On this day in 1973, Secretariat captivated the world by winning the Triple Crown in spectacular fashion.  I sat with my father and brother and watched the race.  We were not horse racing fans, but then most people watching this event were probably not, either.  This is the story:

With a spectacular victory at the Belmont Stakes, Secretariat becomes the first horse since Citation in 1948 to win America’s coveted Triple Crown: the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes. In one of the finest performances in racing history, Secretariat, ridden by Ron Turcotte, completed the 1.5-mile race in 2 minutes and 24 seconds, a dirt-track record for that distance.

Secretariat was born at Meadow Stables in Doswell, Virginia, on March 30, 1970. He was sired by Bold Ruler, the 1957 Preakness winner, and foaled by Somethingroyal, which came from a Thoroughbred line known for its stamina. An attractive chestnut colt, he grew to over 16 hands high and was at two years the size of a three-year-old.

Ever hear anyone talking about who sired a horse?  I don’t.  In this case, we learned that “Dad” was a former Preakness winner.  I recall hearing all of that on the pre-race show, not very different from Curt Gowdy doing the pre-game show for the World Series or Super Bowl.

I cannot think of another event like it.  Perhaps the U.S. beating the USSR in hockey in the 1980 Winter Olympics is a close second.  Or maybe some would say the 1969 Jets or Mets shocking a super-favorite Baltimore powerhouse in the Super Bowl and World Series.  After all, the Colts were 13-1, and the Orioles won 109.

Secretariat was just an amazing horse.  He was clearly the favorite to win the Belmont and Triple Crown, but no one expected a race like this.  I was very lucky to watch this race on TV.  Like some of you, I watch the video every year, because like Willie Mays’s famous catch, it does not get old.

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Image: Calstanhope via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.