I saw the 1973 Belmont Stakes when it happened, and I have watched this video countless times. I still do not believe it---the most remarkable sporting event that I have ever seen. No matter how many times I watch the race, I choke up with tears. Secretariat will always be THE GREATEST.
A little known fact about this race is Secretariat was accelerating through the entire race all the way to the end. He had a rare combination of strength and stamina that is rarely seen in any horse. That is one fantastic race horse! :-D
I watched The 1973 Belmont Stakes at home. After all these years, this race is still the most remarkable sporting event that I have ever seen and still brings tears to my eyes. Secretariat is The Greatest.
Thanks for posting this. I watched the original broadcast...couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was literally breathtaking. It's great to be able to relive it all these years later.
IMHO the greatest single performance in sports history--immortalized forever with Chick Anderson's call "He is moving like a tremendous machine!" When veterinarians performed the necropsy on him they discovered a 22 POUND HEART IN PERFECT CONDITION!! It was 2 3/4 the size of a normal horse!! Bottom line--all the other horses had a Volkswagon motor while Secretariat had a Ferrari motor!!
I absolutely 100% agree with you. People occasionally make lists of the greatest single-day, single-athlete sports moments, and this is so head-and-shoulders above the sorts of things that make it onto those lists that it's like it's a different category.
I found this in an online article by Gerard Apadula about the race. Can't say how accurate it is but it's so true and funny. " perhaps the best quote I heard after the 1973 Belmont Stakes was made by runner up Twice A Prince’s jockey, the great Braulio Baeza. Upon retuning to the saddling area, Baeza said: “Why isn’t anyone congratulating me? I won the race didn’t I? I mean, I beat every horse I could see”
The incomparable Secretariat. I will never understand how anyone can criticize his racing career nor can I understand any racing fan who saw this race and not feel overwhelmed with astonishment.
Secretariat was the greatest Triple Crown winner in history. The Belmont Stakes was his most fantastic race. By comparison, Tonalist won in 2:28:52 in 2014. Secretariat won in 2:24:00 in 1973. That is a difference of more than 24 lengths, and Tonalist did not race in the Kentucky Derby or the Preakness Stakes. I believe the announcer was correct; it's a record that will stand forever.
Thanks for posting this with the original call, footage, and for not adding any irritating music. A great race and a great call. Moves me to tears every time I watch it.
One of the most memorable major horse race finishes of all time! Secretariat is still my favorite race horse of all time. Thank you for sharing this with us!
I am obsessed with this horse. I have been doing research on him for years. I read a 317 page book that was just about his life. With that book I did a 25 slide PowerPoint about him and made the people in my class who were not interested in horses, like them, I amazed them.
Did Ronnie just let secretariat home. Did he just let him run . I’ve heard and read about what he did but, he’s never said straight out ….. I let him go. I let him run his own race.
I will NEVER forget the wonderful memories I have of my father and I watching the story of this AMAZING horse unfold. And we shouted and screamed just like everyone else, with tremendous joy, at the way Big Red won the way he did. Secretariat, you will live in our hearts forever!!!!
Every time I watch this and hear the announcer declare to everyone "He Is Moving Like A Tremendous Machine!!".....chills shoot down my spine and a lone tear streams down my face. It happens every. single. time.
I always get goosebumps no matter how many times I watch this race. Secretariat's paternal grandfather, Princequillo, held the record for 1 3/4 miles on dirt. I love Secretariat! "Ron Turcotte, he let him run..." ♥
I'm afraid race times take away all the speculation and romanticism, irrespective of which horse we talk about. Secretariat won the Belmont in a time over 2 seconds faster than any horse managed before or since. In the U.K. we are very proud of our very own "Super-horse" Frankel, referred to by 'hacks' has the "Greatest Racehorse ever seen". What a fantastic animal he was and it was touching to see his achievements bring so much happiness to Sir Henry Cecil in the last few months of his life. Unfortunately, Frankel's best effort over his optimum distance (1 1/4 miles), on perfect going on grass, was some 7 seconds slower than Secretariat's passing through this distance on his way to a record time in the Belmont Stakes 1 1/2 miles, on a much slower dirt track. Theoretically (yes I know!!!), when Frankel put up his best time over his best distance, Secretariat (simply on his Belmont timings) would have been already past the line, some 35 lengths ahead.
I saw the race in 1973 when I was 30 years old. Secretariat is without a doubt, in my mind, the best horse EVER. His time for the Belmont, the longest of the 3 triple crown races at 1 1/2 miles, will never ever be broken. It has already lasted 39 years. By the way, no triple crown this year. "I'll have another", has a left front swollen tendon and has been scratched.
Talk about all your favorite horses, and all the reasons you think your horse is or was the best, BUT-----Never before , never since , and never again, will we as readers of these typed lines on a computer , EVER, see a horse with the speed , strength ,beauty, and heart of Secretariat !!! Case closed.......
Susan Nunes He never did really lose a race he just ran out of track to soon!!! Over the long haul he never would have been beaten!!!! as he showed in the Belmont !!!! R.I.P. Big Red!!! (:
Vince Lentini Your right ,BUT still never beaten (and broke all records ) where it counted most. And by the way sir, were mostly talking about the Triple crown run ,and records he broke.
