This year, the racing world is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Secretariat’s Triple Crown victory. But here in Saratoga, we remember the superstar horse in a different light. Secretariat arrived at Saratoga in 1973 as a conquering hero, but even he wasn’t immune from falling victim to Saratoga’s reputation as the Graveyard of Favorites.
Less than two months after winning the Triple Crown to cement his status as a cultural icon, Secretariat was widely considered a shoo-in to win the 1973 Whitney Stakes. After dominating each of the Triple Crown races with record-setting performances—all of which are still standing 50 years later—Secretariat appeared to be in top form for his return to Saratoga, where as a 2-year-old in the summer of 1972 he began to emerge as a star. He was undefeated in three Saratoga races as a juvenile, including the Sanford and Hopeful.
But along came Onion. Trained by Hall of Famer Allen Jerkens and ridden by Hall of Famer Jacinto Vasquez, Onion was the second choice at odds of 5 to 1 in the Whitney field of five. Secretariat, meanwhile, was overwhelmingly favored at odds of 1 to 10 to add a Whitney win to his ledger. Although a mostly unknown commodity, Onion was entering the Whitney off of a performance in which he set a 6½-furlong track record at Saratoga, albeit not in a stakes race or against top competition.
Before a crowd of 30,119 on August 4, 1973, Vasquez and Onion immediately went to the lead in the Whitney and never looked back. Secretariat raced in third before moving up to second on the inside rail exiting the final turn. Onion, however, held off the challenge of the Triple Crown winner to win by a length. After the race, Secretariat’s jockey, Ron Turcotte, and trainer Lucien Laurin had different explanations for the unexpected result, with Laurin publicly questioning Turcotte’s ride and Turcotte claiming Secretariat banged his head while in the gate. Penny Tweedy, Secretariat’s owner, later said the horse was running a low-grade fever before the race, but she didn’t scratch him because she thought he was well enough to win.
“We didn’t go out there just to beat Secretariat,” Vasquez said after the race. “We wanted to beat them all. My horse was fit and ready, and he held his ground all the way. In the stretch it was close and we were head and head, but my horse had a little extra and he gave it to me.”
Onion and Secretariat met again on September 15, 1973, in the inaugural running of the $250,000 Marlboro Cup at Belmont Park. Secretariat had no issues with Onion or anyone else in the race, romping to victory while setting a new world record of 1:45²⁄₅ for 1⅛ miles. Onion finished fourth. Secretariat was retired at the end of the year with a record of 16 wins from 21 starts.
While Secretariat went on to the Hall of Fame and is considered by many to be the greatest racehorse of all time, Onion faded into obscurity. Although he raced through 1977, he never won another stakes race and completed his career with a record of 15 wins from 54 starts. But still—he’ll always have Saratoga.
The Greatest Upset of Them All
It didn’t make headlines like Onion’s upset of Secretariat, so do you know which horse delivered the biggest win payout in Saratoga history?
Jim Dandy pulled off a miracle in the mud, defeating Triple Crown winner Gallant Fox in the 1930 Travers at odds of 100 to 1. Onion knocked off Triple Crown winner Secretariat 50 years ago in the Whitney; he never won another stakes race in his career. And the aptly named Upset handed Man o’ War the only loss of his career in the 1919 Sanford. These are the horses who’ve given Saratoga the moniker “Graveyard of Favorites.”
But the biggest upset of them all happened just six years ago. The name Perplexed probably won’t ring through the ages, because the D. Wayne Lukas–trained gelding didn’t beat any Hall of Fame legends. But on July 24, 2017, the horse delivered the largest payout in Saratoga history: a whopping $232.50 on a $2 bet. How illogical—and perplexing—was the half-length victory under apprentice jockey Luis Reyes? Well, Perplexed, who was winless in his nine starts prior, won at the astronomical odds of 115.25 to 1. He never won in 13 starts after.
“That’s why we run ’em,” says Hall of Famer Lukas. “We don’t mail ’em in.” Perplexing indeed.
–Brien Bouyea
FAQs
Suffering from a fever, he lost the Whitney Stakes at Saratoga to Onion in August and the Woodward Stakes at Belmont Park to Prove Out. But he went out in triumph. On Oct.
How long did the horse Secretariat live? ›
His daughters produced several notable sires, including Storm Cat, A.P. Indy, Gone West, Dehere, and Chief's Crown, and through them Secretariat appears in the pedigree of many modern champions. Secretariat died in 1989 as a result of laminitis at age 19.
