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60-646: The race was named after the Donn family, who for many years owned and operated the racetrack. Three horses have won the race twice. Inaugurated at a distance of a mile and a half on turf, the only horse to ever win the race twice at that distance was One-Eyed-King who did it back-to-back in 1959 and 1960. In 1965, future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee Gun Bow won the first edition at its present distance of one and one-eighth miles on dirt. Under those same race conditions, Pistols and Roses won it back-to-back in 1993 and 1994 as did another Hall of Fame inductee Cigar in

120-406: A blinker hood , mostly to help him focus, but also because he had a tendency to run in toward the rail during races. In January 1972, he joined trainer Lucien Laurin 's winter stable at Hialeah . Secretariat gained a reputation as a kind horse, likeable and unruffled in crowds or by the bumping that occurs between young horses. He had the physique of a runner but at first was awkward and clumsy. He

180-470: A "dazzling" move, passing eight horses within 1 ⁄ 4 mile to take the lead then drawing off to win by five lengths. His time of 1:16 1 ⁄ 5 for 6 + 1 ⁄ 2 furlongs was only 3 ⁄ 5 of a second off the track record. Returning to Belmont Park on September 16, he won the Belmont Futurity by a length and a half after starting his move on the turn. He then ran in

240-694: A daughter of Princequillo . Bold Ruler was the leading sire in North America from 1963 to 1969 and again in 1973. Owned by the Phipps family , Bold Ruler possessed both speed and stamina, having won the Preakness Stakes and Horse of the Year honors in 1957, and American Champion Sprint Horse honors in 1958. Bold Ruler was retired to stud at Claiborne Farm , but the Phipps family owned most of

300-485: A horse must have been retired for a minimum of five full calendar years to be eligible for the hall of fame. (Exceptions to this rule have been made; for example, Secretariat was inducted the year after his retirement and Ruffian was inducted the year after her death.) Thoroughbreds remain eligible in the contemporary category between five and 25 calendar years following their final racing year. Thoroughbreds retired for more than 25 calendar years may become eligible through

360-589: A horse who believed, and to greatness he sped. In fields of green pastures, where legends reside, Secretariat runs on, forever our pride. For his first start on July 4, 1972, at Aqueduct Racetrack , Secretariat was made the lukewarm favorite at 3–1. At the start, a horse named Quebec cut in front of the field, causing a chain reaction that resulted in Secretariat being bumped hard. According to jockey Paul Feliciano, he would have fallen if he hadn't been so strong. Secretariat recovered, only to run into traffic on

420-529: A man among you But waits for his return. — from "Big Red" , by J.A. Estes On March 30, 1970, at 12:10 a.m. at the Meadow Stud in Caroline County, Virginia , Somethingroyal foaled a bright-red chestnut colt with three white socks and a star with a narrow stripe . The foal stood when he was 45 minutes old and nursed 30 minutes later. Howard Gentry, the manager of Meadow Stud, was at

480-433: A power of strength that I have never felt before ..." Groom Eddie Sweat was another important member of the Secretariat team, providing most of the daily hands-on care. Sweat once told a reporter, "I guess a groom gets closer to a horse than anyone. The owner, the trainer, they maybe see him once a day. But I lived with him, worked with him." Laurin sent Chenery regular updates on Secretariat's progress, saying that

540-451: A solid 47 3 ⁄ 5 seconds. On June 24, he ran a "bullet", the fastest workout of the day, at 6 furlongs in 1:12 4 ⁄ 5 on a sloppy track. Laurin called Chenery at her Colorado home and advised her that Secretariat was ready to race. Ode to Secretariat In the whispering winds of a racetrack’s embrace, A legend was born, full of power and grace. With a heart like a thunderstorm, fierce and alive, Secretariat roared, in

