More than 53 years on, Secretariat’s stunning 1973 Belmont Stakes victory — a 31-length win in world-record time of 2:24 — remains the most dominant performance in horse racing history, cementing his legacy as the greatest Triple Crown champion of all time.
Secretariat remains the stuff of legends more than a half century after winning the Triple Crown(Image: Bettmann, Getty Images)
Secretariat’s stunning victory at the Belmont Stakes remains one of the most remarkable achievements in American sports history.
Whenever horse racing captures the public’s attention, one name consistently stands out among casual fans and those who’ve simply heard of the sport: Secretariat. The legendary thoroughbred has become a genuine pop culture icon, widely regarded as one of the greatest racehorses to ever grace a track.
Yet one defining moment cemented just how dominant this extraordinary horse was at the height of his powers — a performance that stands as arguably the most one-sided victory in sports history. That moment arrived at the 1973 Belmont Stakes.
Listed as the 1-10 favorite, Secretariat, ridden by jockey Ron Turcotte, initially ran shoulder-to-shoulder with Sham, who had finished second at both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes. But it wasn’t long before Secretariat and Turcotte began pulling away from the field.
The champion blazed through three-quarters in 1:09 4/5, covered the mile in just over 1:34, and hit the quarter-pole at 1:59, sending the crowd into a frenzy as they realized they were witnessing history. Track announcer Chic Anderson could barely contain his excitement.
Secretariat is known as one of the greatest racehorses of all time(Image: Photo by Focus On Sport/Getty Images)
“Secretariat is alone. He is moving like a tremendous machine!” Anderson yelled. “He’s 25 lengths in front!”
When the dust finally settled, Secretariat had crossed the finish line 31 lengths ahead of Twice a Prince, shattering the world-record time for 1 1/2 miles with a breathtaking run of 2:24.
With that victory, Secretariat became the ninth Triple Crown winner in horse racing history and the first in 25 years at that time. Prior to Secretariat, Citation was the last to achieve the feat back in 1948.
Furthermore, Secretariat’s dominance becomes even more apparent when measured against other horses widely regarded as all-time greats. A.P. Indy and Easy Goer, who posted the two fastest Belmont Stakes winning times since Secretariat, would have still fallen short by 10 lengths.
According to secretariat.com, the previous record holder, Gallant Man, would have been beaten by 13 lengths. Since 2000, the average finishing time has been 2:28 3/5, a full 23 lengths slower than the Thoroughbred’s original record.
As the sport continues to evolve, Secretariat’s run remains the stuff of legend, with no horse since coming anywhere close to what was achieved more than 53 years ago. To further illustrate the magnitude of the moment, ESPN conducted a study revealing that 263 streets were named in his honor, averaging 5.3 per state.
Throughout his career, the horse won 16 of 21 races and was named Horse of the Year on two occasions.
Following his remarkable Belmont Stakes performance, the horse competed nine more times, claiming victory in six of those races, finishing second twice and third once. His extraordinary achievements earned him a ranking of 35th on ESPN’s 100 Greatest Athletes of the 20th Century.
The horse passed away in October 1989, and it was discovered that he possessed the largest heart ever recorded for a horse, which may have accounted for his dominance at Belmont and throughout his racing career.
Secretariat became the subject of a film bearing the same name, which documented his life story. The movie generated $60.3 million at the box office upon its release in 2010.
