Secretariat (horse)

Secretariat
Secretariat as an older stallion
Sire	Bold Ruler
Grandsire	Nasrullah
Dam	Somethingroyal
Damsire	Princequillo
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	March 30, 1970 Caroline County, Virginia, U.S.
Died	October 4, 1989(1989-10-04) (aged 19) Paris, Kentucky, U.S.
Country	United States
Color	Chestnut
Breeder	Meadow Stud (Christopher Chenery)
Owner	Meadow Stable (Christopher Chenery, Penny Chenery)
Racing colors	Blue, white blocks, white stripes on sleeves, blue cap
Trainer	Lucien Laurin
Record	21: 16–3–1
Earnings	$1,316,808[1]
Major wins
Triple Crown race wins: Kentucky Derby (1973) Preakness Stakes (1973) Belmont Stakes (1973) Stakes wins: Sanford Stakes (1972) Hopeful Stakes (1972) Futurity Stakes (1972) Laurel Futurity (1972) Garden State Futurity (1972) Bay Shore Stakes (1973) Gotham Stakes (1973) Arlington Invitational (1973) Marlboro Cup (1973) Man o' War Stakes (1973) Canadian International (1973)
Awards
9th U.S. Triple Crown Champion (1973) American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt (1972) American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse (1973) American Champion Male Turf Horse (1973) American Horse of the Year (1972, 1973) Leading broodmare sire in North America (1992)
Honors
U.S. Racing Hall of Fame (1974) Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame (2007) Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame (2013) U.S. Postage Stamp (1999) #2 – Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century[2]

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 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 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 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 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 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 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 and Chief's Crown, and through them Secretariat appears in the pedigree of many modern champions. Secretariat died in 1989 as a result of laminitis at age 19.