Secretariat, an American Hero

[pam916]

It is almost Belmont time again and I can't think about the Derby, Preakness or the Belmont Stakes without remembering 1973 when Secretariat won the Triple Crown. I was 16 when I watched Secretariat race to immortality. It was one of the most incredible things I have ever seen in my life. He set a track record in the Kentucky Derby that has never been broken. The Preakness was even better, he started last and in a matter of seconds shot around the other horses to take the lead, there was a large crowd of people on the infield of the track and many of them got so excited that they broke through the barriers meant to hold them back, running and shouting as he ran down the stretch, there were children who were standing on the actual rails cheering him on as he raced by them, unfortunately the people breaking through the barriers also malfunctioned the time clock. By the end of the Preakness Secretariat had become a hero to all of us who followed the races that year. By the time the Belmont rolled around, everyone thought Secretariat would win and be the first Triple Crown Winner in 25 years, but what he did that day was more than win the Belmont or the Triple Crown, he proved he was the greatest racehorse of the 20th Century and possibly of all time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-KvaeuIIsw

Secretariat knocked 2 3/5 seconds off the track record and set a record that will probably never be broken. There is a movie about Secretariat being released this fall. Mrs. Chenery, his owner, is well into her 80's now and she says that even after all these years, hardly a day goes by that she doesn't get a letter from someone about Secretariat.

In 1989 when Secretariat died and they performed his autopsy they found out what those of us who loved him already knew, he had a perfectly healthy heart that was 2 1/2 times larger than that of a normal horse.

 

[Rbishop]

An amazing horse for sure!

 

[dixienut]

:y220e: yes he was a great horse,.. and the large heart is a genetic, occurrence called re factor,.. a rare occurrence that the heart is 2 and half times larger in these great horses,.. there were a few of them that also were super horses,..

a lot of the great quarter horses also have had the re factor,.. don't quote me on my bad memories but i believe doc bar, (pacific bailey, and jet deck,).. racing quarter horses,..

fortunately, or unfortunately my mare has all 3 in her pedigree,.. and i believe she also has the re factor,..

you can usually tell when you work a horse till what is exhaustion or should be,.. they kick into overdrive,.. and hit new speed,.. and this is what my mare does,.. just when you think she should slow down and wear out nope,.. just shifts into overdrive,..lol

its really an awesome thing,..

the larger heat pumps faster and faster getting tons of oxygen to the muscles and boom,.. instant new set of gears,..lol

it's a wonderful thing to see one in action ,..

secretariat's niece was ruffian and she also was a great horse, and i believe she beat his record,.. but it wasn't shown as that because she was a filly and it was a different track,.. but she was way faster the uncle,..

also she had re factor too,.. but back then they didn't know what this was,..

unfortunately that blood line had weak legs, secretariat also had leg problems but over come them,. i think because he was a stallion and had larger bones and stronger bones than females,.. but poor ruffian broke her leg almost clean off at her last race,..

its a terrible thing racing in a way but in a way that is all these animals like to do is run,.. they are happiest running,..


can't wait for the movie..:woot:opcorn::dance:

 

[Dangerdoll]

mad, does this make my tearful...

 

[Death Pony]

I live really close to his birth place. He was an incredible animal.

 

[pam916]

Dixienut - Secretariat was not Ruffian's sire, Secretariat's sire Bold Ruler was her sire, her dam was Shananigan whose sire was Native Dancer. Native Dancer was a very prolific stallion and many of his offspring have had weak legs.

I am by no means a race horse expert or even an avid racehorse fan, I am however an avid Secretariat fan as are many Amerians, especially th

 

[dixienut]

Dixienut - Secretariat was not Ruffian's sire, Secretariat's sire Bold Ruler was her sire, her dam was Shananigan whose sire was Native Dancer. Native Dancer was a very prolific stallion and many of his offspring have had weak legs.

I am by no means a race horse expert or even an avid racehorse fan, I am however an avid Secretariat fan as are many Amerians, especially th

secretariat's niece was ruffian and she also was a great horse, and i believe she beat his record,.. but it wasn't shown as that because she was a filly and it was a different track,.. but she was way faster the uncle,..

this is from my post,.

al the info was from ruffian memoriors of her owners/trainers,.. i am only going by what was qouted from them,..

 

[Madcrawdad]

I don't think that niece implies sire....

 

[londonloco]

Tearful indeed. I remember watching all three races...he was a magnificent horse!

 

[pam916]

Sorry, Dixienut, I obviously cannot read very well. I guess my point was that Ruffian was related to Native Dancer and although I don't know a lot about race horses in general, I do know that Native Dancer's bloodlines have been know to have weak leg bones. I haven't been able to find any information on Secretariat having leg problems. Ruffian was a great racehorse and what happened to her was tragic. Lucien Loren, secretariat's trainer said that he thought Ruffian may have been an even greater racehorse than Secretariat. Secretariat might have developed leg problems but he was not allowed to race past his third year.

I hope the movie is good. Penny Chenery a house wife and a mother of four left her home in Boulder Colorado to take care of her father who had become ill with Alzheimers. Her father owned Meadow Stables, a stable of well bred brood mares. I think a lot of story will center around Penny Chenery's struggle to run Meadow Stables and compete in a business competely dominated by men. Meadow Stables agreed to two breedings of their mare Somethingroyal to Clairborn Farms stallion Bold Ruler. There was a coin toss to see who got the first born, Clairborn Farms or Meadow Stables, Penny Chenery lost. The first was a filly who went to Clairborn Farms the second was a colt who went to Meadow Stables, it was Secretariat.

I don't know why this is in bold print.