“He is moving like a tremendous machine!”

This moment of Chic Anderson’s call of the 1973 Belmont Stakes is forever etched into history. Under the blue and white checkered silks of Penny Chenery’s Meadow Stables, Secretariat was widening his lead on his rival Sham along the vast final turn at Belmont Park. Having just won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, Secretariat was just moments away from an elusive Triple Crown win.

It had been 25 years since American racing had seen a Triple Crown winner. The roar of the crowd was deafening as their hopes rested on “Big Red.” And with each passing stride, the crowd grew louder with confidence as the colt continued to put lengths between him and the rest of the field.

In another iconic moment, Secretariat’s jockey, Ron Turcotte, looked back over his shoulder to see just how far ahead he was of the other horses. It was clear there would be no catching the red colt. To the cheers of an overwhelmed, dazzled crowd, Secretariat crossed the finish line 31 lengths in front – a performance that has never been replicated.

Today marks the 50th anniversary of that historic day. On June 9, 1973, Secretariat stamped himself as the greatest of all time and earned his place as a lifelong favorite in the hearts of racing fans and horse lovers alike. Those titles still stand 50 years later.

Secretariat retired to stud in late 1973, after a career that saw 16 wins from 21 starts – a multitude of graded stakes wins among those victories. In 2023, he still holds the stakes record for the fastest times ever achieved in all three Triple Crown races. His Kentucky Derby time of 1:59.40 for 1 ¼ miles still stands as the track record at Churchill Downs, as does his Belmont Stakes time of 2:24.00 for 1 ½ miles at Belmont Park.

While Secretariat’s career at stud did not quite replicate the brilliance of his racing career, his effect on the bloodlines of the Thoroughbred racehorse is still felt in modern-day breeding. In fact, all nine horses in this year’s Belmont Stakes trace back to Secretariat.

But it remains Secretariat’s racing achievements that are talked of year after year. That has been especially true throughout this year’s Triple Crown, as racing fans celebrate the 50th anniversary of Secretariat’s historic accomplishment. Five decades later, and the impact of Big Red still resonates.

This article about the 50th anniversary of Secrerariat’s Triple Crown is a web exclusive for Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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Churchill Downs announced plans to celebrate the first Saturday in May, the traditional date of the annual Kentucky Derby, by hosting a day-long at-home Kentucky Derby party—including a virtual Kentucky Derby horse race among the Triple Crown winners—to raise $2 million for COVID-19 emergency relief efforts. Though the 146th Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve was postponed until Sept. 5 this year due to public health concerns related to the spread of COVID-19, Churchill Downs invites fans to honor the annual tradition while staying “Healthy at Home.”

Fans can tune in to a special broadcast on NBC on May 2, from 3 to 6 p.m. EST, which will feature the 2015 Kentucky Derby that began the legendary American Pharoah’s historic Triple Crown run. In addition, the NBC broadcast will highlight Churchill Downs’ first ever virtual horse race—”The Kentucky Derby: Triple Crown Showdown,” a computer-simulated version of a race under the historic Twin Spires of Churchill Downs.

The virtual race, created by Inspired Entertainment, will feature the 13 past Triple Crown winners and use data algorithms, including historical handicapping information about each horse, which helps to determine the probability of their potential finishing positions. Inspired offers an expanding portfolio of content, technology, hardware and services for regulated gaming, betting, lottery, and leisure operators across retail and mobile channels around the world.

Beginning on April 30, fans will be able to visit www.KentuckyDerby.com to choose their favorite horse to win the virtual race and also join Churchill Downs in making a charitable donation to COVID-19 emergency relief efforts. All participants who select the winning horse will be entered to win the ultimate Kentucky Derby 146 VIP Experience. Churchill Downs has pledged to match up to $1 million of donations with funds to be directed to the Team Kentucky Fund and Direct Relief.

