Five Day Challenge, Day 2

6. Favorite equestrian book and movie
 I read a lot of books, particularly horse books, so narrowing it down to just one is kind of hard. however, I do really like Beyond the Homestretch, by Lynn Reardon. It's an awesome book that you guys should read some time.

 For movies, my favorite is Secretariat. I enjoyed the movie, which follows Penny Chenery and Secretariat up to the point where Big Red won the Belmont Stakes by a whopping 31 lengths.

 I also like Buck, though it is really a documentary, not a movie.

7. Most common riding misconceptions
 I think this one is supposed to be about what other people think about riding. In that case, a common misconception I hear is, "Riding is easy. The horse does all the work." That kind of annoys me because, as equestrians know, the horse does not do all the work. An equestrian is an athlete.

8. Two riding strengths and one weakness
Strengths
1. I am learning pretty quickly.
2. I sit up straight in the saddle.

Weakness
1. Sometimes I don't keep my head up and look where the horse and I are going.

9. Least favorite thing about horses and/or riding
 The cost is what I don't like. Not only does buying one often cost a lot, but when you include, feeding, boarding, and training, the price goes up even more.

10. What do you feed your horse?
 I don't own a horse yet, but before I get one I'll do my research on what to feed a that particular horse.

Secretariat Sketch

Secretariat was one of the greatest Thoroughbreds to ever set foot on the racetrack.
Even people unfamiliar with horse racing know of his achievements. He is most known
for winning each Triple Crown race in record time and zooming to a 31 length finish in
the Belmont Stakes. Today, this legendary horse is considered to be one of the greatest
racehorses to ever live, the other being Man o' War.

Will We Have a 2013 Triple Crown Winner?

  Every year, I wait in eager anticipation for the Triple Crown races, hoping that the day would come when we have a new Triple Crown winner. No horse has accomplished that feat since Affirmed in 1978. Even so, I'll Have Another won both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness in 2012, failing to grab the third jewel of the Triple Crown: the Belmont. This year, I hope Orb will be luckier.

 Just last weekend, Orb came from fifteenth place to come out victorious in the Derby. His feat was something reminiscent of Secretariat, who always began in last place, charging to win in the final stretch.

Orb has avery promising pedigree. I believe he will likely be
Triple Crown winner number 12!

 Orb comes from a well-balanced bloodline of both stamina and speed. His sire, Malibu Moon, is a fast horse who excels at shorter distances, while his dam, Lady Liberty, performs best in distances over 1 1/2 miles. Because of this, his pedigree is very promising.

 Orb is owned by Ogden Phipps, the same man who had won the coin toss with Penny Chenery, Secretariat's owner. Phipps is an excellent breeder, always making sure that his horses have the perfect combination of speed and stamina.

 Furthermore, Orb's race record shows great potential. During his two-year-old season, he had raced eight times, came first five times, and third once. The two other times, he failed to place. This year is even better than last year. He only raced four times, but won all those races! His chances of winning are great.

 Yet the question still remains. Does Orb have what it takes to grab the Preakness and the Belmont? Can he win the Triple Crown, something that hasn't been accomplished in 35 years? I want your opinion. Please comment below on what you think will happen.

Secretariat's Final Race: the Canadian International

  Secretariat arrived at Toronto on October 8th, 1973, for his final race. He was greeted with journalists, photographers, and thousands of fans from all over the world. Millions of people had seen the great sport hero on television, and they had finally got the chance to see him in person.

 It was a really big day for everyone.  After making his last public appearance, Secretariat would leave the racetrack forever and be used for breeding purposes. All of his fans wanted to get the chance to see him run just one last time. they expected a great show, and a great show they would get.

 At last, after being filmed by dozens of photographers, including a television crew that was filming a documentary on his final race, Secretariat was ready to begin his race. He seemed to know how important it was to everybody.

 Also racing would be Kennedy Road, a U.S. turf champion ridden by Avelino Gomez. Gomez says, "Secretariat shows up in Toronto, and it is a very big thing for Canada. Even if he gets beat by me!" Of course, he was going to use the same strategy as the other horses that had beaten Secretariat: He would get an early lead and try to hold it until the end. Yet it didn't quite work out the way he had hoped. With  Secretariat, though, that was only to be expected.

 What did happen was this: Kennedy Road took the lead right out of the gate, as planned, but Secretariat followed behind him. Secretariat ran along side Kennedy Road through the backstretch, then passed him and lead until he reached the finish line. He won by 6 1/2 lengths.

