Super Horse
“Secretariat is widening now! He is moving like a tremendous machine!” The words of Chic Anderson as Secretariat rounded the final turn of the mile and a half race were some of the most profound words in the world of sports. The story of the greatest racehorse of all time began with a coin toss, a big red colt, and a difficult path on the way to greatness. Secretariat’s story is the story of the fastest race horse alive.
Secretariat’s legacy began before he was even born. After the death of her mother, Penny Tweedy made the journey back to her parent’s horse farm in Doswell, Virginia. The Meadow was on a downward spiral with no apparent way to help the mess. It was losing money. The farm needed a strong hand to guide it. In essence, the farm needed a miracle. Penny’s father, Mr. Chennery, had invested in
…show more content…
He was described by a racing expert as having the build of a great race horse. However, the young thoroughbred could not run without proper training. In 1971 Red began training with Lucien Lauren. In 1972 Red moved with Lauren to Florida to train further. After taking a sabbatical from training in Virginia, Red came to Queens, New York for his maiden race. His official racing name was Secretariat and America wanted to see what he was made of. It was July 4, 1972 and Secretariat arrived at the Aqueduct Racetrack already the favorite of the race. As the horses were loaded into the starting gate the crowd cheered. Everyone was excited to see the son of Bold Ruler debut in his first race. As the bell sounded the horses took of out of the gate. When the horses rounded the final turn of the track the crowd became disappointed at the result. Secretariat and his jockey, Paul Feliciano, had lost. After getting brushed coming out of the gate Secretariat had placed fourth. After one more race, placing first, Secretariat acquired a new jockey. Ron Turcotte was taking Secretariat to the Kentucky