Secretariat Is Still the GOAT, 50 Years Later, Kentucky Derby Fans Agree
Before he was “moving like a tremendous machine” in a literal earth-shattering performance in the Belmont Stakes, before he secured the ninth Triple Crown sweep in history, ending a 25-year drought, Secretariat won the Kentucky Derby in such dramatic fashion that it would be considered one of the greatest races of all time — if only he didn’t follow it with even greater theatrics in his next two races.
Coming off a stunning loss in the Wood Memorial, Secretariat, who was named the 2-year-old champion, was suddenly the beneficiary of doubt among the horse racing faithful, despite having won 10 of 11 races going into the derby. Rumors swirled: he was injured, he lost a step during his 3-year-old season, he just wasn’t the superhorse everyone thought he was, his Wood rival Sham would be the true king of 1973.
Then the gates opened in the 99th running of the Run for the Roses, and he went off as the 3-2 favorite anyway, with Sham the second choice at 5-2. And so his furious rally to prove his doubters wrong began. He broke a step slow, a Secretariat trademark, and settled in behind his 12 challengers. His regular rider, Ron Turcotte, sat aboard, unworried. Turcotte let the colt find his legs and run his race.
He moved to the first pack, and then moved up to the second. His rival Sham sat near the lead and made his move to catch the leader, Shecky Greene, at the top of the homestretch. Then, and only then, did Turcotte ask his horse for more, and Secretariat, like the finest of racecars, found another gear.
Source: The New York Times
