The Secretariat Triple Crown - Part III. The Stuff of Legends

 

The Secretariat Triple Crown – Part III.

The Stuff of Legends

Joseph Di Rienzi

  

This is the last of three pieces I have written to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of Secretariat’s sweep of the North American Triple Crown series. Part I. – Leading to Louisville, examined the preparation given to Secretariat in the leadup to the 1973 Kentucky Derby. Part II. – Roses in May, focused on the Kentucky Derby itself and Secretariat’s track record breaking performance. In this final essay, I will recall his unique victories in the Preakness and Belmont Stakes. Each was a masterpiece that underscored the greatness of this extraordinary animal.

1973 Preakness Stakes
(Sports Illustrated)

The 1973 Preakness Stakes, run traditionally in Baltimore two weeks after the Kentucky Derby had a field much reduced from its Louisville counterpart. The first three finishes in the Kentucky Derby - Secretariat, Sham and Our Native were entered with three longshots – Deadly Dream, Ecole Etage and Torsion all of whom had not contested the Derby. Secretariat had a brilliant workout at Pimlico Racetrack the Sunday before the race and appeared to be coming into the Preakness in peak condition. Sham also seemed to be holding his form, so there was great anticipation they would continue their rivalry that began in the Wood Memorial Stakes. The Meadow Stable team was confident, but cautious, remembering Riva Ridge’s shocking defeat in the Preakness the previous year after also winning the Derby impressively. The charisma of Secretariat was becoming infectious and that brought a record Preakness crowd which officials at Pimlico were unable to adequately control (especially during the race). 

Ecole Etage, as expected, was sent to the lead. Secretariat again breaking slowly, dropped back to sixth (last place), but instead of steering him to the inside as he did in the Derby, Ron Turcotte wheeled the big chestnut colt outside of horses on the clubhouse turn. In doing so, Secretariat made a sudden move that took him quickly from last to first, surprising everyone. Laffit Pincay Jr. riding Sham, who was tracking in fourth, wheeled his colt out in pursuit of Secretariat. Down the backstretch Secretariat had a daylight lead with Sham in second place tracking. Around the far turn, Sham was roused to close the gap, but Turcotte on Secretariat was just letting his horse lope along. My most lasting memory of the stretch run was Turcotte sitting still on Secretariat while Pincay was flailing away on Sham in futile pursuit. At the finish, Secretariat maintained a 2½ length margin on Sham with Our Native 8 lengths back, exactly the finish and margins as in the Derby. The most controversial aspect of the race was the final time. The official clocking by Pimlico was decidedly slower than handheld times, which registered a new track record. After many years of discussion and reviewing race videos, the Maryland Racing Commission in 2012 recognized the discrepancy and credited Secretariat with a time that broke the existing track record. More importantly this horse was now on the verge of horse racing immortality. As Penny Tweedy declared in the Preakness winner’s circle, “there is one more river to cross.”

1973 Belmont Stakes
(Getty Images)

As the Belmont Stakes approached there was incredible exposure and publicity. Secretariat appeared on the cover of three national magazines: Time, Newsweek and Sports Illustrated.  Most iconic was his bright chestnut face in the blue and white chessboard Meadow Stable blinkers adorning the June 11 issue of Time with the words “Super Horse”. He had truly become a national idol. His preparation for the race was impeccable. He had worked a mile eight days before the Belmont in a time that faster than most such races are run at Belmont Park.  However, Sham was still to be overcome, and Pancho Martin was undaunted by his losses in the Derby and the Preakness. Martin also entered Knightly Dawn who had just won the Jersey Derby but scratched him on Belmont Day, thinking Sham would set his own pace. There were three other horses entered: My Gallant, Twice a Prince and Pvt. Smiles.

On a very hot day, the Belmont Park racetrack dirt surface was extremely fast. The race prior to the Belmont Stakes was at 8½ furlongs and featured Forego and Angle Light who were deemed not quite up to the 1½ mile distance of the final classic. It was a “coming out party” for the Lazy F. Ranch gelding as Forego demolished the field by 9 lengths, nearly equaling the track record. It was an impressive performance and set the stage for what would come.

I stated in Part II. of this series that Secretariat’s Kentucky Derby win was the best performance I have ever seen in the Derby. I can say un-categorically his Belmont Stakes victory was the greatest performance by a thoroughbred ever on an American racetrack. It almost defies explication. Here was a great horse at the peak of his power, putting all his pedigree, training and spirit into one performance that will be remembered forever.

Secretariat, who ran each of his Triple Crown races differently, broke from the starting gate from the rail position in the Belmont better than he had done previously. Rather than drop back, Ron Turcotte encouraged his mount to contest the lead so that when the field headed into the clubhouse turn it was Secretariat on the inside of Sham vying for the lead. This looked like the makings of a match race with the copper coated muscular Secretariat, stride for stride with the dark hued, taller Sham. Racegoers reacted in shock as the dueling pair set interior fractions incredibly fast for a 1½ mile race. Surely both horses will crack under this pace. Down the backstretch, Secretariat asserted himself, first gradually, then spectacularly, drawing away from Sham and the others. By the time he went around the far turn he was 15 lengths ahead. Rather than slow down as might be expected after the torrid pace, Secretariat widened his lead and entered the stretch full of run. The Belmont crowd and the vast TV audience would have settled for this horse just hanging on to win, completing the elusive Triple Crown. But no, Secretariat was giving them something they had no reference point for. He was so far in front of the field that it did not look like a horse race anymore. The Belmont crowd was delirious and began throwing their Daily Racing Forms in the air, substituting for confetti. The final time 2 minute and 24 sec, smashed Gallant Man’s record set in 1957 by 2 and 3/5 seconds, thereby establishing a new American record for a 1½ mile race on dirt. The final margin was an unimaginable 31 lengths (about 1/16 of a mile). Twice a Prince rallied to be second, a ½ length ahead of My Gallant. Sham, tired from his efforts challenging Secretariat, finished fifth and last. (Sadly, Sham would not race again, after a hairline fracture was discovered in the summer when he was preparing to race at Saratoga.)

The winner’s circle was a momentous celebration for not only the connections of Secretariat, but racing in general. The long 25 year wait for a Triple Crown winner was over and, in Secretariat, the thoroughbred racing world had a champion for the ages.

A couple of footnotes are in order. First, I feel a little sorry for Riva Ridge who in 1972 was an impressive winner of the Belmont for the exact same Meadow Stable team, his performance nearly totally eclipsed by his younger barn mate. Second, I still have admiration for Meadow Stable (Mrs. Penny Tweedy and family), Lucien Laurin and Ron Turcotte who stood up to all the scrutiny, criticism and the pressure of the Triple Crown campaign.

It’s been half a century since Secretariat blazed across the thoroughbred racing landscape, and there have been now four more Triple Crown winners (Seattle Slew (in 1977), Affirmed (1978), American Pharoah (2015) and Justify (2018)). However, Secretariat’s performances in the series remain the standard and benchmark for the highest achievement the breed can hope to produce.