Am I the only one that felt my throat tightening and the threat of warm tears needing to be choked back? I wasn't even alive when he was destroying the race grounds! Amazing race.
protarget.If you look at the list of the top 100 horses,you'll see that every horse that won both the KD and Preakness is listed in the top 100.Without Secretariat,Sham easily wins both.He might have gone on to win the triple crown although that is not a given.He ran his last race in the 1st week of june in his 3 yr old season.In that short time,he ran the 2nd fastest KD and Preakness and 40 years later co holds the Santa Anita Derby TR.He was clearly a horse with brilliant speed and great stamina.Not a "decent"horse but a great horse.
+Dingerz --My Gallant took the lead briefly so technically it wasn`t "wire to wire" Secretariat also came from behind at the Derby and the Preakness. Everybody knows that his style was to come from behind.
+Glen W. Ford I'm not going to take part in a semantic game. Both Secretariat and American Pharoah took the lead early in the Belmont and never looked back. THAT was what I meant.
Penney Tweedy herself said she loved Sham, and felt so sorry for him, because he was a great horse who would have won a Triple Crown in any other year, but he had the misfortune to go up against Secretariat.
Where do all you people get the bullshit romantic idea that Sham was a great horse? He was at best a decent G1 horse who ran 13 times winning just 5. He raced Sec 4 times beating once when finishing 2nd behind AL in wood memorial. Then he fin 2nd 3x behind Sec What happened in the other 4 he lost. Sham was that good, he doesn't even get into the Blood-Horse Mag. top 100 US Racehorses of the 20th century. HELLO!!!
You know that Sham's 2nd place finish to Secretariat's fastest ever KD time is better than scores of winners, right? A great performance 8 lengths in front of the 3rd place finisher. Same story in the Preakness. BTW, Seattle Slew & Citation were equine rock stars, but Sham's Derby time was faster than both of them. He was a quality race horse that remains under-appreciated and far too often overlooked in the Great One's shadow -- that's what people are saying. Did Sham do something to you personally?
pnutbutrncrackers I am inclined to believe that Sham would've been the TC winner had he been born a different year then Secretariat. Now if I were to compare Slew to Sham I would have to go with Slew. No offense to Sham fanatics but I just personally can't fathom Sham defeating Slew.
Mel V Quite Clearly another one who believes all this Sham Bullshit. Here's a fact, Sham at best was an ordinary G1 horse, Never ran against older horses. Dosn't get any where near Blood-Hors'se magazine List of the Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century. So because of his time in the KD according to your logic he would have 139 KD. Horse racing dosn't work like that. ProveOut a second rate handicapper, who ran 39 times winning just 9. In the Woodward beat Secretariat 4.5L giving Sec 7lb, On a Sloppy track and not trying to break a TR ran the 2nd fastest 12f Dirt time at Belmont.. According to your logic regarding Sham, PoveOut Would have won 139 Belmonts. Do you realise how silly you make yourself look? ;-)
to protarget1 Sham was considered a great horse when, in coming in 2nd to Secretariat in 2 of the triple crown races, he also broke the previous track records, and could have conceivably been the 1973 triple crown winner if Secretariat had not existed. Win/loss records is not the entire picture for a racehorse. Sham was coming into his own, but had bad luck getting the trainer they assigned him who gave bad advice to the jockey. (I own horses. They can easily get discouraged, just like humans). Bad decision to run Sham at full speed trying to "break" Secretariat. Once Secretariat took command, they should have eased Sham off, give him a break, and try for second place. Instead, they run him into the ground and broke his spirit. He ended up last. Bad, Bad decision.
Well said. Sham is my favorite horse, could care less that he lost. He won the hearts of men, including mine. And yes, no Sec and he’s most likely TC champion. Then again Forego and Knightly Dawn would certainly have been entered into Belmont to challenge him. That being said, both are legends to me.
Let each and every Frankel nut watch this race and after they watch this race shut up once and for all. No matter how much you tell yourself Frankel was the greatest of all time for once quit your bullshit and admit not Frankel or any horse for that matter could beat Secretariat on that day on this course or this fucking time he achieved.
That horse ran so effortlessly, like he floated on the wind. There are no words to really describe the feeling of seeing that. Thanks for posting this video, I really enjoyed it. : )
It doesn't look like it, but Secretariat is actually slowing down as he runs away from the rest of the field. Do the simple math. The first half of the race was covered in 1:09 4/5ths from a standing start. Secretariat covered the last half in 1:14 1/5th. Sham pretty much walked the last half of the race.
Incredible horse! I sometimes wonder if he could have kept that up for another 1/4 or 1/2 mile. Would have loved to see that. He wasn't being urged on; running on his own, loving it. As I understand it, he was in the 'Eclipse' line of thoroughbreds. 'Eclipse' was unbeaten in 18 races but no one knew what he could do because he was always held on a strong rein and never 'let loose' like Secretariat was in the Belmont. Just an interesting 'factoid.'
Once again, TH-cam and the Internet deliver! Thanks for the upload. Today, I was reading about Jack Whittaker, heard on the video, having been inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame. Mr Whittaker said his most vivid memory was this race, So I wondered ... YES! Thanks again.
