Why legendary Secretariat still rules 2025 Kentucky Derby, 52 years later

Secretariat, the legendary Thoroughbred racehorse, has a special connection to the 2025 Kentucky Derby

Updated on: May 4, 2025, 01:57:14 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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Secretariat, the legendary Thoroughbred racehorse, has a special connection to the 2025 Kentucky Derby. According to The Courier-Journal in Louisville, every horse racing at Churchill Downs on Saturday descends from the Triple Crown winner. Secretariat sired more than 660 registered foals in his lifetime. He died in 1989.

Secretariat has a special connection to the 2025 Kentucky Derby (File photo/AP)

Nicknamed Big Red, Secretariat is an icon in horse racing. He went on to win the Triple Crown in 1973, etching his name in history books. Secretariat won the Derby with a time of 1:59.40, a record to date. The racehorse then won the Preakness Stakes at 1:53 and the Belmont Stakes.

Here's all we know about Secretariat

Born: March 30, 1970, at The Meadow, Doswell, Virginia

Died: October 4, 1989, at Claiborne Farm, Paris, Kentucky (age 19, euthanized due to laminitis)

Breeder: Meadow Stud (Christopher Chenery)

Owner: Meadow Stable (Christopher and Penny Chenery)

Trainer: Lucien Laurin

Jockey: Primarily Ron Turcotte

Color: Chestnut with a white blaze and three white stockings

Physical traits:

Height: ~16.2 hands (66 inches), per Blood-Horse.

Weight: ~1,175 pounds during racing.

Stride: Up to 24 feet, one of the longest recorded.

Racing Career

Total Races: 21

Record: 16 wins, 3 seconds, 1 third, 1 fourth

Earnings: $1,316,808

Major wins

1972 (2-Year-Old): Sanford Stakes, Hopeful Stakes, Futurity Stakes, Laurel Futurity, Garden State Futurity. Named 1972 Horse of the Year (first 2-year-old to win unanimously).

1973 (3-Year-Old): Bay Shore Stakes, Gotham Stakes (tied track record), Arlington Invitational, Marlboro Cup (world record: 1:45 2/5 for 1 1/8 miles), Man o’ War Stakes (course record: 2:24 4/5), Canadian International Stakes.

Triple Crown (1973):

Kentucky Derby (May 5, 1973, Churchill Downs, 1 1/4 miles):

Time: 1:59 2/5 (fastest in history, unbroken as of 2025)

Margin: 2 1/2 lengths over Sham

Preakness Stakes (May 19, 1973, Pimlico, 1 3/16 miles):

Time: 1:53 (corrected in 2012)

Margin: 2 1/2 lengths over Sham

Belmont Stakes (June 9, 1973, Belmont Park, 1 1/2 miles):

Time: 2:24 (world record, unbroken)

Margin: 31 lengths

Awards:

1973 Horse of the Year

Champion Three-Year-Old Colt

National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame (1974)

Ranked #2 on Blood-Horse’s Top 100 U.S. Racehorses (behind Man o’ War)

Notable Losses:

Wood Memorial (third, due to an abscess)

Whitney Stakes (second to Onion)

Champagne Stakes (disqualified to second)

Maiden debut (fourth)

Grave

Location: Claiborne Farm, Paris, Kentucky

Details: Buried whole (a rare honor) with a simple headstone near Bold Ruler and Round Table. Necropsy revealed his massive heart, per Dr. Swerczek.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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