[basalt]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfQLLTLtEZI

[ifinnegan]

2 year old?

[the OlLine Rebel]

Thanks for posting.

I have been ignoring racing as much as other sports as they ALL went BLM on us.

So, only had heard vaguely of Flightline. Looked a bit into it.

He is very good but very lightly raced. Let us at least see how he does today.

Can he break GHOSTZAPPER’s record?

I do not see quite the versatility of GZ here yet so I’m not jumping on the bandwagon yet.

As for “best in the world” - remember most of the best in the world run on grass. The BCC has been a bit overrated just from that standpoint.

[Clutch Martin]

It’s unfortunate that Secretariat passed so early in her life, it’s also unfortunate that the veterinary who was doing the autopsy did not accurately weigh her heart which was estimated at 25 or 26 lbs, by the attending vet.

From what I’ve read that explains how she could pull out in the middle of a race and just start stroking to the finish whilst the other horses in contention were laboring mightily yet falling further behind.

I watched all three races.

[thinden]

I don’t think the horse racing purist would put Flightline on the same pedestal with Secretariat after only 5 wins (3 G1 & 2 allowance)

Flightline has won 3 G1 running away from the field, but there are horses in this same race with more G1 wins than Flightline.

10 or 20 length wins at the Met Mile or Delmar don’t really compare to a 31 length track record victory Secretariat put on the field at 1 1/2 mile Belmont Stakes, imo

Flightline didn’t hook up with any of the top horses in the triple crown series, and imo there is a world of difference between the field in the Classics vs other Grade 1 stakes.

Obviously he’s a fine horse, and we’ll see how good today when he’s hooked up against Epicenter, Life is Good & even Ky Derby winner, Rich Strike.

[the OlLine Rebel]

What race is up now?

I can’t figure it from TVG or the BC site, and DRF isn’t working for me.

[Billie Bud]

I still say Man O’ War was the bomb. Secretariat was amazing, but Man o’ War wore VERY a heavy shoes vs. Secretariat light weight and Man O War had a thirty pound additional weight added to him when raced.

I personally believe had they been raced with even weights and modern showing, Man o’ War would have blown by Secretariat.

[Bookshelf]

He has Seattle Slew in his pedigree. Must be good!

[38special]

So far today the favorites aren’t getting it done

[OneVike]

There will never be another Secretariat. The secret of his power was his heart. After he died they did an autopsy, and found out his heart was almost twice as big as a regular horses heart.

It give new meaning to the phrase, “He has a big heart”.

Once he got ruling, he could have gone at a gig speed for ever.

This horse may be good, but there will never be another Secretariat.

[OneVike]

Secretariat’s Heart Size: Inside the Tremendous Machine

Secretariat’s heart size still remains a wonder of the racing world, and the power of it prompted Audi to use it in a commercial. “The all-new, 354 hp Audi S5 Sportback is here,” the commercial says. “Progress is powered from within.”

“We were all shocked,” Swerczek said. “I've seen and done thousands of autopsies on horses, and nothing I'd ever seen compared to it. The heart of the average horse weighs about nine pounds. This was almost twice the average size, and a third larger than any equine heart I'd ever seen. And it wasn't pathologically enlarged. All the chambers and the valves were normal. It was just larger. I think it told us why he was able to do what he did.”

In Pure Heart, originally published in the June 4, 1990 issue of Sports Illustrated, Bill Nack reports the words of Dr. Thomas Swerczek, who performed the necropsy that discovered just how big Secretariat’s heart was.

In February 1994, she wrote a piece for Thoroughbred Times entitled The X Factor, which suggested that the large heart traces to a single mare, Pocahontas, born in England in 1837, heralding back to the great sire Eclipse. The article went into detail on the theory, examining all available research to that time, and why it was so important to the breeding world. It was a very good article.”

Haun’s first book, The X Factor, What it is & how to find it: The Relationship Between Inherited Heart Size and Racing Performance, was published in 1997. This was followed up by Understanding the Power of the X Factor in 2001, and Solving the Mystery of Secretariat’s Heart in 2013. Haun passed away February 12, 2016, but her first, second, and third books can still be purchased.

The third book is aimed to help breeders reproduce a heart similar to Secretariat’s by breeding bloodlines that follow the X Factor pattern. While Secretariat was able to produce a Thriving Legacy, including 1986 Horse of the Year Lady’s Secret, he never replicated himself.

The enlarged heart wasn’t the only thing that allowed Secretariat to smash record after record during his 1973 Triple Crown campaign. He was also known for his astonishing confirmation, which Wikipedia summarizes:

“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.”

Looking at the beginning of Secretariat’s career race history, it was clear he was a talented colt who deserved to be highly regarded on the Triple Crown trail. The three classic races would only grow his fame, as he still holds the fastest times for the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes. His Derby time was 1:59.40, and the only other winner to make it under two minutes was Monarchos in 2001, with a time of 1:59.97.

[GingisK]

Why is peanut butter sticky, and other important questions.