Secretariat Monument
In Long Island, New York (Belmont Park)
Secretariat Monument At Race He Set Record At
The Monument
Some Photos Of Secretariat
Secretariat Racing
Secretariat In Winner Circle
Secretariat Enjoying Life
Secretariat enjoying life after having a life full of success in his racing career, here he is playing around at a older age, this is from one of the last videos and pictures of him before he was put down.
What Did Secretariat Do?
Secretariat
Secretariat Monument Essay
Inhale, exhale... Inhale, exhale. One hears the breathing of the horses in the gates awaiting for the start of he race, ready to run and prove what he's got, Secretariat anticipated the start. RING the bell sounds, the horses all blast out and the last Triple Crown race has began. Belmont Stakes in 1973 history would be made after a battle, Secretariat thunders against the Earth kicking up the track with every stride. He boosts his energy on the back stretch leading him to the match-up between Sham and him, he prolongs his stride more causing him to shoot past Sham and start leaving space between him. Almost to the finish line Secretariat is twenty-eight lengths ahead of the second place horse leaving him to set records as his pace still quickened. Reaching the finish line thirty-one lengths ahead he was still surging forward with more speed to come. He set a record that has not been touched by any horse in racing with the lengths ahead and the time he ran on that track, proving his bloodlines to the audience who thought he would not make it. Faith from his owner and faith from all his family especially the groomer, trainer, and jockey he was able to become the best.
The architect for Secretariat's monument was John Skeaping and the year it was built was in 1974 in Long Island, New York (Belmont Park). The monument represents Secretariat winning the Belmont Stakes by 31 lengths in 2 mins. 24 secs. on the 1 1/2 mile track. It was important because he set a record time and length ahead for that track nobody has came within 1.4 seconds of. The event occurred on June 9, 1973, one honors this event by his monument in Belmont, a monument in Kentucky Horse Park and in the National Museum of Racing including even in the Hall of Fame. With great memories comes the tragedy to the rememberance of the event all thanks to one loss.
Secretariat was born on March 30,1970 in Meadow Stables from his mother(dam) Somethingroyal, his father(sire) was Bold Ruler. Secretariat's owners were Penny Tweedy Chenery with her husband and kids, his groom was Eddie Sweat who spent a lot of quality time with him even calling him "Big Red" while his trainer was Lucien Lauren, and his jockey was Ron Turcotte. Secretariat was put down on October 4,1989 because of complications from laminitis (hoof disease) on Clairborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky. From being normal to being unique, Secretariat had proved the impossible even off the track after his death.
Secretariat was unique on the track but the reasons he was unique was of abnormal reasons inside of him. Secretariat won seven of nine starts as a 2 year old earning $456,404. He was a running machine, all his jockey had to do was head him on the right direction and he would do the rest. His organs were all normal size except one, his heart. His heart was twice the size of a normal horses which caused it to weigh 22 pounds instead of the normal 8 1/2 pounds. This was the reason he set records on the Belmont Stakes track that one unbelievable day, the reason he became a legend. Because of breaking the impossible records, he made his legacy by running into the hearts of others touching them with his story.
After all that had happened to Penny, she got something great out of it and that was the horse she dreamed of owning. Secretariat set a record on the Belmont Stakes track that nobody has come close to breaking in 41 years.
Secretariat's monument to represent his success had went through an accident but came back as glorious as ever. Secretariat was an amazing horse who had amazing differences against other horses that changed the way people looked at him. As technology in our world continues to advance, so will the techniques used to improve a race horse's performance on the track possibly getting the horse closer to reaching Secretariat's goal. So here is something to think about, think about how maybe it was not this horse that made the difference, but yet maybe it was another animal? Almost everybody has been touched by an animal in some way, just do not forget about those times because that is what makes people unique, from personal back-stories who made one who they are in present time. This is why he touched the heart of millions, really one should want to change lives like Secretariat did at one race at the age of three years old winning him the Triple Crown causing him to become one of the greatest race horses ever known to man.
Works Cited (Bibliography)
Bossert, Jerry. "Secretariat Statue Destroyed in Fatal Crash." Nydailynews.com. 20 May 2009. Web. 14 Nov. 2014
Gobetz, Wally. "NY-Long Island: Belmont Park-Secretariat Statue." Flickr.com. 13 Oct. 2007. Web. 14 Nov. 2014.
Lowitt, Bruce. "Secretariat Proves He's A Unique Breed." Sptimes.com. 19 Dec. 2014. Web. 19 Nov. 2014.
Wood, Robin. "Secretariat." Magdalena.net. 31 Dec. 1997. Web. 17 Nov. 2014.