Secretariat - A Glimpse of Perfection

I've spent some amount of time on this blog revealing the respect that I have for figures that seem to transcend their positions, especially those in sport. While some may find such admiration for people who seem to merely play a "game" as childish, I find it to be more of an example of we all look for in ourselves - an inspiration to achieve something beyond others' expectations. When I look at LeBron James and marvel at the manner in which God chose to bless one human with seemingly unmatched athleticism, skill, confidence, size, strength, and understanding of the game I feel secure in the existence of both fate and pure greatness. Is such a combination of desirable attributes merely a coincidence - a result of odds and random genetic disparity - or a part of something more significant that we can't possibly understand? When first thrust onto the sporting world in a Sports Illustrated article his junior year in high school the cover story simply read "The Chosen One." Amazingly, the hype has turned out to be true, but the question that must be posed is whether or not there could have ever existed a set of circumstances where we would all be devoid of such a talent, a world where fate is nothing more than a four letter word. On the other hand, if you are one to embrace fate as a part of our world, I can't help but assume that you may find the story of a horse as an inspiration to us all.

It's hard to believe that anything as seemingly trivial (and non-human) as a race horse could illicit any true emotion to a casual observer, but Secretariat managed to do just that. Secretariat was born at Meadow Farms Stables in Caroline County, Virginia on March 30, 1970. He was the son of Sire, Bold Ruler, and Dam, Somethingroyal out of Princequillo. A horse of average size and build, the only exceptional characteristic of Secretariat to the outside observer was the beauty of a rich red coat that so many noted upon first glance, earning him the affectionate nickname of "Big Red." Those closer to the horse, however, were keenly aware from the beginning that the horse was something special, a prodigy that could speak no words, but still conveyed the message nonetheless.

Those who dabble in horse racing have said that there is a distinct difference between many race horses - some simply take the jockey's cue and respond to his actions and others seem to grasp the concept that they're involved in a competition. There was no doubt to those involved with Secretariat that he was undoubtedly the latter. While this quality would seem to be advantageous, more often than not a horse misuses this information and expends its energy too soon, fading late into the race. Much like the great Oregon track star Steve Prefontaine was taught as the competition grew more difficult, "front running" will win few long distance races.

In addition to his awareness on the race track Secretariat is remembered by those who worked with him as nothing short of the most intelligent of all horses, possessing an eerie ability to interact with humans in a seemingly professional manner. One respected horse racing historian remembers meeting the horse and being amazed by the fact that he would routinely look to the sky and watch planes as they flew overhead, something he had never seen any horse do in all the years he had observed them. On race day he was all business, and some would even argue that he wished to give a show to all his loyal fans.

While an exceptional horse indeed, Secretariat was not without loss. As was the downfall of even the greatest horses, he had days where a poor decision by a jockey or his own racing inexperience caused him defeat during his career as a 2-year old competitor. Despite these short comings he was still named the National Horse of the Year. Those within his team still knew that he was capable of even more, and during his 3-year old campaign he undertook a great journey that had not been completed for 25 years: the pursuit of the triple crown.

The triple crown starts off with the most famous of all horse races - the Kentucky Derby, and is followed by the Preakness and concludes with the Belmont Stakes. While not dominant, Secretariat won the first two races as expected and entered the Belmont with an historistic agenda on his mind. The horse that was before merely respected had gathered an almost cult-like following, with college co-eds especially mounting their presense at the great race. For whatever reason, this horse had caught the attention of the nation where so many other triple crown threats had failed, and maybe even he realized it.

The morning of the race Big Red could not be contained. He reared and bucked wildly, chomping at the bit in anticipation of an event that nobody at the time could have ever predicted. As the race began, Secretariat and his top competitor in the race, Sham, jumped out ahead of the other competition for a brief back and forth duel. As time went on however, race announcers across the country began to panic, as their beloved Secretariat seemed to make an almost suicidal move.

As stated before, no jockey directs his horse to go full throttle until the final push of the race, otherwise the horse will lose steam and be overtaken later. Much to the chagrin of Secretariat's jockey, Ron Turcotte, his famous steed had chosen the biggest race of his career to ignore his direction and he simply took off. Turcotte later admitted that he was certain that defeat was finally on its way, so he simply buckled down and let the horse do whatever it wanted. Replays of the race confirm that many viewers had given up at this point, but one creature still had not.

As Secretariat charged around the track something mysterious began to happen - he didn't let up. Contradictory to common logic he seemed to pick up speed like a chugging locomotive. At the half-way point he had set a new track track record. Still onlookers were doubtful, but Big Red would not stop. Soon his lead on the other horses proved to be preposterous. As he rounded corners the other horses fell completely out of view. His lead just kept growing. Soon he rounded the final bend and the words of track announcer Chick Anderson sum it up best,

"Secretariat is alone. He is moving like a tremendous machine! He's going to be the Triple Crown winner! Unbelievable! An amazing performance!"

At this point a famous photograph was taken. Finally aware that his horse had beaten all the odds and ran at full strength the entire race, Turcotte famously torqued his entire body to look back at what had become of the rest of race. What he saw must have shocked him. As Secretariat crossed the finish line, 31 lengths separated him from the nearest competitor. Once Big Red had crossed, the camera fixated on the finish line became lonely for 2 full seconds as nothing but dirt occupied the screen. With no horse in sight to push him, Secretariat had broken the world record at that distance, a record that still stands today. Awe overcame the crowd. Secretariat had just dropped 100 points, run the 200 meters in 19.32 seconds, won 7 swimming medals in one Olympics. His feat was equivalent to 26 consecutive 4-minute miles in a marathon. No horse could compare.

Secretariat went on to win more races, but none was more memorable than his record win at Belmont, and none was more difficult to grasp. After a successful career as a broodmare sire the famous horse came down with a disease of the hooves, laminitis, and was put down at age 19 to the dismay of the horse racing world. As sad as his death was, Big Red managed to amaze once more in death, as his nick name proved to be especially fitting. A necropsy was performed and the results were shocking to say the least. The famous Notre Dame football walk-on Rudy was often cited for his great heart, or rather effort put into his sport, but even he couldn't compare to Secretariat, as the results showed that in addition to his unique mannerisms Big Red was endowed with a heart more than twice the size of an average horse. A genetic freak, Secretariat is believed to have the largest heart ever discovered in any horse.

Did this fact detract from any of his accomplishments? I would have to say no, it only confirmed his place in horse racing history as "The Chosen One." Under some other circumstances this amazing horse may have spent his life at pasture, but God saw fit to bless him in so many ways, to give people a hope in the form of an animal that many great people could have never hoped to convey. Question his importance you may, but I believe that Secretariat served a purpose beyond filling a gambler's wallet or winning a trainer some money.

That fateful day at the Belmont Stakes a camera panned the crowd following the improbable victory and it discovered many people of all ages breaking down and crying. How could a horse they likely had never seen before cause such a rush of emotion? It's my opinion that these people showed up that day hoping to experience greatness, but instead they were given a glimpse of perfection.