Classic Photos of Secretariat

SI Staff | Jun 7, 2013

Classic Photos of Secretariat

Secretariat

Neil Leifer/SI

Forty years ago this weekend, on June 9, 1973, Secretariat (and jockey Ron Turcotte) won horse racing's Triple Crown by winning the Belmont Stakes. Only two horses have duplicated that feat since (Seattle Slew in '77) and Affirmed in '78). Here are some photos of Secretariat from his historic year.

Secretariat

Ron Kuntz Collection/Diamond Images/Getty Images

Secretariat set a track record of 1:59 2/5 in winning the 1¼ mile Kentucky Derby.

Secretariat

AP

Secretariat ran each quarter mile of the race faster than the previous one.

Secretariat

Neil Leifer/SI

Sham finished second to Secretariat while Our Native finished a distant third.

Secretariat

AP

Secretariat's win at Churchill Downs put him in position to become the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years.

Secretariat

Neil Leifer/SI

Secretariat won the Preakness by 2½ lengths.

Secretariat

Neil Leifer/SI

The order of finish at the Preakness was the same as at the Kentucky Derby.

Secretariat

Neil Leifer/SI

Secretariat competed against a field of four other horses in the Belmont, the final leg of the Triple Crown.

Secretariat

Neil Leifer/SI

Secretariat ended up losing only five of his 21 career races.

Secretariat

AP

Jockey Ron Turcotte turns for a look at the field as he and Secretariat make the final turn.

Secretariat

Herb Scharfman/SI

Secretariat won the race by 31 lengths.

Secretariat

Dan Farrell/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images

Secretariat's time of 2:24 still stands as the fastest 1½ miles on dirt at Belmont Park.

Secretariat

AP

Prior to Secretariat, the previous Triple Crown winner was Citation in 1948.

Secretariat

AP

Mrs. Penny (Tweedy), the owner of Secretariat, leads her horse and Turcotte to the Winners Circle.

Secretariat

Neil Leifer/SI

Turcotte was jockey of the year in 1973. Sadly, he fell off a horse at Belmont in 1978 in an incident that left him a paraplegic.

Secretariat

Neil Leifer/SI

Eddie Maple rode Secretariat to victory at the Canadian International Championship Stakes in October 1973, the final race of Secretariat's career.

Secretariat

AP

In 1999, the U.S. Postal Service issued a stamp featuring Secretariat.