Think any horse will break Secretariat's record today? No way.

[Faygo Kid]

The Greatest, for those of us old enough to remember the Triple Crown in 1973. Even where we were at the time.

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

1. My dad loved this shit, I wish I could bet today. In his honor.

[CountAllVotes]

2. I'll be watching

Big time horse racing fan here! And no, we won't be seeing the likes of Secretariat again IMO. Secretariat was indeed "God's Horse" IMO.

But ... you never know. That is why it is The Sport of Kings.

[malthaussen]

3. I doubt it

Breeding concerns are enough to make it improbable. The horses simply aren't tough enough to take the pounding, and won't be unless and until there is serious revision of breeding practices.

-- Mal

[CountAllVotes]

4. Sad truth

Very sad but yes, you speak the truth about horse racing today.

[malthaussen]

5. 73-78 was pretty exciting, though.:)

Secretariat, Slew, Affirmed and Alydar... although Big Red is unmatched, the 1978 duel between Affirmed and Alydar is for me the most exciting period in horse racing. Neither horse was as spectacular as Secretariat, but their competition was exhilerating.

-- Mal

[Kingofalldems]

6. Look how big he was.

He also beat some great horses there---Sham, Angle Light, Our Native and the all time great Forego.
Speed horse Shecky Green did his part and set a nice pace for Big Red.

[CountAllVotes]

12. They did an autopsy when he died

And Secretariat had a heart that was two and one-half the size that a normal horse has! No wonder why he was able to run like a powerful machine/locomotive as they once said, smoking breath streaming out of his nostrils and winning that race by 31 lengths I believe it was (the Belmont that is -- the third jewel of the Triple Crown).

What a fantastic horse he was and no, we'll never see the likes of such a horse again as it is likely not physically possible!

[tanyev]

7. Thanks for posting that.

There have been so many tragedies in recent years I can't stand to watch them anymore, but I was a horse-mad little girl when Secretariat won the Triple Crown and I saw them all. Was it the Belmont that he left the rest of the pack many lengths behind? Amazing.

[Faygo Kid]

8. Yep. Enjoy.

[catchnrelease]

10. Now I watch the replays

I'm like you and gave up watching the races live after so many horrible accidents. Just couldn't bear it anymore. Now with you tube etc, I figured out that after the race is over I can check to see if there were any problems and then if all went well I can find the race online and watch.

I still have mixed feelings about watching as I know how screwed up the thoroughbred breeding/racing business is. So detrimental to the horses. But also like you I was the horse crazy girl and they are so beautiful when they run, so I still love to watch once I know it's 'safe'. It might go back to when I was a kid, we lived just a few miles from Hollywood Park in CA and my grandfather loved to go to the track, so I did see them run in person many times. Of course I didn't know the cost to the horses at that time.

I wish that industry would change for the better but like so many things based on the almighty dollar I know it won't.

[Skittles]

9. "As God is my judge, she might be better than Secretariat."

Lucien Laurin (Secretariat's trainer), referring to the tragically doomed filly Ruffian

[catchnrelease]

11. So sad