Secretariat

(see also Secretary)

Secretariat was an American thoroughbred race horse (Sire: Bold Ruler -- Dam: Somethingroyal) born on March 30, 1970.

Ridden by Canadian jockey Ron Turcotte, he won the 1973 Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes, making him the first Triple Crown winner in a quarter of a century, long enough that many racing fans had thought it would never happen again.

Secretariat's race records in the Derby and the Belmont stand to this day; his run in the Belmont is not only a race record, but the world record for a mile and a half on a dirt track.

His winning margin of more than 31 lengths in the long and grueling Belmont Stakes is remembered as one of the most dramatic events in thoroughbred racing history and one of the most incredible individual athletic achievements ever, both human and non-human. He was nicknamed "Big Red" by his legion of fans, and in a survey of the 100 greatest athletes of the 20th century, he was listed 35th, the only non-human on the list.

He was retired to stud at the end of that racing season, after four more victories and two second-place finishes. His last two races were on grass, and he won them both.

Secretariat died on October 4, 1989.