Sham won one major race because his trainer insisted on running him against Secretariat. So Sham is mostly remembered as an also ran to a better horse. Forego's trainer wisely kept his horse far away from Secretariat and after the Derby, only ran him in races Secretariat wasn't in. Forego ended up a major stakes winner and horse of the year three times. Sham was a truly great horse. He just was running against the greatest.
This is without a doubt the GREATEST day in horse racing I remember this day June 9, 1973 I was only 10 at the time and was watching with my Father who was a horse racing fan still gives me goosebumps even now and nearly 40 years later no horse has even come close to doing what Secretariat has done and I beleave no one ever will; Truely breathtaking!!!!!
I was living in NY. I am from Queens. It was 2 days after my 13th birthday. I will never again see a performance like Big Red's on that day. The fastest horse that ever lived. Turcotte, looking cool as a cucumber as he glances over his shoulder to look back at the far away field right before the finish line. Thank you for posting this great memory of my childhood
I was 33 when I saw this live and it still gives me goosebumps..What a thrill it was to watch it live on TV..To me the greatest race I ever saw and I have seen many races..Loved this horse and so did everyone then..
Yes, every quarter was brilliant. The entire race was brilliant. Never seen anything like that again….and never will….either will this generation or the next or the next, etc…..,
I would rank that line up there among the greatest calls of ANY sport. The choice and timing of those words and the emotional spontaneity of the delivery, always moves me in such a profound way. I can never adequately explain in words why I cry almost every time I watch this race.
no horse could have lived with big red that day, he,s running the first half at sprint pace and doesnt slow down, there will never be another performance like that ever!!!!.....
I saw it all those years ago. It still gives me shivers. It was the most amazing feat of strength and will.to win that I've ever witnessed in both horse and rider. It was like magic!
I have seen the belmont stakes video, not only this one but the one with the pre race coverage and have watched Secretariat in all the shots and i have come to the conclusion that this horse knew! What needed to be done that day. This horse not only run fast but was smart as hell, watching him on his other races you can totally see strategy there. R.I.P Secretariat! Wherever you are i hope and im sure you still running fearless.
Loved watching this again,haven't seen it since I was a kid. He's always been one of my all time favorite race horses. He was GREAT!! I have been into watching the Triple Crown since I was a kid,and saw his races on Tv & was thrilled by him. The movie done was also ,so good. He's sadly missed for sure.
Poor Sham's jockey Pincay never should have kept pace w/ Secretariat the first half of the race.but he was under orders from his clueless bosses. Lucky he didn't kill that beautiful horse. The pace eventually tired him out and he finished last. SECOND place should have been Pincay's goal. We forget that Sham was one of the greatest horses of the 20th century. He just always had to run next to God. Secretariat was a MONSTER animal. RIP both Secretariat and his blood cousin Sham!
You know. With the Belmont coming up.. it makes me a little sad to see that in my life time, I will never have the privilege of seeing a horse as great as him.
Not really into horse racing but saw the movie last night, had to see the real thing, absolutely amazing, to watch that fantastic horse is to see the beauty that is nature, love the commentary when the guy says "an incredible machine!" That is truly an inspiring spectacle and to think how far he was ahead of all the other best horses around! It's like "Chariots of Fire" but for horses.
My family and I went to Paris, Kentucky in November of 1973 to see Secretariat at Claiborn famrs in person. He had just been retired and was in top shape from running. He was calm and magnificent and I have a picture of me in the background with Secretariat in the foreground. My father made a collage of several pictures. This was before the Kentucky Horse Park. My dad loved horses and I still do. I chocked up when I watch that race. I remember watching it on TV. Unbelievable.
i WATCHED ALL THREE RACES WITH MY FATHER, EVERY TIME I SEE THIS I GET GOOSEBUMPS AS WELL. THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER IN MY LIFETIME....GOD WHISPERED IN HIS EAR "SHOW EM WHAT YOU GOT" AND HE DID.
Wow, this is just, wow. I wish I wouldve been alive to see this! I can guarentee you this record won't ever be broken, not the time or margin of victory. There will never be another Secretariat. Absolutely incredible. Even watching it, it is hard to believe this actually happened because of how UNBELIEVABLE it is! Absolutely amazing.
I've been on Secretariat overload for the last week or so. God's gift and I am thankful to Him for it. This is the GREATEST physical performance ever caught on film. Thank you Meadow Farm.
When this video hits a million views, I'll upload the better quality video for everyone. :) I couldn't imagine being able to share this with so many, but at the same time I am not surprised. He's such an inspiration and still a major reason why I run today.
I remember watching the movie for the first time when I was younger and being bored to tears.....but when I hit the end of the movie and watched the movie scene of this...... I was amazed. Favorite race horse of all time. Though it was way before my time, Big Red will always hold a place in my heart.
Hey, you and I along with anyone who understands horses and racing will always know Secretariat was the greatest horse. I really loved that horse. I too remember seeing him on tv at a young age. He was something very special. I have books on him, the movie and video of him. He was class in animal form.
what a beautiful champion :-) I did not know about Secretariat but he is very inspiring. In France we have a champion too, a trotter. Her name is Ourasi and he is the only horse to have win 4 times the "Prix d'Amérique". Bad tempered, also called The lazy King, but a winner like Secretariat. Thank you for this video!
