Secretariat was a PSU fan?
- Thread starter Mr. Potter
- Start date
Yes. Joe recruited Secretariat for linebacker, but Secretariat chose racing instead. True story.
(From Secretariat’s perspective, it’s just ”racing”.)
(From Secretariat’s perspective, it’s just ”racing”.)
“Secretariat is widening now! He is moving like a tremendous machine!” his incredulity transcending through time as he bellows, “Secretariat by 12, Secretariat by 14 lengths… an unbelievable, an amazing performance!”
At the time of Secretariat's death, the veterinarian who performed the necropsy, Dr. Thomas Swerczek, head pathologist at the University of Kentucky, did not weigh Secretariat's heart, but stated, "We just stood there in stunned silence. We couldn't believe it. The heart was perfect. There were no problems with it. It was just this huge engine." Later, Swerczek also performed a necropsy on Sham, who died in 1993. Swerczek did weigh Sham's heart, and it was 18 pounds (8.2 kg). Based on Sham's measurement, and having necropsied both horses, he estimated Secretariat's heart probably weighed 22 pounds (10.0 kg), or about 2.5 times that of the average horse (8.5 pounds (3.9 kg)).
Secretariat won the Belmont by more than 30 lengths. Case closed. Bolt on the other hand I need to think about.
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If you are ever in Louisville I recommend taking the tour of Churchill Downs. It includes some video of the greatest horses of all time and the museum also includes some interesting information. There was a good bit of information about Secretariat, including the estimated size of his heart and what that meant as far as being able to perform as a race horse. Lots of other cool stuff also was included in the tour. They have all the Kentucky Derby winners names in order on signs on a row around the back of the grand stands, with the triple crown winners standing out from the others. I'm not much of a horse racing fan and I really enjoyed it. Any one else take the Churchill Downs tour?
Our youngest son has been going to seminary for multiple degrees for over 5 years in Louisville and we visit him about 3 times per year. When you make it to Churchill Downs you might also enjoy taking the tour of the Louisville Slugger museum and factory. Lots of good restaurants in Louisville as well. Also some very nice public golf courses - Nevel Meade, Heritage Hill, Eagle Creek..... The walking bridge over the Ohio River is great as well, if it's not too hot, but their is always a breeze over the water......
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Colors of Meadow Stables, the owners of Secretariat when he raced.
My uncle went to the race. He bought me a little souvenir which I still have today. Not sure if you’re able to see my picture.
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I met Penny Chenery at Saratoga the year before she passed away. What a conversation. She thought the world of Secretariat, but she absolutely loved Riva Ridge who won the Kentucky Derby and Belmont in 1972. She told me that the day before the Preakness it had rained for 8 straight hours which is why Riva Ridge lost the race.
Everyone remembers the Belmont, and rightly so, as the best example of an unparalleled, dominating sports performance. However, just as remarkable was Secretariat's Kentucky Derby performance where he ran each successive quarter on the track faster than the previous one. Most 3 year olds are just beginning to mature by the spring of their 3rd year. Secretariat was already at that stage in his life a physical marvel who for a mile and a quarter kept accelerating through the end of the race. Then you can watch the move he makes in the Preakness where he circles the entire field of horses (from last to first) in less than two hundred yards. By the time he arrived at the Belmont, there was, and still is, no horse who could beat him on that day.
Agreed.
I believe I read an interview where Ronnie Turcotte said that he put the crop away on that last stretch of that Belmont and told Secretariat "easy fella" (or something to that affect). He said Secretariat just kept ramping it up. Ronnie looked back (as you can see in the black and white photo above), because he was wondering what had happened to the other horses! He said the horse just loved the spotlight.
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