1973 Kentucky Derby: All Big Red
Secretariat's Run for the Roses Was the Fastest Ever Recorded
Syndicated for a record $6 million in early 1973, Secretariat exceeded every expectation. His Kentucky Derby run is still untouchable. It came under great scrutiny.
In 1969-1970, Gladys and Ogen Phipps and Chris Chenery struck a deal. The Phipps thoroughbred barn owned Bold Ruler, destined to become one of the greatest sires of all time. Chenery's Meadow Stable would send two broodmares to Bold Ruler, each to be bred twice. When the first pair of foals were born, Chenery and Phipps flipped a coin to determine who would get first pick of the two youngsters.
The Meadow's Somethingroyal successfully foaled, but the other broodmare wasn't as productive, going barren in the second year of the agreement.
Ogden Phipps won the coin toss, chose Somethingroyal's filly named The Bride the first year, while the "loser", Chenery, got the colt and the single foal of the second season. Somethingroyal's colt was a strapping fellow with three white feet that Meadow Stable agreed to name Secretariat.
Upon Secretariat's foalilng, Meadow Stable secretary Elizabeth Ham noted the straight hind leg, the three white stockinged feet, the general good build and vitality of the colt and unabashedly complimented him as such in the foaling record book.
Soon, the world would share her sentiments and his legend.
Secretariat became a thoroughbred racing household name at age two in 1972. He ws the majestic prince of thoroughbreds, perfectly conformed. He won the champion male of the year and the Horse of the Year awards. He was strong as a lion, agile like a gazelle, ready to conquer the Sport of Kings.
At three, he was king, as he won the 1973 American Triple Crown in three inspired, astonishing races. His horsey good looks were featured on three national magazine covers. He was voted Male Athlete of the Year.
But before the Kentucky Derby triumph, thoroughbred racing drew a collective breath and looked on in disbelief when the brilliant, red colt of destiny lost at Aqueduct Racetrack in New York in the Wood Memorial. His establilshed rival, Sham, finished second, and his unheralded stablemate, Angle Light, won.
Penny Chenery Tweedy, Chenery's daughter, had taken over management of the Meadow Stable after her father's illness incapacitated him. She suddenly doubted the red colt everyone was counting on. Numerous breeders speculating on Secretariat's huge future had bought into his breeding rights before his two-year-old season concluded; now the remote control was on pause, so to speak. Early on in 1973, Big Red had drawn a record syndication price as a future thoroughbred breeding sire for over $6 million. Now he had lost a very large race. How would he perform in the Derby?
It was soon discovered that the chestnut champ was suffering from a painful abscess under his lip. That explained to jockey Ron Turcotte why the colt had tossed his head every time Turcotte pulled on the reins in the Wood Memorial run. Turcotte was still convinced that Big Red's ability was better than any other horse.
Trainer Lucien Laurin may have been relieved to learn that the abscess could have caused the colt's bad race. He used no excuses, however, and fans remembered the utter dismay on Laurin's face when he stood in the Wood Memorial winner's circle with Angle Light.
All the anguish was short lived.
In the ninety-ninth renewal of the Kentucky Derby, Secretariat laid the law of Big Red down on the impressive gelding, Forego, who finished fourth; the Blue Grass Stakes winner My Gallant; Our Native, the Flamingo Stakes champion; the Florida Derby winner, Royal and Regal; his hapless stablemate, Angle Light; the good sprinter Sheckey Green; and Sham, who was the only real hope to derail him.
Secretariat blew away the two minute Derby barrier with a time of 1:59-2/5, going away by two and a half lengths in quarter fractions each raced faster as he went along. Little over a month later, after capturing the Preakness Stakes, the big red running machine took flight to become the first Triple Crown champion since Citation in 1948, winning the 1-1/2 miles Belmont Stakes by an unprecedented 31 lengths in 2:24 flat, a new world record. He had no equal on those three days.
Secretariat is probably the most recognized name in thoroughbred racing (with the possible exception of Man o' War), and perhaps, the most ever revered American thoroughbred. He did it all with ease and graceful strides. And yet, he did it the hard way -- he earned it.
