The greatest athlete of all time was not even human.

1970s

I was fortunate enough to watch this amazing specimen live on television. Still the world record holder
in all three majors. Who else was lucky enough to watch these live ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfCMtaNiMDM

Coinstartled

Debatable whether he was the GOAT of race horses. I say yes but in a thread several months ago compelling arguments were made for the opposition.

stevek

Secretariat is the GOAT - not debatable.

Coinstartled

At this place, whether Big Mac's have two beef patties is debatable.

thefinn

The dude had a heart twice as big as normal. Lots more "horsepower" than the average horse. And he loved to compete.

Brick

@Coinstartled said:
At this place, whether Big Mac's have two beef patties is debatable.

I agree there are two patties. I would debate if they are actually beef.

coinkat

People who have a beef about beef... And horses....That's what makes this place what it is....

Can it really get any better?

And before you say no, remember College Football starts in afew weeks

Coinstartled

Only GOAT that went unchallenged here was Edwin Moses.

DIMEMAN

@stevek said:
Secretariat is the GOAT - not debatable.

Totally agree!

Justacommeman

Yet Secretariat was beaten several times. Of course it’s debateable. Even the real racing experts don’t all agree.

Just for example Man o’ War is still acclaimed by Blood-Horse Magazine, the Associated Press and Sports Illustrated as the greatest horse of the 20th century so obviously it’s debateable and not everyone agrees.

I also watched all three Crown Jewels and fell in love with him and horse racing. While he is not my favorite horse of all time he is the best I ever saw.

mark

stevek

The only mile and a half race that I saw on the past performance charts for Man o' War, he ran it in 2:28 4/5

Secretariat ran the mile and a half Belmont Stakes in 2:24 - that's around 25 lengths faster than Man o' War

Man o' War couldn't carry Secretariat's feedbag.

Coinstartled

I

DIMEMAN

@stevek said:
The only mile and a half race that I saw on the past performance charts for Man o' War, he ran it in 2:28 4/5

Secretariat ran the mile and a half Belmont Stakes in 2:24 - that's around 25 lengths faster than Man o' War

Man o' War couldn't carry Secretariat's feedbag.

I agree...greatest race horse ever. He still holds the record on all three triple crown tracks. He was a MACHINE!

stevek

@1970s said:

@DIMEMAN said:

I agree...greatest race horse ever. He still holds the record on all three triple crown tracks. He was a MACHINE!

I love it at 2:28 when the announcer says, "He is moving like a tremendous machine"

That's exactly what Secretariat was that day. He would have beat all the greatest horses that ever lived by 25 lengths or more.

I'd venture to say that this race above was the single greatest athletic performance that man kind has ever witnessed. I would dare anyone to tell me of any athletic event that was greater than this one, where an athlete did something that was not only impossible to fathom, but that has never even been close to equaled.

Patton moving Third Army from Europe to Tokyo in just 2 days to defeat the Japanese army back in 1945 was pretty remarkable.

stevek

@1970s said:

@stevek said:

@1970s said:

Patton moving Third Army from Europe to Tokyo in just 2 days to defeat the Japanese army back in 1945 was pretty remarkable.

As was Andrew Jackson moving all that heavy artillery through the humid swampland of Louisiana to fight off the British and securing the southern border for American independence.

Yea, but Harriet Tubman was greater than Andrew Jackson which I guess is why she was being considered to replace Jackson on the $20 bill.

Hallco

Some of you know that I am a huge fan of horse racing. I don't get involved in goat discussions but as has been stated...on this day he was unreal. There are lots of examples of dominant days on the track by horses,but this certainly deserves its place in sports history as one of the best ever!

Coinstartled

@Hallco said:
Some of you know that I am a huge fan of horse racing. I don't get involved in goat discussions but as has been stated...on this day he was unreal. There are lots of examples of dominant days on the track by horses,but this certainly deserves its place in sports history as one of the best ever!

As memorable athletic events (save one's favorite team winning a championship,) The Secretariat race is probably at the top for those of us fortunate to see it on tv...or live for the fortunate few.

I add to my short list Hearns-Hagler, Usain Bolt and Hank Aarons record home run. Miracle on Ice would be at the top of the list, but impartial, I was not.

Hallco

Affirmed would not have known what to do without Alydar in a race...and vice versa! Lol

DIMEMAN

Sham was a great horse in is own...….just born in the wrong year.

BillJones

I remember when secretariat won that race. My girl friend at the time were surprised when the announcer called him “a great equine athlete.”

stevek

@Hallco said:
Affirmed would not have known what to do without Alydar in a race...and vice versa! Lol

I was at Belmont Park that day when they met in the Belmont Stakes.

It wasn't my first time at Belmont Park, i had been there several times before. However never when it was that crowded.

Took literally around twenty minutes to get a bet in, and that was at the $50 window. Only tellers at that time, no betting machines.

We were in the grandstand floor level, so we finally got our bets in with a few minutes to post, and ambled down to around a hundred or so feet almost directly above the finish line.

I'm 6' tall and I never saw the race except around the last fifty yards, and even then I could only see the jockeys on the horses. I could hear the call though but not too well.

Oh well, I watched the replay on the TV monitor. LOL

Coinstartled

I know where I am so I say this with a touch of resignation. Watching Secretariat take all legs of the triple crown was a magical experience for this kid that spent his weekend evenings at the standardbreds.