Human projection. But Secretariat looks like he's prancing proudly to victory once he leaves all those other horses way behind! I don't see the jockey smacking him with the crop. But maybe it's the quality. But I'm happy to see this race over and over and over!
I created belt buckles with Secretariat's head. I had it designed by Western Artist Al Shelton in Studio City, CA. I cast on in pure silver, the rest is beryllium copper. I collected the beryllium copper from Stages 4 & 5 at a film studio now known as Laird Studios. The fire consumed the stages & I collected the beryllium copper from the burn site. All the joyces & junction boxes were pure red-tinted beryllium copper. I created the buckle before the Belmont, I knew he would leave the field in the dust! I wish I had mailed the silver buckle to Penny, but the silver buckle was stolen. Wherever it is, it's a collectible item,. as I created it before he ran the Belmont Stakes. That victory brings tears to my eyes. *The Tweedy family announced today that Helen “Penny” Chenery, owner of 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat, died yesterday. She was 95."
It's hard to imagine anything more exciting than watching Secretariat, an overwhelming favorite (his Belmont odds were 1-10), win the Triple Crown that day in 1973 (the previous Triple Crown winner was Citation in 1948), to win by an overwhelming margin (officially 31 lengths) in a record time (2:24) which still stands today (36 years later) as the Belmont record. One of the greatest feats by one of the greatest athletes of all time.
I still get goose bumps.....at 1:59 you hear the crowd start to acknowledge the performance, the greatness....as he comes down the stretch it was no longer a horse race, it was history! Fans were cheering, raising hands and voices the like Belmont has never heard or has since...just an incredible day in racing history
@cmf4321 and someone on another video says Secretariat is no different than any other horse. You said it right. I always get a knot in my throat when I watch this, truly amazing. It makes me wonder how fast he could really get going
I have watched this race at least 100 times and it still gives me goosebumps. No horse could ever have beaten him on that day or pretty much any day. Such a "tremendous machine"!!!
anyone who watched the movie and then the actual race know there is a discrepancy between Chick Anderson's (Guess- 25 lengths) and the movie which said it was 31 lengths. After the race they counted the lengths carefully and came up with 31 which stand in all record books of this day in 1973 which is now legend.
the daily racing form or whoever they are has listed 1:53:40 since the race occurred. Their argument is still the matching video of the 71' and 73' race and Sec wins by more then 3 lengths for the then record.
@brutusbro Yes, you're being unreasonable. He set the track record at the Kentucky Derby that still stands. He set the track record at the Preakness that was negated due to a problem with the clock. And he set the record at the Belmont for the mile and a half that hasn't even been approached in the 40 years since. What more do you need?
I happen to live not far from Secretariats birth shed and have visited it many times. It is a remarkably humble beginning for such a magnificent creature. The property has gone into foreclosure and if given the chance to ever again visit, I'll take my video camera so you can see for yourself.
The horse is named "I'll Have Another" and he won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness. He was injured before the Belmont though and has now been retired and sold to Japan for stud.
I saw the 1973 Belmont Stakes when it happened, and I have watched this video countless times. I still do not believe it---the most remarkable sporting event that I have ever seen. No matter how many times I watch the race, I choke up with tears. Secretariat will always be THE GREATEST.
Peter Weinstein I'm glad I'm not alone. Chokes me up every time. Greatest moment in sports. Ever.
and here i was feeling like a sissy. glad to hear i am not the only one
wow! what a privilege to be able to see that in real time
I couldn't put it any better. So I'll just say DITTO!
A little known fact about this race is Secretariat was accelerating through the entire race all the way to the end.
He had a rare combination of strength and stamina that is rarely seen in any horse.
That is one fantastic race horse! :-D
I watched The 1973 Belmont Stakes at home. After all these years, this race is still the most remarkable sporting event that I have ever seen and still brings tears to my eyes. Secretariat is The Greatest.
Ditto
Thanks for posting this. I watched the original broadcast...couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was literally breathtaking. It's great to be able to relive it all these years later.
IMHO the greatest single performance in sports history--immortalized forever with Chick Anderson's call "He is moving like a tremendous machine!" When veterinarians performed the necropsy on him they discovered a 22 POUND HEART IN PERFECT CONDITION!! It was 2 3/4 the size of a normal horse!! Bottom line--all the other horses had a Volkswagon motor while Secretariat had a Ferrari motor!!
I absolutely 100% agree with you. People occasionally make lists of the greatest single-day, single-athlete sports moments, and this is so head-and-shoulders above the sorts of things that make it onto those lists that it's like it's a different category.
I found this in an online article by Gerard Apadula about the race. Can't say how accurate it is but it's so true and funny. " perhaps the best quote I heard after the 1973 Belmont Stakes was made by runner up Twice A Prince’s jockey, the great Braulio Baeza. Upon retuning to the saddling area, Baeza said: “Why isn’t anyone congratulating me? I won the race didn’t I? I mean, I beat every horse I could see”
(Y)
Love this!
The incomparable Secretariat. I will never understand how anyone can criticize his racing career nor can I understand any racing fan who saw this race and not feel overwhelmed with astonishment.