 That was it. He had run his final race. No longer would thousands of people flock to the racetracks to watch this incredible horse run, or turn on their TVs to see him race. Big Red had retired as breeding stallion, to be used to create line of champions, many of which still race today. His owner, Penny Chenery, told the public about her horse on the day he had ended his career.

 “Secretariat loves to run, and this should be communicated to the world. This is a vital sport, an exciting sport. It’s not exploitation of horses. There are horses like Secretariat, who are sound and able, and think running is thrilling. He knows when he wins. He knows when people notice him. It’s been a great experience for him, too.”

 Secretariat will forever be remembered as an extraordinary horse. He holds two world records, three track records, and one tied track record, more than any other horse, excluding Man o' War. All of Secretariat's records still stand today, yet to beaten by another great horse. I doubt they will.

Secretariat: the Whitney Stakes

After his easy victory in the Arlington Invitational, Secretariat went to Saratoga Springs, New York. It had only been a year since he had last been there as a rookie two-year-old horse. At that time, which was August of 1973, he had returned as the champion that had shattered the records in all three of the Triple Crown races. So a large crowd of his fans flocked to see him win yet again. Yet it didn't turn out the way they had expected.

  The Saratoga racecourse, nicknamed the Graveyard of Champions, has a really interesting history. Throughout all the many years since it has first been used, many famous racehorses have met their match on that track. Even so, the outcome of the Whitney Stakes of '73 came as a surprise to many racing fans.

 One of the lesser known horses that had raced against Secretariat in the Whitney Stakes was Onion, who had set a new track record a few days previously. Onion posed a problem for Secretariat.

 The horse called Onion took a early lead in the Whitney. Secretariat sped forwards and both horses battled neck-to-neck for first place until they reached the last sixteenth of a mile. Then, against all expectations,  Secretariat slowed down and Onion crossed the finish line in first place.

 The audience was stunned. The great Secretariat, after winning the prestigious Triple Crown, had lost to little-known amateur. How could something like that happen to a record-breaking horse?

 Coincidentally, Secretariat was not the only champion racehorse that had lost to an amateur that week. Another Kentucky Derby winner from his stable, Riva Ridge, had recently lost to Wichita Oil, so the public wanted both amateur horses to be raced against each other. The public had to know which amateur was better.

Secretariat: Arlington Invitational

Secretariat's road to victory did not end with Belmont.  On June 30, he moved on to the Arlington Invitational, held in the suburbs northeast of Chicago. Only three horses were raced against him for the prize of $125,000: My Gallant, Our Native(both raced against him in the Triple Crown) and Blue Chip Dan. Though the field was small, 41,223 fans flocked to see Secretariat run.

 Anyone you ask will say that the Arlington Invitational was an easy win for Secretariat. Right out of the gate, he maneuvered around his three opponents and took the lead before he was even around the first turn. Then he ran quickly down the backstretch. After the final bend, with only an eighth of a mile remaining, there was no chance that any of the horses could beat him.

 Secretariat won by nine lengths with a time of 1:47, 1/5 of a second slower than the track record, held by Damascus.

 The betting format of this race was far different than that of other races. Instead of being able to bet on any one horse, a person could either bet on Secretariat or the other three horses as a whole. Of course, everyone bet on Secretariat, who was at that time a legend because of his famous Triple Crown win.

Secretariat: Belmont Stakes

Three weeks after his win in Baltimore, Secretariat went to Elmont, New York, where he would run one of his most famous races. Every racing fan was eagerly awaiting the final Triple Crown race, hoping that the great Secretariat would win it and the Triple Crown.

Once again, Secretariat attempted to take an early lead. This time, however, Sham was ready, and both horses were vying for first place. They stayed neck-to-neck throughout the first half of the race. They even ran fast quarter-mile times: 23 3/5 for the first one, 46 1/5 for the second, and 1:09 4/5 for the third.

 Then, at the last turn(turns at Belmont are extremely long) Sham could not keep pace with Secretariat any longer, so he slowed down. Sham's defeat energized Secretariat, who ran even faster as he neared the finish line. His jockey, Turcotte, wanting to show the world Secretariat's abilities, let Secretariat run at his own pace, which was fast. Nothing could stop the Big Red Horse.

 By the time he was halfway through the homestretch, Secretariat had a lead of 28 lengths. His lead continued to lengthen until he passed the finish line in world record time: 2 minutes and twenty-four seconds, with an amazing lead of thirty-one lengths!

 This extraordinary horse has not only won the Triple Crown, a difficult accomplishment in itself, but also broke the records of all three races, something never before heard of.

 The world has not seen a more extraordinary horse since Secretariat. Neither has a horse been more loved by the public. His records still stand today, yet to be defeated by another great horse. Perhaps it will remain that way.