600-471: Is in human terms? Just imagine the greatest athlete in the world. The greatest. Now make him six-foot-three, the perfect height. Make him real intelligent and kind. And on top of that, make him the best-lookin' guy ever to come down the pike. He was all those things as a horse." Secretariat raced in Meadow Stables' blue-and-white-checkered colors. He never raced in track bandages , but typically wore

660-531: Is it.' I never saw perfection before. I absolutely could not fault him in any way. And neither could the rest of them and that was the amazing thing about it. The body and the head and the eye and the general attitude. It was just incredible. I couldn't believe my eyes, frankly." In August, Secretariat entered the Sanford Stakes , facing off with highly regarded Linda's Chief, the only horse ever to be favored against Secretariat in any of his races. Entering

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720-520: Is usually a five-year waiting period after retirement in such cases. Source: National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Legend: * Still active (+ Win totals from Equibase.com as of 30 September 2018 ) ** Wins in North America only Contemporary trainers become eligible for the Hall of Fame after they have been licensed for at least 25 years, and remain eligible until 25 years after retirement. In special circumstances such as fragile health,

780-476: Is widely considered to be the greatest racehorse of all time. He became the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years and his record-breaking victory in the Belmont Stakes , which he won by 31 lengths , is often considered the greatest race ever run by a thoroughbred racehorse. During his racing career, he won five Eclipse Awards , including Horse of the Year honors at ages two and three. He was nominated to

840-534: The Champagne Stakes at Belmont on October 14 as the 7–10 favorite. As had become his custom, he started slowly and then made a big move around the turn, blowing past his rivals to win by two lengths. However, following an inquiry by the racecourse stewards, Secretariat was disqualified and placed second for bearing in and interfering with Stop the Music , who was declared the winner. Secretariat then took

900-539: The Laurel Futurity on October 28, winning by eight lengths over Stop the Music. His time on a sloppy track was just 1 ⁄ 5 of a second off the track record. He completed his season in the Garden State Futurity on November 18, dropping back early and making a powerful move around the turn to win by 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 lengths at 1–10 odds. Laurin said, "In all his races, he has taken

960-612: The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1974. In the Blood-Horse magazine List of the Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century , Secretariat was second to Man o' War . At age two, Secretariat finished fourth in his 1972 debut in a maiden race, but then won seven of his remaining eight starts, including five stakes victories. His only loss during this period was in the Champagne Stakes , where he finished first but

1020-463: The Wood Memorial , Whitney , and Woodward Stakes , but the brilliance of his nine wins made him an American icon. He won his second Horse of the Year title, plus Eclipse Awards for champion three-year-old colt and champion turf horse . At the beginning of his three-year-old year, Secretariat was syndicated for a record-breaking $ 6.08 million (equivalent to $ 41.7 million in 2023), on

1080-445: The mares to which Bold Ruler was bred, and few of his offspring were sold at public auction. To bring new blood into their breeding program, the Phipps family sometimes negotiated a foal-sharing agreement with other mare owners: Instead of charging a stud fee for Bold Ruler, they would arrange for multiple matings with Bold Ruler, either with two mares in one year or one mare over a two-year period. Assuming two foals were produced,

1140-640: The 25 year requirement may be waived though there is usually a five-year waiting period after retirement in such cases. Established in 2013, the Hall of Fame states that the Pillars of the Turf category honors those "who have made extraordinary contributions to Thoroughbred racing in a leadership or pioneering capacity at the highest national level." In addition to the Hall of Fame, the museum houses numerous exhibits. These include: The Museum Collection includes just over 300 paintings. These range from paintings of

1200-720: The Belmont Stakes stands as the American record for 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles on the dirt. In 2012, his actual time of 1:53 in the Preakness Stakes was recognized as a stakes record after an official review. Secretariat's win in the Gotham Stakes tied the track record for 1 mile, he set a world record in the Marlboro Cup at 1 + 1 ⁄ 8 miles and further proved his versatility by winning two major stakes races on turf . He lost three times that year: in

