The Kentucky Derby is scheduled for Saturday, May 8, 2018, always the name of Secretariat is mentioned. He was a Triple Crown Winner 1973, and still to this day some of the records that were produced during his runs still stand. Secretariate was born March 30, 1970, at The Meadows in Doswell, Virginia, he belonged to Penny Tweedy.
He began his career as a 2-year-old in 1972, winning 5 stake races, and names Champagne Stakes 2 year colt Champion, Horse of the Year. The age of 3 years old, he won 9 stake races, setting records in 6 of those races. He was also named Wood Memorial Champion Grass Horse, Horse of the Year in 1973. The 24 races he ran in during his lifetime, there was just one race that he didn't win money.
Secretariat was beaten weeks before the Kentucky Derby by his cousin, Sham. The Kentucky Derby in a field of 14 horses, including Sham and Secretariat, Sham led the race. That was until Secretariat caught up with him halfway down the finishing stretch. Secretariat went on to win 2.5 lengths ahead of sham setting a world record of 1:59 2/5 which still stands today. Both horses cracked the 2 minute race time, and no other horse had accomplished that, and it wasn't until 2001 that Monarchos with 1:59.97 which was still slower than Secretariat.
It was just 2 weeks later, Secretariat won the Preakness, beating Sham again, in the field of 6 horses. He went on and won that 1 3/16 mile race in 1:53 flat. He was never challenged in this race, he reached the lead with 5.5 furlongs to go and kept it the remainder of the race finishing 2.5 lengths ahead of the second place horse, Sham.
But, the Belmont is where his legend grows, there were four other horses, including Sham challenging for the Belmont. Sham and Secretariat ran the fastest opening 1/2 mile in the history of horse racing, opening up 10 lengths on the rest of the field. Secretariat made a statement, not only did he run the fastest 1.5 miles at Belmont Park but it was also the fastest 1.5 miles in America. His time for the 1.5 miles was 2:24 and he finished 31 lengths ahead of the 2nd place finisher, his victory was so large that the widest camera lens could not get Secretariat and the other horses in the same frame.
He retired in December of 1973 to Claiborne Farms, where he began his career as a stud horse, he produced over 653 foals with 57 of them being stake winners.
The fall of 1989, Secretariat became inflicted with laminitis, a painful and debilitating hoof condition, within a month of showing no improvement he was euthanized October 4 at the age of 19. He is buried at Claiborne Farms receiving the rare honor of being buried whole, most racehorses usually have their head, heart and hooves buried.
Dr. Thomas Swerczek the head pathologist at the University of Kentucky, although at the time Secretariat heart was not weighed, everyone stood in silence at the shear size of his heart. It was a perfectly healthy heart but it was huge. But, in 1993 Sham, who was Secretariat's cousin, Dr. Swerczek had the opportunity to weigh his heart and it weighed 18 pounds. Based on that information he estimated that Secretariat's heart probably weighed about 22 pounds.The average horse's heart is 8.5 pounds.
Legend says that his success can be linked to his large heart, but it has not been proven that it contributed to his athletic ability. Maybe, his heart did contribute to his ability, but not in the way people think.
