Secretariat Wins the Triple Crown (1973)
On June 9, 1973, Secretariat won the Belmont Stakes by 31 lengths in a world-record time of 2:24 flat, completing horse racing's coveted Triple Crown — and running what many consider the greatest race in the history of the sport.
Historical Context
The American Triple Crown consists of three prestigious horse races run within five weeks each spring: the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes. To win all three requires extraordinary speed and stamina, and by 1973, no horse had done it since Citation in 1948. Secretariat, a chestnut colt bred in Virginia and owned by Meadow Stables, had emerged as a phenomenon in his two-year-old season. Ridden by jockey Ron Turcotte and trained by Lucien Laurin, Secretariat entered the Triple Crown season as the overwhelming favorite.
Did You Know?
Secretariat's Belmont Stakes victory of 31 lengths in 2:24 flat still stands as the world record for the 1½-mile distance. A post-race examination found his heart weighed nearly 22 pounds — roughly three times the size of a normal horse's heart — which may explain his extraordinary cardiovascular capacity.
What Happened
Secretariat won the Kentucky Derby on May 5, 1973, in a record time of 1:59 2/5 — the only horse ever to run the Derby in under two minutes. He followed with a Preakness victory on May 19. At Belmont Park on June 9, he broke from the gate and ran faster with each quarter-mile — a feat virtually unheard of in thoroughbred racing. By the final stretch, he was so far ahead that announcer Chic Anderson called, “Secretariat is widening now. He is moving like a tremendous machine.” He won by 31 lengths in the world-record time of 2:24 flat.
Legacy
Secretariat's Triple Crown electrified a nation still healing from Vietnam and Watergate. He was named Sports Illustrated's Athlete of the Year and appeared simultaneously on the covers of Time, Newsweek, and Sports Illustrated — an honor usually reserved for heads of state. After retiring to stud at Claiborne Farm in Kentucky, Secretariat lived until 1989. His extraordinary performances remain the gold standard against which every subsequent racehorse has been measured.