(05:20):
the Triple Crown. The stage was set for the showdown
at Belmont Park in a shot at racing history. The
entire track, the entire world was pulling for Secretariat. Here
again is Jerry Eisenberg. Before the race, you could see
not only what secretaryat meant to veteran hard boiled step
(05:40):
over a guy with a heart attack so I don't
get shut out of the window, gambler, but also for
people who are at that track who were not gim
People brought their kids to see this horse. He was
the people's horse. The record crowd packed Belmont's grandstands as
the world rooted for Big Red to make history. He
(06:00):
went off at one to nine odds. It didn't take
long for Secretariat to establish himself, coming out of the
gates smoothly. Unlike other races where he raced near the
back of the pack until the time was right to
make his move, Secretariat made his move midway through the race,
breezing by the only competition in the field. Sham. Here's
(06:22):
track announcer Chick Anderson with the call.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
They're on the turn. It's Secretariat is blazing along the
first three quarters of a mile and one oh nine
and fourpeth, secretariatis lightening now. He is moving like a
tremendous machine. Secretariat by cold, Secretariat by fourteen links on
the turn. Sam is dropping back. It looks like they'll
(06:47):
catch him today because my ballot and twice a Prince
are both coming up to him now. But secretariatus all.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
Alone Onlookers were worried that Secretariat made his move too early.
Here's racing writer read he just accelerated and took the field.
I was like, good lord, what's Turcott thinking? But Penny Chennery,
Secretariat's owner, knew better. He was too early in the
(07:13):
race to be running like he was running. But it
must have been what the horse wanted to do. By
the fore turn, it was clear as Secretariat was going
to be the winner. It was just a matter of
the margin of victory. Here is Ron Turcott. Finally, as
I turned for home, my curiosity got the best of me.
I just had to turn around, and when I look back,
(07:35):
I scared myself. I never saw anything like it in
my life. It was like the horse I was on
and the others were racing on two different racetracks. Here again,
track announcer chick Anderson with the call.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
The lead is increasing, make it free lead and a half.
They're on the turn. Its Secretariat is blazing along the
first three cords of a mile and one O nine
and four best Secretary. It is frightening now he is
moving like a tremendous machine. Secretariat by Clode. Secretariat by
fourteen lengths on the turn.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Just moments later, Here again is chick Anderson with the
call at the stretch of the Belmont Stake in nineteen
seventy three.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
But Secretariat is all alone. He's out there almost the
six half of a mile away from the rest of
the horses. They're in the stretch. Checretariat has offered a
twenty king light lead. He is trying to be a
triple Crown hunner. Here comes Secretariat to the wire and unbelievable,
an amazing performance. He had the face twenty five lengths
(08:41):
and fund.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
Secretariat won the Belmont Stakes by an astonishing thirty one lengths.
Jack Whittaker, one of CBS's most seasoned broadcasters couldn't hold
back his astonishment. Everybody was just speechless, and when it's
set in, people were just crying. I literally saw people crying.
It was such an overwhelming sight to see. It was
(09:07):
a performance of a lifetime. Secretariat not only set a
track record, but a North American record for the one
and a half mile dirt race. In the fall of
nineteen eighty nine, Secretariat came down with laminitis, a debilitating
hoof condition. When it failed to improve after a month
of treatment, he was euthanized on October four, at the
(09:29):
age of nineteen. Secretariat was given the rare honor of
being buried whole. Customarily, only the head, heart, and hoofs
of a winning race horse are buried. Secretariat's autopsy revealed
some things that many race fans already knew. His heart
was huge. Literally, at twenty two pounds, it was two
and a half times larger than the horses running behind him.
(09:53):
Penny Chennery stated, he just had a superior power pack
and he loved showing it to the world. I wonder
what he thought. He must have had a sense of accomplishment.
We can't even know what Secretariat thought, but Heywood. Hail
Brown may have best summed up what we all thought
about Secretariat's performance that day in Belmont. Every now and then,
(10:16):
some athletes touched for a moment with a kind of
high level greatness that he might not ever achieve again,
but at that moment they are more than life allows.
It's the same thing that Babe Ruth did for baseball
and was something that everyone could think about and be
amazed about. And that's what he did for racing. The
story of Secretariat's greatest race Here on our American Stories
Host
Lee Habeeb
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