The Greatest Horse in History

It was the last race of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes. The great horse Secretariat the winner of the first two races entered the field with questions of his stamina hanging over his noble head. His speed was never in doubt but could her run the mile and a half at Belmont; did he have the heart and stamina? This was the question lingering in the minds of many gathered at track side that day. Sham his closest rival had proven himself over the longer distance and some saw him as a favourite in the race.

The horses gathered still and the crowd was covered with anticipation and excitement. Conditions on the track were perfect and the weather was ideal. In a flash, the gates were opened and the race was on. Secretariat was off to a good start and stayed with the six horses as they galloped down the track. Secretariat and Sham suddenly pulled away from the pack on the inside of the track close to the rails and developed a lead of five lengths going neck to neck stride for stride lengthening the lead to ten lengths on the pack and still staying neck to neck over the three-quarter mile mark.

The pace was lightning. Would Secretariat keep up with Sham over the last three-quarter mile? Close to the rail, it appeared for a moment that Secretariat was falling back a stride or two on Sham. But in the blink of an eye Secretariat began to devour the track. He began to do the impossible. As if toying with Sham Secretariat began to accelerate. His lead was widening on Sham now. Ten lengths and expanding and a break-neck speed. Fifteen lengths with a half mile left on the track. Secretariat was running all out and developed a twenty length lead on Sham. With a quarter mile, his lead grew to twenty-five lengths as he streaked across the finish line to capture the Triple Crown in a record-setting performance of two minutes twenty-four seconds destroying the old mark by almost three seconds.

He would go down in history as the greatest horse of all time. His length of victory and time of race are records that have need been equalled and still stand today. He stands as the last Triple Crown winner and his legacy still endure. Secretariat's victory at Belmont is looked upon as one of the most spectacular sporting accomplishments of the twentieth century. Secretariats’ heart was never questioned again.