The comparison proves what? You could put any Belmont or TC winner side by side and each time Secretariat has the fastest time.
I am no AP fan by any stretch but it's unfair to compare any horse from any year like this. Training was different, medication was different, quality of tracks were different and the overall quality of horses from each 3 year old crop is different.
This video and any comparison is much ado about NOTHING.
Secretariat still raced after winning the triple crown....He ran 6 more races.
Now a days they hang it up and report to stud.
That's more for protection for the Big $$$
back when I was in the game, Trainers didn't care and wanted to make as much money as possible racing the horse. The Owners just followed what the Trainers said.
Huge money in the breeding part of the game, and more so now.
I've only owned 3 horses in my life time that made it to the breeding shed. 2 sires and one broodmare.
Plus trainers couldn't legally administer the kinds of drugs to horses back then to keep them going like they can now. Like Lasix for one. And I'm sure they have better anti-inflammatory drugs now than they did back then. In other words those horses that ran all 3 legs of the Triple Crown were not only good, they were tough too.The Bold above just proves it more, that is if you want to Compare.
Back in those days it was a Lot Different, and Not for the better.... Much Faster Tracks and times now a days. Just makes Secretariat that much better than Any horse in today's age.
Plus trainers couldn't legally administer the kinds of drugs to horses back then to keep them going like they can now. Like Lasix for one. And I'm sure they have better anti-inflammatory drugs now than they did back then. In other words those horses that ran all 3 legs of the Triple Crown were not only good, they were tough too.
After Saturday's Belmont Stakes victory, his value could skyrocket to as much as $100 million over the next few years.
That`s big money....It`s a business....As much as we would like to see him run again.
The Travers is for 3 year olds only but I agree with you about hoping to see him a few more times. The Travers is like the fall version of the Derby with plenty of good late blooming 3 year olds. And of course, I'd love to see him face the older horses in Breeders. Cup Classic.Zayat doesn't need the money. And the chance of any sound horse sustaining a life ending injury in any given race has to be very high odds. I'd bet something like 10,000/1.
But horseracing sorely needs the Pharoh to run as many times as he can.
I'm hoping twice more - the Travers against older horses (Honor Code and Tonalist in the Travers with AP would be huge for horseracing) and the Breeders Cup.
And you can compare horses from different eras. Like BAS said, when Secretariat ran the track was slower because it wasn't as manicured and like Sooner said the NYRA wouldn't allow Lasix or bute back then.
By the way if you don't know, Secretariat won the Belmont by 31 lengths, never whipped or pushed. He holds the record time for the Belmont as he does for the Ky Derby. He is incomparable, the very definition of legend.