Secretariat was the greatest Triple Crown winner in history. The Belmont Stakes was his most fantastic race. By comparison, Tonalist won in 2:28:52 in 2014. Secretariat won in 2:24:00 in 1973. That is a difference of more than 24 lengths, and Tonalist did not race in the Kentucky Derby or the Preakness Stakes.
I believe the announcer was correct; it's a record that will stand forever.
Thanks for posting this with the original call, footage, and for not adding any irritating music. A great race and a great call. Moves me to tears every time I watch it.
One of the most memorable major horse race finishes of all time! Secretariat is still my favorite race horse of all time. Thank you for sharing this with us!
always love the little camera pan to the left after secretariat finishes because he was so far ahead.
I am obsessed with this horse. I have been doing research on him for years. I read a 317 page book that was just about his life. With that book I did a 25 slide PowerPoint about him and made the people in my class who were not interested in horses, like them, I amazed them.
Did Ronnie just let secretariat home. Did he just let him run . I’ve heard and read about what he did but, he’s never said straight out ….. I let him go. I let him run his own race.
There were 3 horses for all time. My grandfather said Man o' War. My father told me Citation. And my experience showed me Secretariat!! Incomparable!
+Jim Brennan the new generation will say American Pharoah ;)
@@sbtopjosh Not even closr!
I will NEVER forget the wonderful memories I have of my father and I watching the story of this AMAZING horse unfold. And we shouted and screamed just like everyone else, with tremendous joy, at the way Big Red won the way he did.
Secretariat, you will live in our hearts forever!!!!
THIS is the BEST coverage I have seen yet. THANK YOU!
Every time I watch this and hear the announcer declare to everyone "He Is Moving Like A Tremendous Machine!!".....chills shoot down my spine and a lone tear streams down my face. It happens every. single. time.
I wish I could have seen this live... RED was truly a tremendous machine!!!
On this day, Secretariat would've beaten any horse, of any era. Plain & simple. No other horse can measure to this performance.
All the way to the finish line, and he never stopped accelerating. Truly, the greatest racehorse ever born.
I always get goosebumps no matter how many times I watch this race. Secretariat's paternal grandfather, Princequillo, held the record for 1 3/4 miles on dirt. I love Secretariat! "Ron Turcotte, he let him run..." ♥
"But Secretariat is all alone!" 'Nuff said.
I'm afraid race times take away all the speculation and romanticism, irrespective of which horse we talk about. Secretariat won the Belmont in a time over 2 seconds faster than any horse managed before or since. In the U.K. we are very proud of our very own "Super-horse" Frankel, referred to by 'hacks' has the "Greatest Racehorse ever seen". What a fantastic animal he was and it was touching to see his achievements bring so much happiness to Sir Henry Cecil in the last few months of his life. Unfortunately, Frankel's best effort over his optimum distance (1 1/4 miles), on perfect going on grass, was some 7 seconds slower than Secretariat's passing through this distance on his way to a record time in the Belmont Stakes 1 1/2 miles, on a much slower dirt track. Theoretically (yes I know!!!), when Frankel put up his best time over his best distance, Secretariat (simply on his Belmont timings) would have been already past the line, some 35 lengths ahead.
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Brought tears to my eyes... watching greatness! 44+ years ago.. wow!
I saw the race in 1973 when I was 30 years old. Secretariat is without a doubt, in my mind, the best horse EVER. His time for the Belmont, the longest of the 3 triple crown races at 1 1/2 miles, will never ever be broken. It has already lasted 39 years. By the way, no triple crown this year. "I'll have another", has a left front swollen tendon and has been scratched.
He ran faster without any horse pushing him to do it. That in itself is crazy amazing.
"HE IS MOVING LIKE A TREMENDOUS MACHINE!!!" Gives me chills every time!
Talk about all your favorite horses, and all the reasons you think your horse is or was the best, BUT-----Never before , never since , and never again, will we as readers of these typed lines on a computer , EVER, see a horse with the speed , strength ,beauty, and heart of Secretariat !!! Case closed.......
You are correct. Never before, never since, and certainly never again!
He was really and truly a genetic freak. He should have never lost a race.
Susan Nunes He never did really lose a race he just ran out of track to soon!!!
Over the long haul he never would have been beaten!!!! as he showed in the Belmont !!!! R.I.P. Big Red!!! (:
Stu Stewart Except that he was beaten....4 times with 1 dq
Vince Lentini Your right ,BUT still never beaten (and broke all records ) where it counted most. And by the way sir, were mostly talking about the Triple crown run ,and records he broke.
Am I the only one that felt my throat tightening and the threat of warm tears needing to be choked back? I wasn't even alive when he was destroying the race grounds! Amazing race.
No holding them back here--completely overwhelms me.
Gives me goosebumps. What an athlete, and he knew it.
The 38 length Secreteriat margin of victory after 50 years WILL NEVER BE BROKEN!
Man , he was trotting away smelling the roses , watta guy , he knew he was the best and was playing with the rest of the field.
protarget.If you look at the list of the top 100 horses,you'll see that every horse that won both the KD and Preakness is listed in the top 100.Without Secretariat,Sham easily wins both.He might have gone on to win the triple crown although that is not a given.He ran his last race in the 1st week of june in his 3 yr old season.In that short time,he ran the 2nd fastest KD and Preakness and 40 years later co holds the Santa Anita Derby TR.He was clearly a horse with brilliant speed and great stamina.Not a "decent"horse but a great horse.
