The Legend of Secretariat - A Movie Review

America loves a winner, and Secretariat was about as big a winner as you could get. 37 years later the big red colt is further immortalized as the star, and namesake of a major motion picture. It was a movie that I enjoyed, and more importantly the non-racing crowd enjoyed. Disney’s big screen depiction of the great horse is based on historical facts mixed liberally with Hollywood script. Because it is not meant to be a documentary, I arrived at the theatre determined to detach myself from everything I knew about him. This proved to be impossible, as there were very few stretches in the film where I was not critiquing the realness of the action. But, at the same time, I was still able to fall smoothly into the intended flow of the movie, and it was fun. Disney’s version of Secretariat is more of a traditional, formulaic, feel-good movie, than a bastion of historical accuracy. Fine. I am OK with that, especially when I realize that of the millions of people that will pay to see this movie, less than one percent will be hardcore race fans. Their version left the entire crowd cheering as Secretariat drew away from Sham in his masterpiece that was the Belmont Stakes. ***The remainder of today's column can be found on Youbet.com*** Click Here

Remembering … Secretariat

The legend began on July 4, 1972. It was in the 2nd race at Aqueduct, a maiden special weight at 5 ½ furlongs for the youngsters. The best horse would not win the race, but on that Independence Day 38 years ago, a beautiful reddish chestnut colt announced himself to the world. He would run fourth, beaten 1 ¼ lengths after breaking slowly, being blocked a few times, and finishing full of run on the inside. It would prove to be the only time any horse would finish in front of Secretariat in his first eleven races. Barely older than the great horse myself, Secretariat represents my very first memories of thoroughbred racing. My strong feelings for him are honestly an amalgamation of a little boy’s hero worship, and of the way my father saw and talked about him. The two-year-old Virginia bred colt would not take long to show everyone how special he was. Secretariat broke his maiden easily in his next start, eleven days later, winning another special weight at Aqueduct by six lengths. After winning his third start impressively at 2-5, Secretariat would make his stakes debut in Saratoga’s Sanford Stakes, where he faced off with the highly regarded Linda’s Chief. It would be my first opportunity to see Big Red in person. Secretariat would not disappoint. Linda’s Chief ran a big race that day, but still was little competition for the budding star. Years later, I would study the pristine program, with my Dad’s perfectly round circle around his number, and reminisce that it was my first encounter with true equine greatness. In a Preakness precursor, the Hopeful Stakes would take Secretariat’s fantastic Sanford performance to a whole new thrilling level. On that August afternoon at the Spa, Big Red walked out of the gate and fell far behind the rest of the nine horse field. Four furlongs from the wire it looked like it would not be his day. A quarter of a mile later, Secretariat was on the lead and at that moment, everyone knew. The move from last to first was pure electricity, and as completed the formality of cantering down the Saratoga stretch, Secretariat was already a superstar within the racing world. The rest of the world would join in due time. Left in his wake in the Hopeful was a colt named Stop the Music, who became good enough that Fall to become a juvenile champion, if only he had been born a different year. Stop the Music would run a marvelous race in both colts next start, getting within a 1 ¾ lengths of Secretariat at the finish of the Futurity. But in what had become the norm, Secretariat was only toying with his foe. The Champagne Stakes would be next at Belmont, and my father likes to tell his story of the best laid plans, where him and his racing pals had seen enough in the Futurity to think Stop the Music actually had a shot against Secretariat at much higher odds. Apparently he was not alone, as only minutes before post time, the two colts were practically the same odds. Dad changed his mind and put his money on the better horse. Rightfully so, as the powerful chestnut roared off the final turn to prove much the best in the prestigious stakes race. In an ironic turn for my father, Secretariat was disqualified and placed second for impeding second place finisher Stop the Music early in the stretch. If there were thoughts of an emerging rivalry between the two colts, Secretariat dispatched them rather rudely with an eight length runaway in the sloppy Laurel Futurity. Secretariat would finish off his first season by hitting my home state for an easy score in the rich Garden State Futurity. The official record may say that the son of Bold Ruler, out of the Princequillo mare Somethingroyal, ran 9 times, with seven wins as a two year-old, but those who saw him knew he was something very special. The troubled trip debut loss, and the questionable DQ in the Champagne could not detract from his sheer brilliance. The Meadow Stable homebred of Penny Tweedy Chenery would be rewarded when the Eclipse Awards were handed out, by not only winning Champion Juvenile award, but also becoming one of the few horses in history to win the Horse of the Year title at just two years old. For trainer Lucien Laurin, and regular rider Ron Turcotte, it was validation of what they believed since early on … this horse was destined for greatness. For a thoroughbred race horse, the three-year-old season is the glamour year. The world tunes in for the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes that make up America’s Triple Crown. It is racing’s Holy Grail. A horse can become immortalized if he is outstanding enough to somehow sweep all three races. The problem was, it