No problem, I actually went back and it could be read as AP being best or second best in history, didn't mean that at all since the gap between the top two and all others is huge. I have no idea where he will land, particularly since he'll only run two more races.

Nobody is more impressed than I am with Secretariat. I remember watching him run and all the hoopla surrounding him. I just wasn't into horseracing at the time. However, my grandfather who saw Man O War run always insisted that he would beat Secretariat given the conditions MOW ran under with the weight and lack of a starting gate. It's a tough call but no one else is in the conversation, that's for sure.

 

I would put Seabiscuit in the conversation. He is not going to get much conversation from the Eastern contingent because he raced mainly out west. However it was a fact that he smoked TC champion War Admiral in a head to head race and broke the track record in doing it. Seabiscuit was burdened much of his career in carrying very heavy weights compared to his competition.

I would put Seabiscuit in the conversation. He is not going to get much conversation from the Eastern contingent because he raced mainly out west. However it was a fact that he smoked TC champion War Admiral in a head to head race and broke the track record in doing it. Seabiscuit was burdened much of his career in carrying very heavy weights compared to his competition.

 

I forgot all about Seabiscuit. You know you have arrived if they make a movie about you. Great horse.

I would put Seabiscuit in the conversation. He is not going to get much conversation from the Eastern contingent because he raced mainly out west. However it was a fact that he smoked TC champion War Admiral in a head to head race and broke the track record in doing it. Seabiscuit was burdened much of his career in carrying very heavy weights compared to his competition.

 

Seabiscuit? Really?

 

Fantastic horse, but doesn't make my top ten.

I would put Seabiscuit in the conversation. He is not going to get much conversation from the Eastern contingent because he raced mainly out west. However it was a fact that he smoked TC champion War Admiral in a head to head race and broke the track record in doing it. Seabiscuit was burdened much of his career in carrying very heavy weights compared to his competition.

 

Loved the book, loved the movie but can't put him in my top ten horses off the top of my head. Seems like he had quite a few losses over the years, I would have to go back and check. Would be one of my top favorites though.

Loved the book, loved the movie but can't put him in my top ten horses off the top of my head. Seems like he had quite a few losses over the years, I would have to go back and check. Would be one of my top favorites though.

 

Seabiscuit for a long time lost more than he won. So by that measure, he wouldn't have even been a good horse and in fact was sold for about $7,500. It was after Charles Howard acquired him and Tom Smith trained him and Red Pollard rode him (the movie got that right) that the horse realized his potential. It is a tremendous underdog story, but also beneath it is a horse that had high capabilities. A great quote from the book, and it is a great book, was describing War Admiral and Seabiscuit before their match race. Seabiscuit was described as looking like the horse that should be pulling the milk wagon.

Seabiscuit? Really?

 

Fantastic horse, but doesn't make my top ten.

 

No. 26 on this list.

http://www.horseracingnation.com/polls/current/PowerRankings_All_Time#

No. 26 on this list.

Top 250 Thoroughbreds of All-Time - Horse Racing Nation

 

I like that list... mostly. I'd have Native Dancer and Citation above a couple of those others in the top ten, but my top four is identical to theirs.

Seabiscuit......ran 3rd twice in two races at River Downs. Both in October of 1936. Both at 1 and 1/16 miles.

 

Lifetime record: 89 33 15 13 $437,730

I like that list... mostly. I'd have Native Dancer and Citation above a couple of those others in the top ten, but my top four is identical to theirs.

 

Shouldn't Alydar be right behind Affirmed after the TC head to head matchups? They were very close all three races. Loved watching those two running together.

Secretariat lost 5 out of 21 races in his lifetime including a 3rd place and 4th place finish. To many people that gives the edge to Man O War who only lost one race when he was reported to have been facing the wrong way at the start. These horses aren't machines but for a period of 5 weeks in spring of 1973 Secretariat performed like one.

 

The Lexington Children's Museum used to have a scale model of Secretariat's heart along side a standard horse's heart. It was like comparing a basketball to a softball, very impressive.

 

On the other hand, John Belushi's heart was something like 3 times the normal human when he died. I think that was the case with his liver as well.

I've watched the race probably 8 times now. I just get chills. This is all I've wanted to see as a fan of these races for so, so long. The only thing I wish is that this had come when Dave Johnson was calling the races. I would scarcely be able to handle it if I got to hear "And DOWN the stretch they come!" to American Pharoah winning.

 

I used to love that call! When Secretariat won the Belmont, the call had to be changed to "and DOWN the stretch HE comes"...

Wall Street Journal did a pretty cool side by side video if Secretariat's Belmont run versus American Pharoah's Belmont run:

 

American Pharoah vs. Secretariat: Who Would Win?

 

The link just shows how great Secretariat was. AP is a great horse and Secretariat would have beaten him by 12-15 lengths. AP is a great horse...Secretariat is another universe...

If I'm not mistaken I believe at one time Secretariat also held a world or American record for a turf course.

The link just shows how great Secretariat was. AP is a great horse and Secretariat would have beaten him by 12-15 lengths. AP is a great horse...Secretariat is another universe...

 

Secretariat also had a heart much larger than most horses.