1260-736: The Donn Handicap was replaced on the Gulfstream racing calendar by the Pegasus World Cup . Speed record: Most wins by a horse: Most wins by a trainer : Most wins by a jockey : Most wins by an owner: National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York , to honor the achievements of American Thoroughbred race horses , jockeys , and trainers . In 1955,

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1320-608: The Gotham Stakes in April 1973 was 1,155 pounds (524 kg). After completing the gruelling Triple Crown, his weight on June 15 had dropped only 24 pounds, to 1,131 pounds (513 kg). Secretariat was known for his appetite — during his three-year-old campaign, he ate 15 quarts of oats a day — and to keep his muscles in good condition, he needed fast workouts that could have won many a stakes race. Seth Hancock of Claiborne Farm once said, "You want to know who Secretariat

1380-484: The Historic Review Committee. [REDACTED] ( steeplechaser ) [REDACTED] Source: National Museum of Racing and Hall Contemporary jockeys become eligible for the Hall of Fame after they have been licensed for at least 20 years, and remain eligible until 25 years after retirement. In special circumstances such as fragile health, the 20 year requirement may be waived, though there

1440-429: The Phipps family would keep one and the mare's owner would keep the other, with a coin toss determining who received first pick. Under such an arrangement, Chenery sent two mares to be bred to Bold Ruler in 1968, Hasty Matelda and Somethingroyal. She then sent Cicada and Somethingroyal in 1969. The foal-sharing agreement stated that the winner of the coin toss would get first pick of the foals produced in 1969, while

1500-593: The Triple Crown trophies of Count Fleet. 43°04′35″N 73°46′24″W  /  43.0763°N 73.7734°W  / 43.0763; -73.7734 Secretariat (horse) Secretariat (March 30, 1970 – October 4, 1989), also known as Big Red , was a champion American thoroughbred racehorse who was the ninth winner of the American Triple Crown , setting and still holding the fastest time record in all three of its constituent races. He

1560-430: The as-yet-unborn 1970 foal of Somethingroyal, which turned out to be Secretariat. 'A foal is born at midnight And in the frosty morn The horseman eyes him fondly, And a secret hope is born. But breathe it not, nor whisper For fear of a neighbor's scorn. He's a chestnut colt, and he's got a star. He may be another Man o' War. Nay, say it aloud—be shameless. Dream and hope and yearn, For there's never

1620-429: The backstretch. In tenth position at the top of the stretch, he closed ground rapidly and finished fourth, beaten by only 1 + 1 ⁄ 4 lengths . In many of his subsequent races, Secretariat hung back at the start, which Laurin later attributed to the bumping he received in his debut. With Feliciano again up, Secretariat returned to the track on July 15 as the 6–5 favorite. He broke poorly, but then rushed past

1680-420: The bit. Before and after the race, there was some ill feeling between Laurin and the trainer of Sham, Pancho Martin , fanned by comments in the press. The dispute concerned the use of coupled entries as Martin had entered two horses in addition to Sham, all with the same owner. There was fear that an entry could be used tactically to gang up on another horse. Stung by such insinuations, Martin wound up scratching

1740-496: The coin toss, which was held in the fall of 1969 in the office of New York Racing Association Chairman Alfred G. Vanderbilt II , with Arthur "Bull" Hancock of Claiborne Farm as witness. Ogden Phipps won the toss and took the 1969 weanling filly out of Somethingroyal. The filly was named The Bride and never won a race, though she did later become a stakes producer. Chenery received the Hasty Matelda colt in 1969 and

1800-408: The colt was still learning to run, or that he still needed to lose his baby fat. Chenery recalled that when Secretariat was in training, Lucien once said: "Your big Bold Ruler colt don't show me nothin'. He can't outrun a fat man." But Secretariat made steady progress over the spring. On June 6, he wore blinkers for the first time to keep his attention focused and responded with a half-mile workout in

