Posted on 06/09/2018 11:24:10 AM PDT by NKP_Vet
Secretariat’s historic 1973 Belmont Stakes victory.
“He’s moving like a tremendous machine.”
Tonite, one of the networks should have scheduled a re-showing of that really good movie. Every time I’ve seen it, I end up cheering as that magnificent horse runs from the pack, the jocky looking like he is astride a HARLEY.
Maybe one did and I’ll surely have to check early to see what is on. So seldom is that anything worth the time.
Makes me cry every single time. I even cried at the movie version.
31 length victory, beating the record time by over 2 seconds. What a horse. What a champion!
Have you seen War Horse? Big time tear jerker.
Ahh, the movie was excellent! It really captured the personality of the horse.
45 years ago - I was 15 and the world was still fresh and new. Secretariat stormed the stage with brute strength and grace. An awesome time.
I saw Secretariat win the KD in person! Then I went back and saw him up close. He was huge - tall. Never forget that experience.
They said as he was being lead on the track he would stop and stare at the crowd an nod at them.
WOW, can I touch you? That is cool.
Thanks for posting! I was 12. I remember that race. No doubt in my mind the greatest horse ever. Horses like Secretariat only come along once in a lifetime. What a joy it was to watch that race again!
Just like 45...
I read that Justify does the same thing with the photogs and the crowds. The article also said that other horses know he’s the boss. Seabiscuit used to have a tactic when he ran of putting his ears back and intimidating the other horses. He never did the triple crown, but his story is amazing, too.
Im jealous....we will never see a horse like him again
I was 14 back then... and an equestrian to boot... man what a truly magnificent creature he was.
Go Big Red!
like a tremendous machine.
At his autopsy they found he had an enlarged heart by twice the size of normal not good for people but okay for horses. One of the most beautiful animals and athletes ever.
My family and I watched it on television (at that time, at the ripe age of 16, I was a budding artist, and I’d done an oil painting of the famous magazine cover). I still remember my whole family, including the non-horse lovers, losing our minds, screaming ‘til we were hoarse, jumping up and down, when he took that lead. I will never, ever forget it.
Sham’s heart was large, too. Another great horse. Did you notice how hard Sham was working his legs at the Belmont, though? Secretariat almost looked like he was strolling.
I read a few days ago that most race horses these days have Secretariat in their blood lines. I believe that Justify does, and American Pharoah (can never spell that word correctly, apologies!) was a great-great grandson. Seems his fillies do better than his colts, though.
Appearance and conformation
Equine anatomy
Secretariat grew into a massive, powerful horse said to resemble his sire’s maternal grandsire, Discovery. He stood 16.2 hands (66 inches, 168 cm) when fully grown. He was noted for being exceptionally well-balanced, a big, powerful horse described as having “nearly perfect” conformation and stride biomechanics. His chest 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 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 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:...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secretariat_(horse)#Appearance_and_conformation
It was estimated that his heart weighed 22 pounds.
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