OT: Secretariat Awarded Preakness Record

[RegisteredUconn]

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/70679/secretariats-preakness-time-changed

Didn't see this posted...apologize if it's a dup.

Secretariat now has the record for all three Triple Crown races. That may be the most impressive accomplishment in the history of sport (that should get a debate started). For more than a century and a quarter, the best have never sat home or raced elsewhere and no horse has ever posted a faster time than Secretariat's in any of the races. I don't know what to compare it to.

 

[alexrgct]

Yeah, well, Roger Federer made it to the finals of 18 of 19 majors from Wimbledon 2005 through Aussie 2010. Put that in your pipe and smoke it, Secretariat!

In all seriousness, cross-sport records, not to mention cross-species records, are tough to compare meaningfully. I will say, however, that to hold any record like that at any of the three races, much less all of them, for 39 years, is pretty amazing.

I wasn't born yet, but Secretariat's 1973 Belmont run is one of the most amazing things I've ever seen.

 

[johnnyc]

I wasn't born yet, but Secretariat's 1973 Belmont run is one of the most amazing things I've ever seen.

he is moving like a tremendous machine.......



Going from last to first at the Preakness was pretty special too.

 

[UcMiami]

I was afraid when I clicked on this thread that they had retest some 'b' sample from a race thirty years ago and disqualified the previous record holder. Glad it was just a timing error.
What a great horse!
As for records - personally I loved the sailing record from east coast to west coast that lasted something around 100 years.

 

[Alydar]

My favorite Belmont Stakes. Alydar and Affirmed ran side by side for the last mile of the race. It woulld be like a basketball game where both teams shoot 60% and there is no lead over 2.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

he is moving like a tremendous machine.......



Going from last to first at the Preakness was pretty special too.

Whenever I'd watch a movie about a racehorse, there was always at least one scene where the equine star was shown passing other horses like they were trotting and s/he was galloping and thought, "What a crock!" I never saw such a move in a real race. Then I saw Secretariat in the Preakness.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

My favorite Belmont Stakes. Alydar and Affirmed ran side by side for the last mile of the race. It woulld be like a basketball game where both teams shoot 60% and there is no lead over 2.

I believe Affirmed still holds the record for the second fastest Belmont Stakes...a full two seconds slower than Secretariat.

 

[Alydar]

Whenever I'd watch a movie about a racehorse, there was always at least one scene where the equine star was shown passing other horses like they were trotting and s/he was galloping and thought, "What a crock!" I never saw such a move in a real race. Then I saw Secretariat in the Preakness.

That was a fantastic race. And as for passing horses to win, my favorite is the 91 Breeders Cup Juvenile Race. Arazi's move from last to first, most of it coming o the far turn while racing wide was the best I ever saw.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arazi_(horse)

The Race:

 

[meyers7]

Excellent!

 

[MilfordHusky]

This sounds like a real attempt to get things right following a technical failure, rather than a public relations event. Watching that horse was special. He still holds the event and track records nearly 40 years later. Records rarely have that degree of longevity.

 

[VAUConnFan]

That was a fantastic race. And as for passing horses to win, my favorite is the 91 Breeders Cup Juvenile Race. Arazi's move from last to first, most of it coming o the far turn while racing wide was the best I ever saw.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arazi_(horse)

The Race:

Arazi was quire a 2 year old who never found his championship form as a three year old. He would have beaten many an older horse with that race in the 1991 Breeder's Cup Juvenile. And he had Pat Valenzuela aboard; Among my favorites.

 

[UCONNfan1]

I got a real appreciation of what went into that horse watching the movie with Dianne Lane. It was an amazing movie even tho I know how it was going to "end". There's something incredible about watcing those horses speed around the track.

I wonder if they ever drug tested him back all those years ago and if drug tests were even used. I'm sure Secretariat was juicing. No way a horse can run that fast naturally...

 

[Fishy]

I believe Affirmed still holds the record for the second fastest Belmont Stakes...a full two seconds slower than Secretariat.

A son of Alydar, Easy Goer, holds the second fastest Belmont time - about four lengths faster than Affirmed. A son of Secretariat, Risen Star, holds one of the five fastest.

Three 'holy s***' moments that I can remember in horse racing where a horse reacted like he had a jet engine....

Easy Goer in the Gotham Stakes. He broke Secretariat's mile record at Aqueduct and barely looked like he was moving.

Big Brown in the Preakness. (Fast forward to about the 3:30 mark.) At most, he ran 180 yards - the rest was a jog.

Afleet Alex in the Belmont. From about 8th to three lengths clear in about a 1/16th.