The Team Kentucky Fund was initiated by Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear to provide assistance to Kentuckians who have been severely financially impacted by the COVID-19 emergency. Direct Relief’s COVID-19 Fund for Community Health supports healthcare workers’ safety and essential services they provide at America’s safety-net community and health centers and clinics. The funds will be disbursed to community health centers, free and charitable clinics and pharmacies, and other non-profit health providers in Direct Relief’s partner network, which includes thousands of community-run nonprofit health facilities in all 50 states and U.S. territories.

A small percentage will be earmarked for the Relief for Equine Industry Needs (R.E.I.N.) Fund. R.E.I.N. was established by the Churchill Downs Foundation in response to the growing needs in the racing industry as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent interruption of customary racing operations. The emergency relief fund specifically addresses the needs of backside communities by providing meals, micro-grants and financial assistance with emergency needs as well as the fulfillment of essential care for horses. The Churchill Downs Foundation was established to support industry charitable initiatives such as Thoroughbred aftercare and health and education opportunities for the valued backside community.

A full day of online festivities is planned on May 2, designed to encourage the perfect interactive Kentucky Derby party at home. Churchill Downs will join the Kentucky Derby Museum and other partners to offer virtual tours, Derby cocktail and fascinator-making instructions, ideas for party decorations, kids’ crafts, Derby-inspired recipes, an at-home Derby fashion contest and much more.

“For many fans around the country, the first Saturday in May has become a part of their family’s yearly traditions,” said Kevin Flanery, President of Churchill Downs Racetrack. “While we eagerly look forward to the 146th Kentucky Derby this year on the first Saturday in September, we will celebrate the annual excitement of our traditional date with our fans and community by offering ways for us to join together for a great cause. Our fans will be captivated by the realistic view of the virtual race, and we can debate, as we do each year, our favorite to win.”

“The anticipation of which Triple Crown winner will emerge as the ultimate champion is thrilling,” said Bill Carstanjen, CEO of Churchill Downs Incorporated, “but most importantly, we are proud to use this platform as a force for good by raising money for these worthy COVID-19 emergency initiatives. We urge fans to join us by donating and celebrating with us from home.”

Join the virtual party by posting your home Derby Party experience using #KyDerbyAtHome on Saturday, May 2, and follow @KentuckyDerby on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram on the first Saturday in May to engage with a full day of exciting content and other at-home Derby parties from across the country. Visit www.KentuckyDerbyParty.com regularly for an updated schedule of activities, recipes, ingredient lists, style tips and decorating ideas so that Kentucky Derby fans can be ready to celebrate the first Saturday in May together from home.

Complete COVID-19 Coverage

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“The big horse is coming.”

The whispers began at 6:30 a.m. on a quiet June morning at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. Some professional racing photographers and a few fans stood at clockers’ corner near the racetrack’s southwest edge. They hoped to see Justify, who had become the 13th Triple Crown winner a little more than two weeks previously.

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“The big horse is coming.”

No one expected Justify to do more than gallop around the track. Trainer Bob Baffert was overseeing a maintenance workout designed to keep the 3-year-old colt fit until he and the owners made a decision about Justify’s next race.

Everything the strapping chestnut does these days attracts attention. Justify didn’t exactly emerge from obscurity—his pedigree and looks made him a $500,000 sale yearling in 2016 at the prestigious Keeneland auction in his native state of Kentucky. But in four short months, Justify went from an unraced, promising prospect to that rarest commodity in Thoroughbred racing: a Triple Crown champion.

Triple Crown: Three Challenging Tests

The Triple Crown requires a 3-year-old to tackle the most difficult challenges in the sport. He—it’s usually a colt, but fillies have occasionally won individual races in the series—must face up to 19 others in the 11⁄4-mile Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May.

Two weeks later in Maryland, it’s the 13⁄16-mile Preakness Stakes, followed by New York’s Belmont Stakes, which at 11⁄2 miles is longer than almost any other dirt race that modern Thoroughbreds run.

In 1919, before the races were firmly established as a prestigious series, Sir Barton became the first Triple Crown winner. Gallant Fox and his son Omaha completed it in 1930 and 1935, followed by War Admiral (sired by the great Man o’ War) in 1937.