1860-435: The condition that he be retired from racing by the end of the year. Although he sired several successful racehorses, he ultimately was most influential through his daughters' offspring, becoming the leading broodmare sire in North America in 1992. His daughters produced several notable sires , including Storm Cat , A.P. Indy , Gone West , Dehere , Summer Squall , and Chief's Crown , and through them Secretariat appears in

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1920-573: The early days of racing in England by John E. Ferneley Sr . to more contemporary champions by Richard Stone Reeves . Featured artists include: William Smithson Broadhead, Vaughn Flannery, Sir Alfred J. Munnings , Frederic Remington , Martin Stainforth , George Stubbs , Henry Stull, Edward Troye and Franklin Brooke Voss . Also on display are Kelso's five Jockey Club Gold Cup trophies and

1980-576: The end of the year. Secretariat wintered in Florida but did not race until March 17, 1973, in the Bay Shore Stakes at Aqueduct, where he went off as the heavy favorite. As the trainer of one of his opponents put it, "The only chance we have is if he falls down." Racing boxed in by horses on each side, Turcotte decided to go through a narrow gap between horses rather than try to circle the field. Secretariat broke free and won easily, but one of

2040-424: The evaluation of a panel of racing historians. In 1955, a group of nine horses from the earliest years of the American turf were inducted. The 1956 class included 11 horses that raced around the turn of the century, while the 1957 class included 10 horses that raced up to the mid-thirties. Since then, the classes have been significantly smaller as the inductions shifted to more contemporary horses. Under current rules,

2100-496: The field on the turn to win by six lengths. On July 31 in an allowance race at Saratoga , Feliciano was replaced by Ron Turcotte , the regular jockey for Meadow Stables. Turcotte had ridden the colt in several morning workouts but had missed his first two starts while recovering from a fall. Secretariat's commanding win as the 2–5 favorite caught the attention of veteran sportswriter, Charles Hatton . He later reported, "You carry an ideal around in your head, and boy, I thought, 'This

2160-615: The foal and made a one-word entry in her notebook: "Wow!" That fall, Chenery and Elizabeth Ham, the Meadow's longtime secretary, worked together to name the newly weaned colt. The first set of names submitted to the Jockey Club (Sceptre, Royal Line, and Something Special) played on the names of his sire and dam, but were rejected. The second set, submitted in January 1971, were Games of Chance, Deo Volente ("God Willing"), and Secretariat,

2220-430: The foaling and later said, "He was a very well-made foal. He was as perfect a foal that I ever delivered." The colt soon distinguished himself from the others. "He was always the leader in the crowd," said Gentry's nephew, Robert, who also worked at the farm. "To us, he was Big Red, and he had a personality. He was a clown and was always cutting up, always into some devilment." Some time later, Chenery got her first look at

2280-433: The four Contemporary categories (colts and horses, fillies and mares, jockey and trainer) to be presented to the voters. Changes in voting procedures that commenced with the 2010 candidates allow the voters to choose multiple candidates from a single Contemporary category, instead of a single candidate from each of the four Contemporary categories. For example, in 2016, two mares (Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta) were inducted at

2340-508: The horse, selling 32 shares worth $ 190,000 each for a total of $ 6.08 million, a world syndication record at the time, surpassing the previous record for Nijinsky who was syndicated for $ 5.44 million in 1970. Hancock said the sale was easy, citing Secretariat's two-year-old performance, breeding, and appearance. "He's, well, he's a hell of a horse." Chenery retained four shares in the horse and would have complete control over his three-year-old racing campaign, but agreed that he would be retired at

2400-591: The last suggested by Ham based on her previous job associated with the secretariat of the League of Nations (the predecessor of the United Nations). Secretariat grew into a massive, powerful horse said to resemble his sire's damsire, Discovery . He stood 16.2  hands (66 inches, 168 cm) when fully grown. He was noted for being exceptionally well-balanced, described as having "nearly perfect" conformation and stride biomechanics . His chest

