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Secretariat Biography
Racehorse
Secretariat was the Muhammad Ali of racehorses, a brash and charismatic champ and the breakaway winner of the 1973 Triple Crown. In 21 career starts, the big chestnut stallion finished first 16 times and earned a total of $1,316,808. He set a track record of 1:59 2/5 in the 1973 Kentucky Derby, and won the third leg of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes, by an astonishing 31 lengths. After his three-year-old season he was retired to stud at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky. Secretariat died at the young age of 19; he was euthanized when a chronic foot disease called laminitis became too painful for him to bear.
Extra credit: Secretariat won the 1973 Belmont Stakes in 2:24 flat, a world record for 1.5 miles... His sire was Bold Ruler, his mother Somethingroyal... Secretariat was known as 'Big Red,' a nickname he shared with 1930s Australian legend Phar Lap.
Other athletic giants of the 20th century include Babe Ruth, Roger Bannister, Pelé and Babe Didrikson Zaharias... Other famous horses include Bucephalus and Traveller.
Blog posts mentioning Secretariat:
Four Good Links
Secretariat.com
Plenty of sales pitches but great detail on his past performances
ESPN SportsCentury
Nice long bio of Secretariat, with all the details
Pure Heart
William Nack's touching essays on Secretariat's life and death
Famous Race Horses
Big list of online links to Secretariat and other great steeds
Vital Stats
Birth
Birthplace
Meadow Stable, Doswell, Virginia
Death
4 October 1989
(euthanization, age 19)
Best Known As
Winner of the 1973 Triple Crown