The 1940s saw another rush of Triple Crown winners: Whirlaway, Count Fleet, Assault and Citation. That period was followed by what seemed an unbreakable drought of 25 years until the great Secretariat broke through in 1973. He was quickly followed by Seattle Slew in 1977 and Affirmed in 1978.

The Longest Dry Spell of the Triple Crown

People were beginning to think horses could no longer win the Triple Crown as 37 years crawled by without another victor. However, Baffert, a former Quarter Horse racing trainer, had taken several runs at it, determined to prove he could successfully condition a horse to the peak performance that needs to be sustained throughout the series.

Many people came to know Baffert during the late 1990s, when he got achingly close to Triple Crown victory two years in a row. In 1997, his charge Silver Charm won the Derby and Preakness but lost the Belmont by less than one horse length. In 1998, his underdog Real Quiet won the Derby and Preakness, only to lose the Belmont to Victory Gallop in a heart-stopping photo finish.

Elliott Walden trained Victory Gallop and now collaborates with Baffert on Justify. Walden serves as president, CEO, and racing manager of Kenny Troutt’s WinStar Farm LLC, which owns Justify with the China Horse Club, Head of Plains Partners LLC, and Starlight Racing.

Before Justify, Baffert was the one to break the Triple Crown drought with Zayat Stables’ American Pharoah in 2015. That colt, who had the sweet disposition of a riding stable’s best push-button babysitter, revitalized the series. American Pharoah finished 2015 with an astounding victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland, and is now standing at stud in Kentucky.

“American Pharoah—he’ll always be my first love,” says Baffert.

The Inner Workings

Baffert was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame because he and his team know how to get horses ready for huge performances. He has an instinct borne from years of training.

For example, during the weeks between Triple Crown races, Baffert could feel what Justify might need each morning by walking the colt the previous afternoon.

“I wanted see how much energy or power he had,” says Baffert. “Then I’d know what to do with him the next day. If he was quiet, then I’d go easy with him. But if he was really eager, I’d do a little bit more with him.”

Justify may be the star, but Baffert’s large operation also includes horses like Hoppertunity, who has earned more than $4 million, and McKinzie, who looked like Baffert’s best 2018 Triple Crown candidate until a minor injury sidelined the colt.

McKinzie originally had the April 7 Santa Anita Derby on his schedule, but didn’t make the race. So Baffert decided to keep Justify home for the Santa Anita Derby instead of shipping him to the Arkansas Derby. By then, Justify had won his first two races, and the buzz had begun.

The large crowd on a gorgeous Santa Anita Derby day included many in the track infield, and jockey Mike Smith’s only cause for concern happened when Justify raced down the track’s backside. He had a three-length lead over a talented colt named Bolt d’Oro, and then noticed all the people. He didn’t prop, swerve, or stop racing, but Smith could feel Justify react.

“I don’t know if he saw the umbrellas and everyone screaming, but he got to looking at them so much that I had to get the bit out of his mouth to really make him pay attention,” says Smith.

It was the only minor hiccup in Justify’s stellar career. Justify still won the Santa Anita Derby by three lengths, then had to contend with downpours and muddy tracks in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness before encountering another beautiful day in the Belmont. Rain or shine makes no difference to Justify, who is undefeated in his career to this point.

Back to R&R in California

On that morning in June at Santa Anita, the only thing Baffert asked of Justify and exercise rider Humberto Gomez was to follow Sunny, the barn pony and a former reining star, around half of Santa Anita’s track before breaking off for a solitary tour of the track at an easy gallop.

As Justify came past clockers’ corner, cameras clicked as professional photographers and fans furiously shot precious images of the champ. Later, back at the barn, Justify stopped every few moments to pose for the cameras while he was cooled out.

As of press time, Justify’s future plans are still up in the air. One thing is certain, however. He seems to understand how to graciously pose for photos so that his fans can say, “I saw Justify.”

This article about the 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify originally appeared in the September 2019 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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