had not been accomplished since Citation dominated back in 1948. The early part of the sophomore season boils down to only a series of preps designed to have your horse peak for the First Saturday in May. For Secretariat, the pressure was on after his superlative juvenile season and news that he had been syndicated for stallion duty for an unheard sum of $6 million. Secretariat’s first race at three was the Bay Shore Stakes at Aqueduct, and he was quick to show the form that had made him a star in 1972. He powered past the field in the stretch to win by nearly five lengths. His next start was the Gotham Stakes in which he was tested a bit by Champagne Charlie, before pulling clear to win by three, and setting a track record of 1:33 2/5 for the mile. The Wood Memorial was now the only race that stood between Secretariat and a glorious run for the roses. In the Wood he would be introduced to a new challenger. Sham had developed late in his juvenile season for trainer Pancho Martin and had been very impressive early that Spring in California. Secretariat, unbeknownst to most, was suffering from an abscess below his lip. The Wood proved to be completely un-Secretariat like, as the big horse struggled home in third, while his speedy entry mate narrowly held off the rally of Sham. Heading to the Derby there were many worries for the Secretariat camp. He had been beaten in the Wood, while his sire, Bold Ruler, was a great one, but questions of his ability to father a horse who could run a distance persisted, and groom Eddie Sweat was fretting daily over the condition of his star’s mouth. These worries would seem silly a few weeks later. I now choose to let the video replays of Secretariat’s amazing run through racing’s most important series of races speak for themselves, for my mere words can not do him justice. Suffice it to say, In becoming our first Triple Crown winner in 25 years, he ran the greatest Kentucky Derby ever, ran even better in an electrifying last to first jaw-dropper in the Preakness, and then in the Belmont, Secretariat ran a race that will forever be held as the gold standard for which all great thoroughbreds will be judged. I was lucky enough to be in the stands that fateful day at Belmont Park, and when Secretariat sprinted down the Belmont stretch, I still remember the awesome energy and feeling of the stands rocking beneath my small feet. After what I consider far and away the finest performance by a race horse in my lifetime, Secretariat did have a few setbacks, when he finished a dull second to Onion in the Whitney, and was second best to a great effort by Prove Out in the sloppy Woodward Stakes. For the most part, however, Secretariat was sensational. He took the road show to Chicago for the Arlington Invitational and won for fun. After the shocking loss in the Whitney, he ran won of his best races in winning the Marlboro Cup. It was my final opportunity to see Secretariat in person, and it was awesome. The field included Secretariat’s wonderful older stablemate, Riva Ridge, who had won the previous year’s Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, and had been begun the revival of Penny Tweedy Chenery’s struggling Meadow Stable. Riva Ridge proved much the best of the all-star field save one, as he offered little resistance against the speed and power that was Secretariat. In winning the Marlboro, Big Red smashed another world record, running the 1 1/8 miles race in 1:45 2/5. When trainer Lucien Laurin decided to try the big horse on grass a little later that Fall, race fans were once again treated to something extraordinary. Secretariat defeated a top class field of turf horses in the Man O’ War Stakes by five lengths, in track record time of 2:24 4/5 for the 12 furlongs. Secretariat’s last race came against older horses in the grassy Canadian International Stakes at Woodbine in Toronto, Canada. It was his second career turf start and the first time he was asked to go the demanding distance of 1 5/8 miles. It proved to be vintage Secretariat, as Big Red rolled home by 6 ½ lengths. The ease of the victory made it seem as if he could have won that day by twenty. It was a fitting way for the champ to end his career. To the surprise on no one, Secretariat was once again named Horse of the Year, as well as collecting Eclipse Awards as the Champion Three-Year-Old Male and the Champion Male Turf Horse. Because of the syndication deal, there would be no older racing career for Big Red. After retirement, Secretariat was sent to Seth Hancock’s Claiborne Farm where he worked towards rewarding those eager backers who made him the richest syndicated horse ever, after the completion of his juvenile season. As a sire, Secretariat could not possibly live up to his superhero like racing feats, and he did not. He did, however, become a very good sire who had many top horses both here and abroad, and two of his most fabulous offspring, Lady’s Secret and Risen Star, were the ones who most closely displayed flashes of their father’s greatness. Unfortunately the great horse’s life was cut short by the debilitating disease laminitis. Secretariat was put down, to the dismay of a nation, at the age of 19 on October 4, 1989. Adding insight to what made Secretariat tick, was an autopsy that revealed that his heart weighed close to 22 pounds, more than double the size of a normal thoroughbred. With his place in history safe, the only debate is whether he was the greatest that ever lived. In reliving the Belmont Stakes, it is hard to argue against him. My remembrance of the great horse was decidedly geared towards his racing career. For more information on the colorful people that cared for Secretariat, and the coin toss which ultimately decided his ownership, I urge you to run, not walk, to your local movie theatre to see Disney’s Secretariat. As of today, Big Red is a motion picture star. I know I will be one of the first on line. I remember you Secretariat.