HE DID IT!!! HE DID IT! Wire to wire just like Secretariat! #AmericanPharoah
Dingerz Umm- no-it was further than that.
+Glen W. Ford I said wire to wire like Secretariat which is 100% correct.
+Dingerz --My Gallant took the lead briefly so technically it wasn`t "wire to wire" Secretariat also came from behind at the Derby and the Preakness. Everybody knows that his style was to come from behind.
+Glen W. Ford I'm not going to take part in a semantic game. Both Secretariat and American Pharoah took the lead early in the Belmont and never looked back. THAT was what I meant.
Agreed.
Penney Tweedy herself said she loved Sham, and felt so sorry for him, because he was a great horse who would have won a Triple Crown in any other year, but he had the misfortune to go up against Secretariat.
Wow!!! Now that is some outstanding data!!! Great work!!! Thanks for the post. The Belmont contrast to the Preakness is astonishing. Thanks, again.
Where do all you people get the bullshit romantic idea that Sham was a great horse? He was at best a decent G1 horse who ran 13 times winning just 5. He raced Sec 4 times beating once when finishing 2nd behind AL in wood memorial. Then he fin 2nd 3x behind Sec What happened in the other 4 he lost. Sham was that good, he doesn't even get into the Blood-Horse Mag. top 100 US Racehorses of the 20th century. HELLO!!!
You know that Sham's 2nd place finish to Secretariat's fastest ever KD time is better than scores of winners, right? A great performance 8 lengths in front of the 3rd place finisher. Same story in the Preakness. BTW, Seattle Slew & Citation were equine rock stars, but Sham's Derby time was faster than both of them. He was a quality race horse that remains under-appreciated and far too often overlooked in the Great One's shadow -- that's what people are saying. Did Sham do something to you personally?
Becaused the hall of famer laffit pincay said he was the best horse he ever rode
pnutbutrncrackers
I am inclined to believe that Sham would've been the TC winner had he been born a different year then Secretariat. Now if I were to compare Slew to Sham I would have to go with Slew. No offense to Sham fanatics but I just personally can't fathom Sham defeating Slew.
protarget1 There have been 140 Kentucky Derbys..Sham would have won 139 of them. That's how good he was.
Mel V Quite Clearly another one who believes all this Sham Bullshit. Here's a fact, Sham at best was an ordinary G1 horse, Never ran against older horses. Dosn't get any where near Blood-Hors'se magazine List of the Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century. So because of his time in the KD according to your logic he would have 139 KD. Horse racing dosn't work like that. ProveOut a second rate handicapper, who ran 39 times winning just 9. In the Woodward beat Secretariat 4.5L giving Sec 7lb, On a Sloppy track and not trying to break a TR ran the 2nd fastest 12f Dirt time at Belmont.. According to your logic regarding Sham, PoveOut Would have won 139 Belmonts. Do you realise how silly you make yourself look? ;-)
to protarget1
Sham was considered a great horse when, in coming in 2nd to Secretariat in 2 of the triple crown races, he also broke the previous track records, and could have conceivably been the 1973 triple crown winner if Secretariat had not existed.
Win/loss records is not the entire picture for a racehorse. Sham was coming into his own, but had bad luck getting the trainer they assigned him who gave bad advice to the jockey. (I own horses. They can easily get discouraged, just like humans). Bad decision to run Sham at full speed trying to "break" Secretariat. Once Secretariat took command, they should have eased Sham off, give him a break, and try for second place. Instead, they run him into the ground and broke his spirit. He ended up last. Bad, Bad decision.
Well said. Sham is my favorite horse, could care less that he lost. He won the hearts of men, including mine. And yes, no Sec and he’s most likely TC champion. Then again Forego and Knightly Dawn would certainly have been entered into Belmont to challenge him. That being said, both are legends to me.
Let each and every Frankel nut watch this race and after they watch this race shut up once and for all. No matter how much you tell yourself Frankel was the greatest of all time for once quit your bullshit and admit not Frankel or any horse for that matter could beat Secretariat on that day on this course or this fucking time he achieved.
That horse ran so effortlessly, like he floated on the wind. There are no words to really describe the feeling of seeing that. Thanks for posting this video, I really enjoyed it. : )
It doesn't look like it, but Secretariat is actually slowing down as he runs away from the rest of the field. Do the simple math. The first half of the race was covered in 1:09 4/5ths from a standing start. Secretariat covered the last half in 1:14 1/5th. Sham pretty much walked the last half of the race.
no horse until today ran down 2.26 and he did it in 2.24 i love the call '' that is a record that may stands forever ''
Incredible horse! I sometimes wonder if he could have kept that up for another 1/4 or 1/2 mile. Would have loved to see that. He wasn't being urged on; running on his own, loving it. As I understand it, he was in the 'Eclipse' line of thoroughbreds. 'Eclipse' was unbeaten in 18 races but no one knew what he could do because he was always held on a strong rein and never 'let loose' like Secretariat was in the Belmont. Just an interesting 'factoid.'
