Before you rate Secretariat as the “Second Coming,” remember that he was still be driven by his jockey, all the way thru the finish line although the race had been over at the far turn.Are you certain?
Belmont Stakes
Secretariat had made the covers of Newsweek, Time, and Sports Illustrated — all in the same week. Recognizing the colt’s greatness, he had electrified a world in anticipation of witnessing his next feat as he raced for the Triple Crown.
The morning of the Belmont, Secretariat was enthusiastic, rearing and bucking in the walking ring, rolling his eyes and ready to run. Only four horses were entered in the race to challenge him.
Secretariat and Sham both went after the lead at the start of the race and engaged in a six-furlong duel, clocked in 1:09-4/5, the fastest such time in Belmont history. The speed duel finished Sham, who came in last, was injured, and never raced gain.
With nothing left to challenge him but the longest dirt track in America, Secretariat ran like lightning, going the mile in 1:34 1/5 and the mile and a quarter in 1:59 flat, faster than his Derby time. And all this without urging from his jockey, Ron Turcotte, who said if he had used the whip, Secretariat would have kept running until next Friday. Secretariat won the race by setting an all-time record: he was 31 lengths in front of the challengers. For running the 1-1/2 miles in 2:24, he beat the track record by 2-3/5 seconds.
Heroically, Secretariat had won the Triple Crown, and raced into history one of the greatest champions of all time.