Remembering ... Real Quiet

With every heart pounding stride it was becoming painfully evident that the quest for racing’s holy grail was in jeopardy. Only seconds before, Mike Pegram’s Real Quiet had seemed home free, as he and Rider Kent Desormeaux had stormed to a commanding lead early in the stretch. He was on the verge of becoming the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed had outfought his great rival Alydar to the Belmont Stakes wire twenty years earlier. While Affirmed had to best the great Alydar in three straight classic races, Real Quiet’s foil was Victory Gallop. The late developing son of Cryptoclearance had finished second to Real Quiet in both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, and was back to challenge for a third time. The two proud colts were now in the midst of thrilling the second largest crowd to see the race in the rich history of the Belmont Stakes. The thrilling duel, down the Belmont stretch, brought the crowd first to a fever pitch, and then to an eerie silence on a gorgeous June afternoon in New York. Immortality would slip away from Real Quiet on that day, as Victory Gallop methodically reeled him in during the final few strides of the Belmont Stakes. In the end, Real Quiet had been beaten a scant nose, and in that tiny margin, the hopes of millions of race fans, desperately seeking a new hero, were dashed. Adding to the drama of the closest Belmont since the Affirmed/Alydar epic, was the announcement after the race that stewards might have disqualified him if he had won the race, due to bumping Victory Gallop twice nearing the finish. It marked the second year in a row that Real Quiet’s trainer Bob Baffert was denied after coming agonizingly close to completing a Triple Crown. He had been turned away the year before when Silver Charm was passed by Touch Gold late in the race. This near miss was closer though, much closer. I could not help but feel for Real Quiet and his connections. I was not alone in my disappointment. Real Quiet was bred by Little Hill Farm in Kentucky, and born on March 7, 1995. The bay colt was by sired Quiet American, out of the Believe It mare, Really Blue. His narrow frame and crooked knees did not attract much attention from prospective buyers, and so the young colt was snatched up at auction by trainer Bob Baffert, to be owned by his friend Mike Pegram, for a mere $17,000 as a yearling. The bargain purchase would set the stage for Real Quiet joining Seattle Slew as a quintessential rags to riches racing story. The first time I saw Real Quiet in person was a very memorable day for me. It happened to be my first ever visit to Santa Anita Park, and I had decided my money would be on the bargain basement colt. The loser of his first six races, including two at the Downs of Santa Fe in New Mexico, Real Quiet had blossomed when stretched out in the Fall of his juvenile year. He broke his maiden impressively at Santa Anita and culminated his two-year-old season by winning the Hollywood Futurity. My first experience at Santa Anita and seeing Real Quiet came in the 1998 Santa Anita Derby. I bet on The Fish, so nicknamed by Baffert because of his skinny appearance from head on, as he faced off against California’s other top sophomores in Artax, and Baffert’s new star, Indian Charlie. My selection ran a solid race that day as he made a strong rally and split horses early in the stretch to finish second to his favored stablemate. Indian Charlie was too good for him that time, and at that distance, but Real Quiet had the look of a colt who would thrive at the longer distances to come. Things would soon be different. The 1998 Kentucky Derby seemed like it was ripe for the taking. Ligthly raced Indian Charlie was the favorite despite questions about his ability to get the Derby distance. Real Quiet and Victory Gallop were two of many of the horses thought to have a real chance to pull the upset. Pull the upset he did. Sent off at 8-1, Real Quiet stormed to the lead on the far turn and had enough to hold off the strong late rally of Victory Gallop, with Indian Charlie checking in third. It was no surprise to winning trainer, Bob Baffert, who knew the colt was peaking at the right time. Two weeks later further demonstrated how good Real Quiet was becoming, as he clinched the first two legs of the Triple Crown with an easy 2 ¼ length score in the Preakness Stakes. Victory Gallop again rallied for second, but this time he could not come close to The Fish. The Belmont, three weeks later, may have been opportunity lost, but it completed an awesome stretch of racing in a five-week period for Real Quiet. Despite being sidelined after his sensational Triple Crown chase, his accomplishments in the first half of 1998 earned him the Eclipse Award as Champion three-year-old male. Real Quiet would further demonstrate his class when returning the following Spring as an older horse. After a couple of narrow defeats, off the layoff, in graded stakes in the South, Real Quiet would be reacquainted with a classic distance in the historic Pimlico Special. I must admit I did not bet The Fish that day, because he was up against one of my all-time favorites in Free House. Real Quiet would prove that last year’s Triple Crown was no fluke by earning a hard fought neck victory over his accomplished foe. Interestingly, Gary Stevens was the winning rider that day, yes the same Gary Stevens who had ridden Victory Gallop on that fateful day at Belmont Park. By winning the Grade 1 Pimlico Special, he became only one of five horses ever to win both the Preakness and the Pimlico Special, joining four Triple Crown winners, Assualt, Citation, War Admiral, and Whirlaway to win both races. After the big win at Pimlico, Real Quiet was upset by the hard hitting Behrens in the Mass Cap, before heading back to Southern California for a date in the Hollywood God Cup. Proving once again that he was a terror at classic distances, The Fish won the ten furlong Gold Cup by a half length. It marked his fifth race at a 1 3/16 or farther, with only the nose loss in the Belmont blemishing his perfect record. The Gold Cup would send Real Quiet out as a winner, as shortly after the Gold Cup in June, Real Quiet suffered a fractured bone in his right front leg and never raced again. All told he won 6 of his 20 starts, finishing in the money 17 times, and earned $3,271,802. Real Quiet was a horse who was not afraid to rise to the occasion, as five of those six wins came in grade 1 races. After retirement, the bay stallion entered stud at Vinery in 2000 and later moved to Taylor Made Farm before being relocated to Pennsylvania. As a sire, he produced Midnight Lute and two other Grade 1 winners, Pussycat Doll, and Wonder Lady Anne L. Midnight Lute would of course win back to back Breeder’s Cup Sprints and was named the Champion Sprinter of 2007. It is with great sadness that I report that Real Quiet’s stallion career has come to a tragic end. The fifteen-year-old stallion passed away suddenly after a freak accident in his paddock yesterday afternoon at Penn Ridge Farms, near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Frankly, it was not my plan to write about the 1998 champion, Real Quiet today, but when I had heard that he had died, my duty was clear. It is always tough to lose a popular horse, and in Real Quiet, racing lost a real champion yesterday. No horse has ever come so close without winning the Triple Crown. He will always be remembered for his heartbreaking loss, but as he proved on many occasions since that afternoon at Belmont Park, The Fish was far more than the horse who narrowly missed out on becoming the 12th ever winner of America‘s Triple Crown. I remember you Real Quiet.