2460-517: The length and angles of bones can have a major effect on performance. Secretariat was well put together even as a two-year-old, and by the time he was three, he had further matured in body and smoothed out his gait. The New York Racing Association's Dr. M. A. Gilman, a veterinarian who routinely measured leading thoroughbreds with a goal of applying science to create better ways to breed and evaluate racehorses, measured Secretariat's development from two to three as follows: Secretariat's length of stride

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2520-459: The loser of the toss would get first pick of the foals due in 1970. In the spring of 1969, a colt and filly were produced. In the 1969 breeding season, Cicada did not conceive, leaving only one foal due in the spring of 1970. Thus, the winner of the coin toss would get only one foal (the first pick from 1969), and the loser would get two (the second pick from 1969 and the only foal from 1970). Chenery later said that both owners hoped they would lose

2580-402: The main entrance of the historic Saratoga Race Course . The museum was relocated to a newly reconstructed building and a thoroughbred racing Hall of Fame was included. Since then, the museum has expanded several times to allow for the display of its extensive art collection and more multimedia displays on the history of the sport. In the early years, inductions to the hall of fame were based on

2640-460: The main source of his power, with a sloped croup that extended the length of his femur. When in full stride, his hind legs were able to reach far under himself, increasing his drive. His ample girth, long back and well-made neck all contributed to his heart-lung efficiency. The manner in which Secretariat's body parts fit together determined the efficiency of his stride, which affected his acceleration and endurance. Even very small differences in

2700-512: The museum moved to its current location on Union Avenue near Saratoga Race Course , at which time inductions into the hall of fame began. Each spring, following the tabulation of the final votes, the announcement of new inductees is made, usually during Kentucky Derby Week in early May. The actual inductions are held in mid-August during the Saratoga race meeting. The Hall of Fame's nominating committee selects eight to ten candidates from among

2760-520: The one-mile race in 1:33 2 ⁄ 5 , matching the track record. His final preparatory race for the Kentucky Derby was the Wood Memorial , where he finished a surprising third to Angle Light and Santa Anita Derby winner Sham . Laurin was crushed, even though he had trained the winner, Angle Light, who set a slow pace and "stole" the race. Secretariat's loss was later attributed to a large abscess in his mouth, which made him sensitive to

2820-479: The other jockeys claimed that Secretariat had committed a foul going through the hole. The stewards reviewed photos from the race and determined that Secretariat was actually on the receiving end of a bump, so let the result stand. The Bay Shore established that Secretariat had improved over the winter and that he could also handle adversity. In the Gotham Stakes on April 7, Laurin decided to experiment with Secretariat's running style. With no speed horses entered in

2880-420: The pedigree of many modern champions. Secretariat died in 1989 as a result of laminitis at age 19. Secretariat was officially bred by Christopher Chenery's Meadow Stud, but the breeding was actually arranged by Penny Chenery (then known as Penny Tweedy), who had taken over the running of the stable in 1968 when her father became ill. Secretariat was sired by Bold Ruler and his dam was Somethingroyal ,

2940-549: The race he would thrive. With coat like the sunset, a brilliant chestnut hue, He galloped through history, leaving trails bold and true. His stride was a symphony, a dance with the air, As he chased down the dreams, no burden to bear. The roar of the crowd, a thunderous cheer, Echoed through time, as he conquered each sphere. From the Derby to Belmont, his spirit would soar, Breaking records and hearts, he forever would score. A champion’s tale, woven in time’s thread, Of

3000-419: The race, Secretariat would be allowed to set his own pace. Accordingly, Turcotte hustled Secretariat from the starting gate and they led easily. Down the stretch though, Champagne Charlie came running and at the eighth pole was almost even. Turcotte tapped Secretariat once on each side with the whip and Secretariat drew away to win by three lengths. He ran the first 3/4 mile in 1:08 3 ⁄ 5 and finished

