The Secretariat Triple Crown - Part I. Leading to Louisville

 

The Secretariat Triple Crown – Part I.

Leading to Louisville

Joseph Di Rienzi

(bloodhorse.com)

                                                                     

This year marks the 50^th anniversary of Secretariat’s Triple Crown triumph. Half a century gone by. Wasn’t it only yesterday that I was twenty-five? I would like to give a personal remembrance to this epochal horse’s campaign leading up to and through his Triple Crown victories. In this first piece, I will mainly focus on Secretariat’s prep races in 1973 leading to the Kentucky Derby, all of which I witnessed in person.

The first time I saw Secretariat was on September 16, 1972, as a two-year-old at Belmont Park prior to the historic Futurity Stakes. By this time, the chestnut son of Bold Ruler, owned by Meadow Stable and trained by veteran Lucien Laurin, had a burgeoning reputation as the result of three victories during the summer at Saratoga Racetrack, climaxing with an amazing last to first triumph in the Hopeful Stakes.

As I perched over the rail in Belmont Park’s spacious paddock to get my first look at this new sensation, I was struck by his muscular power. He looked more like a bull than a sleek thoroughbred. As the pre-autumn sunlight reflected off his burnished red coat, I became convinced I was seeing greatness in a thoroughbred. Secretariat would go to on to win the 6½ furlong race with aplomb over a pesky rival in Greentree Stable’s Stop the Music.

The rest of Secretariat’s juvenile campaign was a precession except for an unfortunate disqualification (due to marginal interference) in the Champagne Stakes. With dominating victories in the Laurel Futurity and the Garden State Stakes, Secretariat was overwhelmingly voted the Eclipse Award for Male Two-Year-Old. But voters went one step further in awarding Secretariat Horse of the Year honors. There was precedent in that both Native Dancer in 1952 and the filly Moccasin in 1965 were acclaimed Horse of the Year as juveniles, but in both these, it was a consensus from three different polls. Now with the adoption of the horse industry-wide Eclipse Awards, there was only one Horse of the Year declaration. The argument made in Secretariat’s case was the award was not so much of what he accomplished as a two-year-old, but what he may do in the future and how racing history will judge this thoroughbred. The words on everyone’s lips as 1972 faded and 1973 began were “Triple Crown” which hadn’t been achieved since Calumet Farm’s Citation accomplished the feat in 1948.

Over the winter, the master of Meadow Stable, Christopher T. Chenery died, and in an effort to save the farm and the racing operation, the breeding rights to Secretariat were sold to a syndicate managed by Claiborne Farm for $6,080,000, a sum greater than ever previously realized. There was also the stipulation in the contract that Secretariat would be retired at the end of 1973.  All these factors contributed to a great deal of pressure put on Meadow Stable (now controlled by Mr. Chenery’s daughter Mrs. Helen “Penny” Tweedy representing her siblings), Lucien Laurin and jockey Ron Turcotte to not degrade the stallion potential of this magnificent animal. I would say they stood up under this scrutiny with grace and poise.

Laurin who used a three-race campaign to prepare the same stable’s Riva Ridge for his 1972 Kentucky Derby victory, employed the same pattern with Secretariat, except that none of his races would be in Florida. After some deliberation, Laurin decided that Secretariat would use the New York preps – the Bay Shore, Gotham and Wood Memorial Stakes all at one racetrack – Aqueduct. Living at the time in the New York area, I was fortunate to be able to attend all three races.

Secretariat made his long awaited three-year-old debut on St. Patrick’s Day in the 7 furlong Bay Shore Stakes. He had a 3 furlong workout on Wednesday before the race in a time so incredibly fast that his trainer, Lucien Laurin, was initially upset until he saw how little the workout took out of this hulking 16.1 hands animal. In the Bay Shore, Secretariat faced five rivals, the most prominent was Jacques Wimpfheimer’s Champagne Charlie who had just won the Swift Stakes at Aqueduct. The Bay Shore was run in typical weather conditions for a March race in New York - namely miserable. Secretariat was bumped at the start and took his place near the rear of the field. He found his best stride down the backstretch and was closing on the field. Inside of circling the field as Secretariat did several times as a two-year-old, Ron Turcotte drove him between horses in the stretch. He bulled his way through and went on to record a 4½ length win over Champagne Charlie with Impecunious 2½ lengths back in third. A foul claim against Secretariat for bumping in the stretch was lodged. I remember waiting in the cold, shivering in the stands during the Inquiry to see if the champion’s debut would be tainted by a disqualification, but fortunately the claim was not allowed.

The Gotham, three weeks later on April 7, was the next race on Secretariat’s calendar and each appearance was now met with greater excitement and anticipation. The field for the 1 mile race included Champagne Charlie, second place finisher in the Bay Shore. Secretariat carried top weight of 126 lb., which was not considered a burden for “Big Red”, as he was increasingly referred as. What was surprising in the race is that Secretariat, as an experiment by his connections, was asked to show early speed. He did so by going straight to the lead, something he had not done in any of his previous races.  Secretariat, bounding along, set a fast pace and had a clear lead until Champagne Charlie mounted a challenge in the stretch. As we in the stands held our breaths to see what would happen,  Ron Turcotte, using his whip once, asked more from his colt, and Secretariat responded with that rhythmic stride of his to draw clear without undue effort, but in the process equaled the track record. Champagne Charlie was second again, this time beaten 3 lengths with Flush 12 wide lengths back in third.

Just two weeks later, the 9 furlong Wood Memorial was not just a prep race for the Kentucky Derby, but a rare confrontation of the two best three-year-old prospects. Sigmund Sommer’s Sham, a sharp winner of the Santa Anita Derby, had shipped to New York from California specifically to face Secretariat. In the build up to the race, there was controversy involving entries from both Lucien Laurin and Sham’s trainer, Frank “Pancho” Martin. Laurin entered speedy Angle Light who had faced Secretariat several times as a two-year-old. Martin entered two other horses owned by Sigmund Sommer, Knightly Dawn and Beautiful Music. Charles Hatton, columnist for The Daily Racing Form suggested there might be some intention to “herd” Secretariat by Sham’s camp. Hot tempered Martin got very angry at this insinuation, and, after several exchanges, ultimately scratched the two entry mates. This had the effect of drastically changing the flow of the race.  

It was a gray chilly day at Aqueduct for the Wood Memorial setting the stage for what would transpire. Angle Light who had tired in the Louisiana Derby went to the front and set a moderate pace while Jorge Velasquez, substituting for Sham’s regular rider Laffit Pincay Jr., sat in second place waiting for Secretariat to make his rally. That never came as Secretariat, who did not train with his usual gusto up to this race (reports of a tooth abscess would surface later), seemed out of sorts and only mildly rallied on the outside. Velasquez, realizing the threat to victory was not behind him, but in front, roused Sham who closed, but could only cut down Angle Light’s lead to a head at the finish. Secretariat finished third 4 lengths behind Sham in a race run in relatively slow time. In a unsettling result, no one seemed happy, least of all Lucien Laurin who had to be cajoled by Mrs. Penny Tweedy to go to the winner’s circle not realizing he had won with his “other horse”. The outcome as you might have guessed shocked the racing world and raised all kind of questions about Secretariat’s soundness, stamina and Laurin’s training methods. I left Aqueduct that day deflated, thinking the dream of a Triple Crown winner was just an illusion.

 

(To be continued in Part II. Roses in May)