The Office, Triple Crowns, and Erin

The hilarious crew at the Dunder Mifflin paper supply company in Scranton, Pennsylvania were at it again. I am of course speaking of the television show, The Office. The Emmy winning, mega-hit has been my favorite situation comedy for years. Last night they took it to a whole new level and gained an even greater appreciation from yours truly and horse fans everywhere. During one of the most important episodes of the season, “The Delivery,” one of the characters, Erin Hannon, displayed an impressive talent. She recited each winner of racing’s Triple Crown. I must admit it took me off guard…I was floored. I did a quick rewind and watched and listened intently for accuracy. Who says Thoroughbred horse racing has not gone mainstream? Is today's piece on ZATT a little silly?  Proudly, I say yes.  But for someone who follows horse racing with my level of dedication, and who is also a fan of The Office, the scene made me very happy.  On a somewhat more serious note...racing in popular culture may be poised for a resurgance.  The Office will not be the only mainstream outlet to shine a loving light on our great sport.  Two major motion pictures featuring Secretariat and Julie Krone will be out in the near future, and HBO has signed on for a David Milch drama series called "Luck" starring Dustin Hoffman, set to debut in early 2011. But enough of the serious talk, let's get back to the hijinx at Dunder Mifflin... Let me set the scene; when boss Michael Scott called an office meeting to take Pam’s mind off her pregnancy labor pains, he asked for anything interesting, any hobbies, or special skills from the staff to entertain Pam. The skill of Phyllis, to put lipstick on in the same way Molly Ringwald did in the Breakfast Club, was quickly rejected. Andy started off the show with the evolution of dance, dance, done in complete silence.  Ryan was next with a dramatic reading, presumably straight from his journal, and finally it was Erin’s turn. Starting with the most recent, she quickly ran down the list, Affirmed, Seattle Slew and so on. Erin blazed her way through the first ten horses, before forgetting the final horse, the very first horse to win the Triple Crown. Thinking on her feet, she hilariously mentioned the jockey Johnny Loftus and the sire Star Shoot, but the scene was cut away from before she could remember the final name. Of course the answer was Sir Barton…I am sure Erin knew that. Actress Ellie Kemper portrays the likeable receptionist, Erin Hannon, on the show. I do not know if she had anything to do with the Triple Crown skit, or if it was strictly the brainchild of one of the show’s writers. Either way, it was a very welcome addition to a wonderful show. To last night’s episode of The Office, I give a resounding two thumbs up. I invite you to watch the episode here:  http://www.nbc.com/The_Office/video/episodes/#vid=1206655  The scene begins at approximately seven minutes in, with Erin's speech at approximately 8:25 of the video.  Enjoy!