Did Secretariat ever run at Saratoga race Track? ›
But "Big Red" answered the bell with record times that still stand today in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes. After winning the Triple Crown, Secretariat made another appearance at Saratoga in the Whitney Stakes, and it was his first time running against older horses.
Where was Secretariat stabled? ›
A chestnut thoroughbred, Secretariat was foaled at Christopher T. Chenery's Meadow Stable, near Doswell, Virginia, on March 30, 1970.
What disease killed Secretariat? ›
He had developed laminitis, a painful and debilitating hoof condition, which was first diagnosed on Labor Day of 1989. By October 4th, he would be dead.
Who won more Seabiscuit or Secretariat? ›
Better horse. Also Secretariat won the Triple Crown (The Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes) while Seabiscuit "simply won" a series of less important races.
Was Secretariat buried in a casket? ›
Secretariat was buried in a 6 by 6-foot oak casket lined with orange silk, the color used by Claiborne's racing stables.
Does Secretariat Bloodline still exist? ›
Border Run held the title of the eldest horse in Secretariat's bloodline for nearly two years, until he died in late 2022. The other sole known survivor is 33-year-old Maritime Traveler, who lives in Florida.
How many babies did Secretariat make? ›
Via the sprawling genetic tree bound to a 15-year stud career, Secretariat will always live on in some ways. He sired 663 named foals, those horses creating endless bloodlines that eventually wind their way back to Big Red.
Has any horse run faster than Secretariat? ›
Unfortunately, he did it in the same race where Secretariat ran the fastest. His finishing position relative to Secretariat means he ran the race somewhere between 1:59.74 and 1:59.93, which is still the second-fastest Derby time in history. (Monarchos, who won in 2001, ran 1:59.97.)
Chenery made headlines by successfully syndicating Secretariat for $6.08 million and Riva Ridge for $5 million. Eventually the Meadow in Doswell, Virginia, also was sold to settle the estate. Chenery moved many of the remaining horses to Long Island, N.Y. and continued racing.
What horse is buried at Saratoga? ›
Champion filly Go For Wand, who suffered a fatal injury during the stretch run of the 1990 Breeders Cup Distaff, is buried in the Saratoga Race Course infield.
What famous horse was buried standing up? ›
Poco Bueno's grave fills a small park south of Vernon. The championship horse was buried in 1969 standing up near the gate to the famous W.T. Waggoner "Three D" Ranch. The sleek, brown quarter horse was foaled in 1944 and by 1947 was winning best-of-breed championships at stock expos around the country.
Who is the fastest horse in history? ›
Spectacular Bid set the record for a mile and a quarter, with a time of 1 minute and 57.8 seconds, in 1980. A mare called Winning Brew is the current world record holder for the fastest horse. She clocked an incredible 43.97 mph during a race in 2008, breaking Guinness Louts' previous record of 43.5 mph.
How accurate is the Secretariat movie? ›
The Disney movie, directed by Randall Wallace, is billed as “based on the true story” of the 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat, as written by William Nack. It is not the true story.
What was wrong with Secretariat? ›
Secretariat was put down on October 4, 1989 at Claiborne Farm, after suffering from the painful hoof condition laminitis. He was 19.
Is Secretariat still the fastest horse ever? ›
Fifty years after his Triple Crown, Secretariat still holds the record for the fastest Derby ever run: 1:59 2/5 seconds. He still holds the record for the fastest Preakness run: 1:53 flat (adjusted after a teletimer error originally clocked him in 1:55 2/5). He still holds the record for the fastest Belmont: 2:24 flat.
How did Onion beat Secretariat? ›
Four older horses lined up against Secretariat Aug. 4 in the Whitney, including the Jerkens-trained Onion, who had set a track record for 6 1/2 furlongs at The Spa four days earlier. Onion broke on top in the Whitney and was allowed to set a moderate pace while Secretariat, off casually, raced in fourth position.
Why did Secretariat lose the Wood Memorial? ›
Manny Gilman, the New York Racing Association veterinarian, performed a prerace inspection on Secretariat the morning of the Wood, and discovered an abscess under the horse's lip. He showed it to Laurin, who had returned for the race, but Laurin didn't alert either Turcotte or Tweedy to the condition.