3060-517: The same time. The museum also houses a large collection of art, artifacts, and memorabilia that document the history of horse racing from the eighteenth century to the present. The National Museum of Racing was founded in 1950, led by Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney and a group of people interested in thoroughbred racing. The museum first opened its doors in 1951, at which time it occupied a single room in Saratoga's Canfield Casino . The establishment

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3120-557: The stretch, Secretariat was blocked by the horses in front of him but then made his way through "like a hawk scattering a barnyard of chickens" on his way to a three-length win. Sportswriter Andrew Beyer covered the race for the Washington Star and later wrote, "Never have I watched a lightly raced 2-year-old stamp himself so definitively as a potential great." Ten days later in the Hopeful Stakes , Secretariat made

3180-633: The two ensuing years. A total of three horses that have won the Donn Handicap went on to be named either the Eclipse Award for American Horse of the Year or American Champion Older Male Horse that year: Saint Liam , Skip Away and Cigar . In addition, reigning Horse of the Year Invasor won the Donn in 2007 prior to taking the Dubai World Cup . The final running of the Donn Handicap took place on February 6, 2016. From 2017,

3240-739: The votes of the Thoroughbred Racing Associations of North America and the Daily Racing Form , while La Prevoyante was chosen by the National Turf Writers Association . Only one horse since then, Favorite Trick in 1997, has won that award as a two-year-old. In January 1973, Christopher Chenery, the founder of Meadow Stables, died and the taxes on his estate forced his daughter Penny to consider selling Secretariat. Together with of Claiborne Farm, she instead managed to syndicate

3300-431: The worst of it by coming from behind, usually circling his field. A colt has to be a real runner to do this consistently and get away with it." Secretariat won the Eclipse Award for American Champion Two-Year-Old Male Horse and, in a rare occurrence, two two-year-olds topped the balloting for 1972 American Horse of the Year honors, with Secretariat edging out the undefeated filly, La Prevoyante . Secretariat received

3360-475: Was considered large even after taking into account his large frame and strong build. While training for the Preakness Stakes, his stride was measured as 24 feet, 11 inches. His powerful hindquarters allowed him to unleash "devastating" speed and because he was so well-muscled and had significant cardiac capacity, he could simply out-gallop competitors at nearly any point in a race. His weight before

3420-556: Was disqualified to second for interference. He received the Eclipse Award for champion two-year-old colt , and also was the 1972 Horse of the Year , a rare honor for a horse so young. At age three, Secretariat not only won the Triple Crown, but he also set speed records in all three races. His time in the Kentucky Derby still stands as the Churchill Downs track record for 1 + 1 ⁄ 4 miles, and his time in

3480-564: Was frequently outpaced by more precocious stable mates, running a quarter-mile in 26 seconds compared to 23 seconds by his peers. His regular exercise riders were Jim Gaffney and Charlie Davis. Davis was not initially impressed. "He was a big fat sucker", Davis said. "I mean, he was big. He wasn't in a hurry to do nothin'. He took his time. The quality was there, but he didn't show it until he wanted to." Gaffney though recalled his first ride on Secretariat in early 1972 as "having this big red machine under me, and from that very first day I knew he had

3540-414: Was so large that he required a custom-made girth , and he was noted for his large, powerful, well-muscled hindquarters. An Australian trainer said of him, "He is incredible, an absolutely perfect horse. I never saw anything like him." Secretariat's absence of major conformation flaws was important, as horses with well made limbs and feet are less likely to become injured. Secretariat's hindquarters were

3600-482: Was supported by the city of Saratoga Springs , which donated $ 2,500, the Saratoga Racing Association, which donated $ 5,000, and various patrons of the sport, who also donated various pieces of art and memorabilia. The first item in the museum's collection was a horseshoe worn by the great Lexington . In 1955, the museum relocated to its current location on Union Avenue, across the street from

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