We were talking at the office today about the state of thoroughbred racing and it got us talking about Secretariat.

Check out this video of his Belmont win: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cS4f6wiQJh4

He was a freak of nature. I love the disbelief in the announcer's voice as Secretariat starts to really open up his lead through the final turn: "He is moving like a tremendous machine." The crowd went biserk as Secretariat came down the stretch all alone. Women were in tears at the sight of him. That footage is on the short list of the all-time great sports videos. So often sports announcers try to create drama. They had no need for any of that with Secretariat.

He was truly a freak of nature. None of his offspring were as great as he was.

Tom W

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Quite true, he was proven more as a grandsire than a sire. His mare foals produced faster horses than the stud colts. But what a race horse! They broke the mold after he came along.

When he was put down at 19 they did an autopsy. His heart was about 50% larger than a normal horse, which most likely counted for his incredible endurance. He would be running faster at the end of a mile and a half than in the middle, which is much more typical.

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H.D.B.
OBK #45
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'75 W115 240D, wife's dd, 197K
........'75 W115 300D, my dd, 245K
.. .. ..........'82 W126 300SD, the 'someday' project

They only race one lap?

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You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows - Robert A. Zimmerman

That's a long track - a mile and a half.

Tom W

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.