Secretariat

       Quite possibly the most famous racehorse of all time-and definitely the fastest-was Secretariat. Born on March 30, 1970, at Meadow Stud in Doswell, VA, the chestnut colt would soon capture the attention of the entire nation. From breaking his maiden eleven days after his first start, he would soon go on a racing rampage, shattering track records left and right, and creating world records of his own. Secretariat was the son of Bold Ruler, the top sire of his generation, and Somethingroyal, whose bloodlines were top-notch. Unlike Seabiscuit, Secretariat looked like a real racehorse, he was huge, and his chest and hindquarters were incredibly muscular. He went through no underdog phase, rather he simply exploded into the racing world, taking it under his wings that flew him across the tracks.
       It had been 25 years since a Triple Crown had been won, and the nation was wondering if Secretariat was up for the grueling test. So far, he had shown speed, but stamina had not been tested. His biggest rival for the Triple Crown was Sham, whose stamina had already been proven. Penny Chenery-Secretariat's owner-decided Secretariat was up for the challenge, and he was entered in the Kentucky Derby. He lost a race to Sham just two weeks before the Derby, in a race 1/4 of a mile shorter, and some thought he had reached his limit. Later an abscess was found under his lip, which broke just before the Derby. Many wondered if it could have been the reason he had lost that day, others thought it was an excuse, and he would still lose the Derby to Sham. With the race right on the horizon, the nation could only wait and see.
       Sham was in the lead in the final turn of the Derby, leaving others in his dust, and many thought the race was over. But Secretariat caught him on the last stretch, flying past the other horses, and beating Sham by 2 1/2 lengths. He finished in 1:59 2/5, the fastest Derby yet, and the only one to crack 2 minutes.
       The Preakness had a similar ending. Once again, Secretariat went from last to first on the final turn, and beat Sham once more by 2 1/2 lengths. Now the big question was approaching: would Secretariat be able to stand the 1 1/2 mile Belmont Stakes? Secretariat had proven some stamina, but Sham had been finishing right along behind him, and the nation was hoping that Secretariat could once again pull off his amazing final speed and beat Sham in the Belmont and win the Triple Crown.
       On June 9, 1973, Secretariat and Sham took off and held the lead in the Belmont Stakes. Viewers were shocked to see Turcotte-Secretariat's jockey-pushing Secretariat to the front, something they never did. The two horses were neck and neck, pushing each other faster and faster. On the backstretch, still with a ways to go, Turcotte let Secretariat loose, and he made the biggest move ever seen in Triple Crown history. Secretariat was running on his own into the final turn, 25 lengths in front. The racing camera watching couldn't even keep the two horses in the same fram Secretariat was so far in front. He finished in 2:24, the fastest time ever recorded for a 1 1/2 mile dirt track, a world record some say may never be broken. What was even more astonishing was his 31-length win, leaving Sham and his other competitors far behind.
       In Secretariat's relatively short career of only 16 months, his total career earnings were $1,316,808. He sired many future champions, but none lived up to his famed speed and stamina. Even after he was finished racing, many Americans continue to adore this horse, and still to this day he has many adoring fans. "It's hard to believe after all these years," Penney Chenery said, "but hardly a day goes by that I don't get mail about Secretariat." Secretariat won back-to-back horse of the year awards, dominated headlines, and shattered track records. In the racing world, he is a horse that will never be forgotten.

Source:
http://espn.go.com/sportscentury/features/00016464.html