Secretariat - 1973 Belmont Stakes video

[Kreskin]

http://207.232.119.242/nyra/belmonts/1973/index.html

Legendary Race
Perhaps this should be in the history section. For those who did not have the privilege of seeing Secretariat in the 70's, check out this video of the 73 Belmont Stakes. Sham tried to run with him, and about half way through it was close.

The win is still 2 seconds faster than any other Belmont to-date and is still the fastest race at that distance anywhere in horseracing history. The official win is 31 lengths.

 

[doublejsgirl@hotmail.com]

This was amazing! I cant believe what I just witnessed.... What an amazing horse!

 

[Dreadful Nonsense]

will look after kreskin due to freeeeeeezze ups on this thing....
but i watched all three of the triple crown at the time...she won all three...She became the gold standard of thoroughbreds...

 

[Dreadful Nonsense]

wow forgot how well "He" did ...

thanks for that kreskin

 

[gopher]

It will likely surprise a lot of people but horse racing is the # 1 attended sport in NYC. As someone who grew up there, I know that for a fact. My family was quite big on horse racing and we watched in utter awe as Big Red won the Belmont Stakes in '73 by those 31 lengths. There has never been a more spectacular horse race in history and I doubt we will ever see the likes of it again.

Big Red was also quite a character: if he liked you, he would nudge you with his nose; if he really liked you, he would swat you with his tail; and if he really, really liked you, he would bite you on the shoulder!

 

[Kreskin]

They say that even by standing beside that horse you knew it had greatness.

 

[Kreskin]

I love this photo:

 

[Dreadful Nonsense]

LOL he's like gotta stretch his head further than that to see em...lol

good stuff kreskin...

 

[gopher]

Yes, great photo from Kreskin.

Secretariat also sired many stakes winners. He was not particularly fast out of the gate but with his great muscularity and stamina, he would come out on top.

 

[talloola]

Our family watched all 3 races with much excitement and anticipation, as we loved that horse and followed his career all the way through. My daughters were just at the age where they thought about
nothing else but 'their' horses and others. They had books of all the thoroughbreds throughout history and their races as well, and quarter horses, and arabs etc etc etc. I was the same as a little girl, but
didn't get the chance to have my own horse, but they did and it was so much fun, (and too expensive), but what the hey, the memories are wonderful, and the expense forgotton.

Secretariat was so handsome and full of character and a great athlete.

 

[donfromphx]

everytime i see the video of the 1973 Belmont, tears well in my eyes. Big Red ran the first 3/4 in 1:09.4. suicide for a normal horse running 1.5 miles. 1:09 is a good time for your $100,000 sprinter. i doubt THE BEST 6F horses in the world could run 1:09 then run the next 6 in 1:15. If you notice, Ron Turcotte never sat down on him, never urged him for more (like he needed to), but the point is.. how fast could he have run that last 6F if Ronny asked him for more? Broke the record by 2 seconds and it easily could have been 3 or more. Secretariat was an amazing animal. Secretariat succumbed to laminitis in October of 1989 at the reasonably young age of 19. Ironically the same malady that kept the great Barbaro (the next Secretariat?) from recovering from his horrific accident in the 2006 Preakness. I've been around racing a long time and, in my opinion, there will NEVER be another horse the likes of Secretariat. NOTE: in winning the Kentucky Derby (and i have no way to verify what i am about to say... but the stats are exact) I believe he was the only horse to run EVERY quarter mile FASTER THAN THE PREVIOUS ONE. His times for the Derby were 25 1/5, :24, :23 4/5, :23 2/5 and :23. A more than impressive feat to be sure! I hope the original footage of his triple crown races are archived where they can never be destroyed. Definitely one of the great sports achievements of my lifetime. (others being Hank Aaron breaking Ruth's record, the great comeback of the Mets to win the NL and the World Series, the Patriots going 16-0, Wilt Chamberlain scoring 100 points, Gretzky ('nuff said), the U.S. hockey team beating the Russians then going on to win the gold medal; i'm sure there are a few more ABSOLUTE GREAT MOMENTS in sports but these are the ones i grew up with and saw (except for Wilt's 100.. that was actually played in Hershey, Pa not Philadelphia and was radio only.)

 

[Kreskin]

Don, I read somewhere that past the finish line that horse broke distance records in the cool down phase. Something like if the actual finish line was a furlong or two it would still be a world record even though Turcotte was trying to get it to relax. It was one of the most remarkable sporting events I've seen.

Another record that appears timeless is Bill Mosienko's hat trick in 22 seconds, though that was way before my time. A person of our present era that will be placed on a similar level of greatness is Tiger Woods. To dominate the game like he does with the high calibre and numbers of competition today is amazing. The chip in at 16 at Augusta under those conditions reminds me of what Gretzky used to do. Just when you think you've seen it all something else impossible happens.

 

[donfromphx]

Kreskin.. it's true.. after finishing and galloping out.. Secretariat broke the world record for 1 5/8 miles by (i believe) 3/5 of a second. incredible!!

 

[donfromphx]

The horse i feel sorry for in 1973 is Sham! In the derby he's got the lead at the turn and heading down the stretch he gets passed by this red blurr at the 1/16th pole and loses by 2.5 lengths. In the Preakness heading down the back stretch Sham looks to his right and.. it's that damn red horse again! all he sees from that moment on is the red caboose of that mighty red train. Then in the Belmont I believe his connections said.. if we're not going to win it, neither will he. they'll take him out as fast as they can for as long as they can. and they did..they went out in MONSTER fractions. as stated above 1:09.4 for the first 6F. No normal horse can withstand that.. can they?? nope.. Sham (the "normal" horse) faded like a cheap shirt in a bucket of bleach. The ABNORMAL horse kept running like he was being chased by wolves. A monster of a horse... Secretariat!! Had Secretariat been born a year later (or earlier) Sham would have most probably been the triple crown winner.. but... there's always a but in sports history.. and in this case the butt was Secretariat's and Sham saw more of it than any other.

 

[Kreskin]

Did anyone watch the Belmont yesterday? Another triple crown contender bites the dust.

 

[Kreskin]

This is a great 10 minute documentary on the Belmont exactly 35 years ago.

 

[talloola]

Thank you Kreskin, that was wonderful, and took me right back to the 'very' day, I will
never forget it. I watched all three races, glued to my chair with my daughters, and we
were in awe of this wonderful horse. They had posters of him and clippings and stories,
as they had horses of their own, and a great interest.

 

[FUBAR]

Don't forget this one ...

Ruffian (horse) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I remember watching the race. I think the plan was to breed her with Secretariat after this race..