Secretariat

How can a horse be called a legend? When that horse is named Secretariat, that’s how. Secretariat is known as the greatest racehorse of all time and yes, a legend in thoroughbred racing. 

Before 1973, horse racing hadn’t seen a Triple Crown winner in 25 years. Enter Secretariat, who claimed horseracing’s most prestigious honor after winning the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes. Not only that, but he set still-standing track records in both the Kentucky Derby (1:59) and Belmont Stakes (2:24). 

What was rather impressive about Secretariat’s wins at the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes is that he broke last out of the gates in both races. At the Kentucky Derby, Secretariat moved up on the field in the backstretch, and then overtook his rival Sham at the top of the stretch. Secretariat won the race by 2 ½ lengths. 

At the Preakness Stakes, Secretariat again broke last but made a massive last-to-first jump on the first turn. He eventually won the race by 2 ½ lengths, once again leaving his rival Sham in the dust. 

With the Triple Crown on the line at the Belmont Stakes, only four other horses joined Secretariat in the starting gates. Sham showed up, but this time didn’t prove to be a worthy adversary as Secretariat blew him away, setting a track record of 1:59 flat to win the Triple Crown. 

Along with being the 9th U.S. Triple Crown Champion in 1973, Secretariat also won U.S. Horse of the Year in 1972 and 1973. In 1974, he was named to the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame and in 1999 he was featured on a U.S. Postage Stamp. 

Secretariat was listed No. 2 in the Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century and also has a statue at Belmont Park, Kentucky Horse Park and Secretariat Stakes at Arlington Park. Secretariat even has a street named after him in Napa, California.