Once again, TH-cam and the Internet deliver! Thanks for the upload.
Today, I was reading about Jack Whittaker, heard on the video, having been inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame. Mr Whittaker said his most vivid memory was this race, So I wondered ... YES!
Thanks again.
Saw the movie today, soooo good, they did a great job, stayed so true to the tale down to the smallest of details. Thanks for this!
Sham won one major race because his trainer insisted on running him against Secretariat. So Sham is mostly remembered as an also ran to a better horse. Forego's trainer wisely kept his horse far away from Secretariat and after the Derby, only ran him in races Secretariat wasn't in. Forego ended up a major stakes winner and horse of the year three times. Sham was a truly great horse. He just was running against the greatest.
Thanks for posting this video for us all.
This is without a doubt the GREATEST day in horse racing I remember this day June 9, 1973 I was only 10 at the time and was watching with my Father who was a horse racing fan still gives me goosebumps even now and nearly 40 years later no horse has even come close to doing what Secretariat has done and I beleave no one ever will; Truely breathtaking!!!!!
I was living in NY. I am from Queens. It was 2 days after my 13th birthday. I will never again see a performance like Big Red's on that day. The fastest horse that ever lived. Turcotte, looking cool as a cucumber as he glances over his shoulder to look back at the far away field right before the finish line. Thank you for posting this great memory of my childhood
I was 33 when I saw this live and it still gives me goosebumps..What a thrill it was to watch it live on TV..To me the greatest race I ever saw and I have seen many races..Loved this horse and so did everyone then..
Yes, every quarter was brilliant. The entire race was brilliant. Never seen anything like that again….and never will….either will this generation or the next or the next, etc…..,
I would rank that line up there among the greatest calls of ANY sport. The choice and timing of those words and the emotional spontaneity of the delivery, always moves me in such a profound way. I can never adequately explain in words why I cry almost every time I watch this race.
Probably the best "play by play" ever done.
no horse could have lived with big red that day, he,s running the first half at sprint pace and doesnt slow down, there will never be another performance like that ever!!!!.....
I saw it all those years ago. It still gives me shivers. It was the most amazing feat of strength and will.to win that I've ever witnessed in both horse and rider. It was like magic!
I have seen the belmont stakes video, not only this one but the one with the pre race coverage and have watched Secretariat in all the shots and i have come to the conclusion that this horse knew! What needed to be done that day. This horse not only run fast but was smart as hell, watching him on his other races you can totally see strategy there. R.I.P Secretariat! Wherever you are i hope and im sure you still running fearless.
The greatest athletic performance I have ever seen.
A blast from the past
This makes me cry everytime I watch it. What an amazing horse, rest in peace Secretariat! There will never be a horse like him.
Loved watching this again,haven't seen it since I was a kid. He's always been one of my all time favorite race horses. He was GREAT!! I have been into watching the Triple Crown since I was a kid,and saw his races on Tv & was thrilled by him. The movie done was also ,so good. He's sadly missed for sure.
Poor Sham's jockey Pincay never should have kept pace w/ Secretariat the first half of the race.but he was under orders from his clueless bosses. Lucky he didn't kill that beautiful horse. The pace eventually tired him out and he finished last. SECOND place should have been Pincay's goal. We forget that Sham was one of the greatest horses of the 20th century. He just always had to run next to God. Secretariat was a MONSTER animal. RIP both Secretariat and his blood cousin Sham!
@Dingerz Thank you...and...thank you for posting your TB videos!!!
You know. With the Belmont coming up.. it makes me a little sad to see that in my life time, I will never have the privilege of seeing a horse as great as him.
Most amazing horse i've ever seen on tv. No one else even comes close to this victory since that day in 1973.
Not really into horse racing but saw the movie last night, had to see the real thing, absolutely amazing, to watch that fantastic horse is to see the beauty that is nature, love the commentary when the guy says "an incredible machine!" That is truly an inspiring spectacle and to think how far he was ahead of all the other best horses around! It's like "Chariots of Fire" but for horses.
I have watched this many times, and each time is just as amazing as the time before.
My family and I went to Paris, Kentucky in November of 1973 to see Secretariat at Claiborn famrs in person. He had just been retired and was in top shape from running. He was calm and magnificent and I have a picture of me in the background with Secretariat in the foreground. My father made a collage of several pictures. This was before the Kentucky Horse Park. My dad loved horses and I still do. I chocked up when I watch that race. I remember watching it on TV. Unbelievable.
TheVagolfer:
Thanks!! I forgot exactly which race had the timer mishap but thought it was Churchill Downs. Glad you cleared it up.
i WATCHED ALL THREE RACES WITH MY FATHER, EVERY TIME I SEE THIS I GET GOOSEBUMPS AS WELL. THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER IN MY LIFETIME....GOD WHISPERED IN HIS EAR "SHOW EM WHAT YOU GOT" AND HE DID.
Wow, this is just, wow. I wish I wouldve been alive to see this! I can guarentee you this record won't ever be broken, not the time or margin of victory. There will never be another Secretariat. Absolutely incredible. Even watching it, it is hard to believe this actually happened because of how UNBELIEVABLE it is! Absolutely amazing.