Arazi' race was freakish - he might have been just precocious or perhaps the knees surgeries hindered him, but he was really just a grade II-level horse as a three-year old. My hunch is that he was as good as he was going to be as a two-year old and the world caught and passed him at three.

That monster they have in Europe now, Frankel, might be the best horse I've seen in a very, very long time.

 

[rocky rococo]

Drug tests were definitely in use at the top races before Secretariat's time. The 1968 Kentucky Derby winner was disqualified by a drug test.

 

[uconnfan68]

That was a fantastic race. And as for passing horses to win, my favorite is the 91 Breeders Cup Juvenile Race. Arazi's move from last to first, most of it coming o the far turn while racing wide was the best I ever saw.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arazi_(horse)

The Race:

"Running by horses like they were tied to a post".

 

[Blakeon18]

Longevity:

I am not sure how long Bob Beamon's long jump record held but it was a long, long time....maybe 20-25 years?

Florence Griffith Joyner set the world record for the 100 and 200 meters in 1988...think they are 10.47 and 20.49.
Nobody has come close since....24 years and counting. Nobody goes under 21.00 and I think the closest in the 100 is around 10.65 by Marion Jones
who had some disqualifying 'help'.


Uhh...think Cy Young's 511 career wins as a pitcher in the big leagues might last a few more years?

 

[Waquoit]

I got a real appreciation of what went into that horse watching the movie with Dianne Lane. It was an amazing movie even tho I know how it was going to "end". There's something incredible about watcing those horses speed around the track.

That was one of those movies that worked better if you didn't know the subject matter. The many fabrications bothered me too much to enjoy it. The worst was making the other's horse's trainer into an evil villian. That literally killed the guy in real life.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

That was one of those movies that worked better if you didn't know the subject matter. The many fabrications bothered me too much to enjoy it. The worst was making the other's horse's trainer into an evil villian. That literally killed the guy in real life.

I don't know if it's true or not, but I read somewhere that Sham never ran another race after his defeat in the Belmont. Some attributed such a precipitous decline in a horse that had just weeks earlier that, had it not been for Secretariat would have set the record for the fastest Kentucky Derby in history himself. Does anyone know if Sham ever return to the post again after Belmont?

 

[RegisteredUconn]

Longevity:

I am not sure how long Bob Beamon's long jump record held but it was a long, long time....maybe 20-25 years?

Florence Griffith Joyner set the world record for the 100 and 200 meters in 1988...think they are 10.47 and 20.49.
Nobody has come close since....24 years and counting. Nobody goes under 21.00 and I think the closest in the 100 is around 10.65 by Marion Jones
who had some disqualifying 'help'.


Uhh...think Cy Young's 511 career wins as a pitcher in the big leagues might last a few more years?

Cy Young sure looks untouchable but I used to think that about Lou Gehrig's 2130 consecutive game streak, in part because the longest streak in the National League back when I followed the Phillies was Stan Musial's at 895.

 

[meyers7]

I don't know if it's true or not, but I read somewhere that Sham never ran another race after his defeat in the Belmont.

Per Wikipedia that is true. Was supposed to run against Secretariat at Saratoga but had a hairline fracture. Retired and put out to stud.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Longevity:

I am not sure how long Bob Beamon's long jump record held but it was a long, long time....maybe 20-25 years?

Florence Griffith Joyner set the world record for the 100 and 200 meters in 1988...think they are 10.47 and 20.49.
Nobody has come close since....24 years and counting. Nobody goes under 21.00 and I think the closest in the 100 is around 10.65 by Marion Jones
who had some disqualifying 'help'.


Uhh...think Cy Young's 511 career wins as a pitcher in the big leagues might last a few more years?

Cy Young's record will last forever, most likely.

Beamon's lasted about 25 years. Interestingly, Jesse Owens's record lasted even longer, though Jesse did not obliterate the old standard the way that Beamon did.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Drug tests were definitely in use at the top races before Secretariat's time. The 1968 Kentucky Derby winner was disqualified by a drug test.

When Secretariat died and was autopsied, he was found to have a much larger than normal heart. Obviously, the horse had a lot of heart in another way as well.

It was like a street hot rod race--one jockey had noticeably more horsepower under the hood than the other guy.

 

[Icebear]

When Secretariat died and was autopsied, he was found to have a much larger than normal heart. Obviously, the horse had a lot of heart in another way as well.

It was like a street hot rod race--one jockey had noticeably more horsepower under the hood than the other guy.

The same was true for Secretariat's competitor and half cousin Sham. Sham's heart was double the weight of a "normal" heart. There is the actual tracking of that large heart in the genes today of modern horse technology.