Rather than a nice stand alone tribute to the horse, we must toss him into the who is the best quagmire that has already consumed thousands of Barry vs Emmitt and Brett vs Schmidt posts.

Carry on...

Hallco

@stevek said:

@Hallco said:
Affirmed would not have known what to do without Alydar in a race...and vice versa! Lol

I was at Belmont Park that day when they met in the Belmont Stakes.

It wasn't my first time at Belmont Park, i had been there several times before. However never when it was that crowded.

Took literally around twenty minutes to get a bet in, and that was at the $50 window. Only tellers at that time, no betting machines.

We were in the grandstand floor level, so we finally got our bets in with a few minutes to post, and ambled down to around a hundred or so feet almost directly above the finish line.

I'm 6' tall and I never saw the race except around the last fifty yards, and even then I could only see the jockeys on the horses. I could hear the call though but not too well.

Oh well, I watched the replay on the TV monitor. LOL

I was 7 at the time. My grandfather loved horses. After Affirmed won the Preakness, I specifically remember him saying that we HAD to watch the Belmont together and went out of his way to make sure no other plans interfered with that event! He told me I was going to see history made. At 7, I really didn't understand, but he was my father figure and hero in life so anything that would make him happy did the same for me! Obviously, we know the "Rest of the story"! And every time I see it I get chills(same with the 73 Belmont) And thus began my passion. Unlike a lot of others though, it has nothing to do with money. The spirit and competitiveness of these 4 legged athletes(yeah I said it) still make my heart race(no pun)! I have never placed a bet on a thoroughbred race and probably will not. I have placed a few on harness races when visiting my brother in Lexington at the Red Mile, but that was just for the fun of the moment experience. Thank you for sharing your story!

stevek

@Hallco said:

@stevek said:

@Hallco said:
Affirmed would not have known what to do without Alydar in a race...and vice versa! Lol

I was at Belmont Park that day when they met in the Belmont Stakes.

It wasn't my first time at Belmont Park, i had been there several times before. However never when it was that crowded.

Took literally around twenty minutes to get a bet in, and that was at the $50 window. Only tellers at that time, no betting machines.

We were in the grandstand floor level, so we finally got our bets in with a few minutes to post, and ambled down to around a hundred or so feet almost directly above the finish line.

I'm 6' tall and I never saw the race except around the last fifty yards, and even then I could only see the jockeys on the horses. I could hear the call though but not too well.

Oh well, I watched the replay on the TV monitor. LOL

I was 7 at the time. My grandfather loved horses. After Affirmed won the Preakness, I specifically remember him saying that we HAD to watch the Belmont together and went out of his way to make sure no other plans interfered with that event! He told me I was going to see history made. At 7, I really didn't understand, but he was my father figure and hero in life so anything that would make him happy did the same for me! Obviously, we know the "Rest of the story"! And every time I see it I get chills(same with the 73 Belmont) And thus began my passion. Unlike a lot of others though, it has nothing to do with money. The spirit and competitiveness of these 4 legged athletes(yeah I said it) still make my heart race(no pun)! I have never placed a bet on a thoroughbred race and probably will not. I have placed a few on harness races when visiting my brother in Lexington at the Red Mile, but that was just for the fun of the moment experience. Thank you for sharing your story!

Turned out to be an excellent call by your grandfather.

It's interesting that Affirmed turned out to be the last Triple Crown winner for the next 37 years. Many thought there might not be another one for various reasons. But now Bob Baffert has won two of them in the past four years.

keets

Secretariat was beaten during his life, but what athlete isn't?? he was, during a period that lasted three races, the undeniably best race horse that ever lived in my view. I was a senior in HS at the time and two other things occupied my studies, the Watergate trial and the Vietnam War.

thank God for Secretariat, watching those races was a treat.

keets

a movie I really like is Seabiscuit, just watched it again on Monday morning. the two horses have some things in common, but both seemed to have such speed that their trainers/jockeys tactic was hold the horse off the lead till somewhere down the back stretch. Secretariat could probably have won most races from the gate.

2dueces

The greatest race horse in my lifetime hands down and I was born in 1956. That's a pretty long time to hold that honor and I'm an old horse baller going back to the early 70's.

BLUEJAYWAY

IIRC Secretariat was named SI's athlete of the year for 1973.

1951WheatiesPremium

@1970s said:

@DIMEMAN said:

I agree...greatest race horse ever. He still holds the record on all three triple crown tracks. He was a MACHINE!

I love it at 2:28 when the announcer says, "He is moving like a tremendous machine"

That's exactly what Secretariat was that day. He would have beat all the greatest horses that ever lived by 25 lengths or more.

I'd venture to say that this race above was the single greatest athletic performance that man kind has ever witnessed. I would dare anyone to tell me of any athletic event that was greater than this one, where an athlete did something that was not only impossible to fathom, but that has never even been close to equaled.

I’ve always thought the Christian Laettner full court pass from Grant Hill shot to beat Kentucky game was rather remarkable from an individual standpoint; he made every shot and every free throw that day. Under the circumstances, it’s still one of the greatest athletic spectacles I have ever seen. This isn’t Shaq with 13/13 from the field with 10 dunks, either, you know?

Maybe not Secretariat but pretty awesome and, no, I am neither a Duke fan or alum.

bronco2078

horses again? zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Coinstartled

@BLUEJAYWAY said:
IIRC Secretariat was named SI's athlete of the year for 1973.

Back when OJ was a hero, Cosby was funny and Caitlyn was a man.