Don't miss the posts on the Triple Crown.

Secretariat: the Preakness Stakes

I also painted Secretariat in the winner's circle in Baltimore.

Two weeks after his impressive win at Churchill Downs, Secretariat advanced to the the Preakness Stakes,  the second Triple Crown race which is held in Baltimore, Maryland. Many people expected another Kentucky Derby where he would beat the track record.

 Secretariat, as was to be expected, began the race at the back of the field of six. Each of the horses were being directed by their jockeys to go slow to preserve energy for the 1 3/16 mile long race ahead of them. However, Ron Turcotte, Secretariat's jockey, had different plans.

 Instead of lingering at the back of the pack as usual, he urged Secretariat to make the risky maneuver of taking an early lead and attempting to hold first place until the end of the race. At the first turn, Secretariat was 2 1/2 lengths ahead of the second-place horse, Sham.  The other riders remained ready to burst ahead should Secretariat falter. Secretariat did not falter, and he ended up holding first place from start to finish. He beat Sham by 2 1/2 lengths.

 Even though Secretariat had won the race, a great controversy arose afterwards. The large digital clock showed his time to be 1:55--one second slower than that of Canonero, who at the time held the track record. In contrast, the track's clocker's watch stated that his time was 1:54 2/5, and two men from the Daily Racing Form showed that his time was 1:53 2/5.

 The following day, TV stations such as CBS showed reruns of both Canonero's and Secretariat's races. They allowed fans themselves to time the video clips and thus draw their own conclusion. Several days later, after much controversy, an official statement was made: Secretariat's time was 1:54 2/5.(Daily Racing Form still noted their timing of 1;53 2/5)

  Yet his most avid fans were not too concerned about his time. It had been twenty-five years since a horse had last one all of the races in the Triple Crown, and they all knew that if any horse could do it, Secretariat sure could.


Don't miss the other posts on the Triple Crown.

Secretariat: His Two-year-old Season

This is a painting I made of young Secretariat.

When Secretariat first appeared on the racetrack in 1972, he became a champion almost instantly. He was everyones favorite, and had a unique style of racing never before seen.

 Unlike most of the other famous two-year-old race horses, such as Man o' War,  Secretariat did not take the lead right at the beginning of the race and hold it all the way until the end. Instead, he was normally in last place until he was about four furlongs(one furlong is 220 yards) from the finish. Only then would he have one final burst of energy and come in first place.

 Of the nine races he ran in that season, Secretariat only lost two-- his first race, which was at the Aqueduct Racetrack(he had had a slow start) and another race called Champagne. In between those two races, however he had won five races, including three important two-year-old ones: the Sanford Stakes, the Hopeful Stakes, and the Futurity Stakes.

Next he lost the Champagne Stakes. He was doing good until he bumped into a horse known as Stop the Music near the end of the race. Though this did not slow him down too much, and he had ended up beating the horse he had hit by two lengths, he was later disqualified for interfering with it. Afterwards, Stop the Music was given the position of first place.

 Despite these two loses, Secretariat was a favorite among fans, and even won the horse of the year award, one of three two-year-olds to do so.

Secretariat: the Story of His Birth

Secretariat as a young colt.

Everyone who knows about horses knows Secretariat, the racing legend from the 1970s and '80s. They know how great a racehorse he was. What very few know about are the years before his fame and fortune and the interesting history of how his owners got him.

 It all began in 1968 when Penny Chenery, from Meadow Stud,and Ogden Phipps, from Wheatley Stables, made an unofficial business agreement. Phipps was the owner of Bold Ruler, a retired successful stallion who had won several important races. No stud fees were paid. Instead, they decided that several of Chenerey's mares would be bred with Bold Ruler. A toss of a coin would determine who got first choice on the offspring.

 So Chenery sent her best mares--Hasty Matelda and Somethingroyal to be bred with Phipps's stallion. The result was a colt and filly. Then Somethingroyal was bred with Bold Ruler one more time, because the original agreement had stated that the winner got only one foal while the loser got two.

 Late in the year of 1969, Phipps and Chenery held the long awaited coin toss in the chairman's office of the New York Racing Association. Phipps won and took the filly, leaving Chenery with both the colt and the unborn foal.

 Many months later, on March 30, 1970, a bright red colt with three white stockings and a narrow blaze was conceived by Somethingroyal. Elizabeth Ham, the secretary of Meadow Studs, named the colt Secretariat.

 And thus the racing legend who had shattered over a dozen track and world records was born.

The picture of young Secretariat is courtesy of:  Secretariat.com