 

[magical2]

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/70679/secretariats-preakness-time-changed

Didn't see this posted...apologize if it's a dup.

Secretariat now has the record for all three Triple Crown races. That may be the most impressive accomplishment in the history of sport (that should get a debate started). For more than a century and a quarter, the best have never sat home or raced elsewhere and no horse has ever posted a faster time than Secretariat's in any of the races. I don't know what to compare it to.

 

[magical2]

I am no kid either! Secretariet is the greatest that I have ever seen! The excitement and attention he generated during that time frame 72-73 was INCREDIBLE! I still remember watching each of the Triple Crown Races. The Kentucky Derby,followed by the Preakness,and then the build up to the Belmont was amazing His performance in the Belmont was so duck*ing Unbelievable! At that time no Horse had won the Triple Crown in 25 years. He didnt just win the Belmont,win the Triple Crown,set the track record,win by an unbelievable 31 lengths,he set a World Record for that distance! Watching it was mind boggling! How do you compare different sports,time periods,animals to human beings, I dont know!!!!!!!! I do know that for me it was all amazing and the Belmont performance was something that lives with me so vivdly to this day! No horse has come close to breaking any of those performances since then. He is to me the GREATEST Race Horse I have ever seen In my mind he stands alone BIG RED! When I think of Greatest he always comes to mind!
As I remember it,all 3 races were track records and Triple Crown Records! To Top it off with the Belmont which also gave him the Triple Crown and a World Record will always stand on its own and send chills through me! To all of us who saw those races live,we were so lucky and blessed! To see him litteraly racing alone the last half mile was nind boggling and breath taking!
They made a movie the last few years called Secretariet starring Diane Lane and other stars! I have watched more than 10 times
In the movie Lucian, the trainer said the night before the Belmont, "he is going to have wings" was so prophetic!
To my knowledge to this day he is voted the GRESTEST RACE HORSE OF ALL TIME!
IRA

 

[NoelAustin]

Secretariat is the best I have seen. He would not have recorded such an astonishing time at the Belmont had he not had the first position, only four competitors, and if one the others had had the presence to take the rail away from him. Easy Goer's performance was just as impressive seeing he spent much of the race on the outside. Secretariat's Preakness and Dr Fager's record mile remain the two most breathtaking horse racing performances I have witnessed.

When Tris Speaker retired as a baseball player, he held the career records for doubles (792) and assists by an outfielder (449). That was in 1928, and neither record has been matched. To hold the career record in an offensive and a defensive category for 84 years - that gets my vote for most impressive individual accomplishment. He also gets my vote for the most under-appreciated athlete of the 20th century.

 

[Dairyair]

Man, I loved to watch Big Red run...never followed the Sport of Kings that closely before or after Secretariat, but talk about Must See TV!!! I think I'll be sad when Secretariat's record(s) fall, but I suppose they might some day.

 

[VAUConnFan]

My favorites:
1. Secretariat
2. John Henry (unfortunately, a very ornery chap slow to develop the championship form he would display as an older horse, thus was denied the opportunity to work in a breeding barn.
3. Zenyatta(there may have been one other filly or mare as good; the name eludes me, but she had to be put down in a match race).
4. Spectacular Bid
5. Alydar - I would love to place him Number 1; Just such a game horse, and certainly number one in the breeding shed.
6. Seattle Slew - Eddie Arcaro never thought he was a great race horse. Of that, I do not have enough knowledge fo the game to dispute it. However, like Alydar, one could just throw away the Racing Form once you spotted his name as the sire.

 

[Alydar]

1. Forego. http://www.horsehats.com/forego.html 1973 was Secretariat's year. Maybe the best 3 YO career ever. But a horse that finished in midpack in the Jentucky Derby that year went on to win HOTY in 74, 75, & 76. That was also roughly when I got in the track business. Unlike today's distance specialists, forego won sprint championships as well as routes up to a mile and a half. And he did it while giving huge weight allowances to the best horses in the country. The link has a video of the 1976 Marlboro Cup.

2. Ruffian. Never saw a more beautiful horse. Effortless speed and competitive fire. I still tear up when I think of her breaking down.

Her last race before the match race. http://horsehats.com/horse-racing-videos/ruffian-video.html

3. Secretariat. The Tiger Woods of the equines. At the time his loss to Onion was bigger news than any of his wins.

4. Seattle Slew Loved him because he got no respect from the racing media during his 3yo career, some of whom wrote off his triple crown as a "down year in racing". He went on to also become a top sire.