I've been on Secretariat overload for the last week or so. God's gift and I am thankful to Him for it. This is the GREATEST physical performance ever caught on film. Thank you Meadow Farm.
Did Sham ever race again after the 1973 Belmont? Like Alydar, Sham just came along at the wrong time
When this video hits a million views, I'll upload the better quality video for everyone. :) I couldn't imagine being able to share this with so many, but at the same time I am not surprised. He's such an inspiration and still a major reason why I run today.
No matter how many times I watch this video,it's still the GREATEST thing I have ever seen. Like Chick said.....a RECORD that will stand FOREVER!!!
I remember watching the movie for the first time when I was younger and being bored to tears.....but when I hit the end of the movie and watched the movie scene of this...... I was amazed. Favorite race horse of all time.
Though it was way before my time, Big Red will always hold a place in my heart.
Hey, you and I along with anyone who understands horses and racing will always know Secretariat was the greatest horse. I really loved that horse. I too remember seeing him on tv at a young age. He was something very special. I have books on him, the movie and video of him. He was class in animal form.
what a beautiful champion :-) I did not know about Secretariat but he is very inspiring. In France we have a champion too, a trotter. Her name is Ourasi and he is the only horse to have win 4 times the "Prix d'Amérique". Bad tempered, also called The lazy King, but a winner like Secretariat. Thank you for this video!
Human projection. But Secretariat looks like he's prancing proudly to victory once he leaves all those other horses way behind! I don't see the jockey smacking him with the crop. But maybe it's the quality. But I'm happy to see this race over and over and over!
"He is moving like a Tremendous Machine!!".....sends chills down my spine
I created belt buckles with Secretariat's head. I had it designed by Western Artist Al Shelton in Studio City, CA. I cast on in pure silver, the rest is beryllium copper. I collected the beryllium copper from Stages 4 & 5 at a film studio now known as Laird Studios. The fire consumed the stages & I collected the beryllium copper from the burn site. All the joyces & junction boxes were pure red-tinted beryllium copper.
I created the buckle before the Belmont, I knew he would leave the field in the dust! I wish I had mailed the silver buckle to Penny, but the silver buckle was stolen. Wherever it is, it's a collectible item,. as I created it before he ran the Belmont Stakes. That victory brings tears to my eyes. *The Tweedy family announced today that Helen “Penny” Chenery, owner of 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat, died yesterday. She was 95."
It's STILL the most sensational race in the history of The Belmont Stakes!
It's hard to imagine anything more exciting than watching Secretariat, an overwhelming favorite (his Belmont odds were 1-10), win the Triple Crown that day in 1973 (the previous Triple Crown winner was Citation in 1948), to win by an overwhelming margin (officially 31 lengths) in a record time (2:24) which still stands today (36 years later) as the Belmont record. One of the greatest feats by one of the greatest athletes of all time.
I still get goose bumps.....at 1:59 you hear the crowd start to acknowledge the performance, the greatness....as he comes down the stretch it was no longer a horse race, it was history! Fans were cheering, raising hands and voices the like Belmont has never heard or has since...just an incredible day in racing history
My belief is that this is, by far, the MOST DOMINATING performance in the history of sports. Awesome to watch again and again !
Everytime I watch this race I can't stop tears from rolling down my cheeks. I love that 🐎
"He's moving like a tremendous machine !!!"
@cmf4321 and someone on another video says Secretariat is no different than any other horse. You said it right. I always get a knot in my throat when I watch this, truly amazing. It makes me wonder how fast he could really get going
Amazing horse, Amazing horse!
That horse was accelerating when he crossed the line...
Not too often in life you get to witness true epic greatness. Here it is folks , hopefully you were fortunate to be witness this live!
Sham had the same X Factor mutation as Secretariat. Huge heart and lungs.
I have watched this race at least 100 times and it still gives me goosebumps. No horse could ever have beaten him on that day or pretty much any day. Such a "tremendous machine"!!!
anyone who watched the movie and then the actual race know there is a discrepancy between Chick Anderson's (Guess- 25 lengths) and the movie which said it was 31 lengths. After the race they counted the lengths carefully and came up with 31 which stand in all record books of this day in 1973 which is now legend.
the daily racing form or whoever they are has listed 1:53:40 since the race occurred. Their argument is still the matching video of the 71' and 73' race and Sec wins by more then 3 lengths for the then record.
The greatest horse that ever ran
@brutusbro Yes, you're being unreasonable. He set the track record at the Kentucky Derby that still stands. He set the track record at the Preakness that was negated due to a problem with the clock. And he set the record at the Belmont for the mile and a half that hasn't even been approached in the 40 years since. What more do you need?
Wow…..10 years since my last comment…..guess what, folks….Secretariat is still great
I happen to live not far from Secretariats birth shed and have visited it many times. It is a remarkably humble beginning for such a magnificent creature. The property has gone into foreclosure and if given the chance to ever again visit, I'll take my video camera so you can see for yourself.
The greatest horse race... EVER.. Can you imagine this race in todays HD and camera coverage. It would be TOTALLY AWESOME!!!!!!
The horse is named "I'll Have Another" and he won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness. He was injured before the Belmont though and has now been retired and sold to Japan for stud.
Still electrifying after all these years - the best performance in racing history.