In horse racing history there have been many fantastic racers, from the sensational Seattle Slew to the club kite Assault, and the champion filly Ruffian to the very determined Affirmed. But the number one and number two match in this writer’s opinion was the incredible Secretariat and the great, Man o ‘War.
Of all the horse racing results, which of these two was the fastest? Or perhaps which of these two was the best?
Let’s take a look at both of them and then try to decide the question.
Let’s take a look at Man o ‘War first, choosing it first simply because it came first. Age has its advantages.
Man o ‘War was praised by her boyfriend Will Harbut as “the best hoss that ever lived.” Truer words have never been spoken, regardless of grammar.
Everyone who witnessed him run at all distances was impressed by his relentlessness and the fact that he had so much energy left after each victory that it was mind-blowing. It didn’t matter if you saw a 15-pound or a 30-pound horse. He’d win and jog back to the paddock like he’d just gone out for a Sunday jog in the park.
His record at two years of age in 1919 was 10 starts with 9 wins and 1 second. His only loss came at the hands of Upset at the Sanford Stakes in which he was the victim of major traffic problems.
Many of those still reeling from the pain of the White Sox World Series fix suggested that the race with Upset had been fixed as well.
At age 3, Man o ‘War had 11 starts with 11 wins. He didn’t win the Kentucky Derby because owner Samuel D. Riddle believed 1 1/4 mile at 126 pounds was too much to ask of a 3-year-old colt in early spring.
In his last race, Man o ‘War defeated Sir Barton by 7 lengths, who had won the Triple Crown the previous year.
We will not go into your achievements in breeding, as this article is strictly concerned with the results of your running skills.
Secretariat has a more recent record and their careers are recorded on film. Just a day before the Belmont Stakes in 1972, retired Hall of Fame coach Hollie Hughes was on the track and gestured for Ron Turcotte, the Secretary’s jockey, to come up to him so she could say a few words. Hughes’s heyday had been during the days when the likes of Sysonby, Colin, and Man o’War were competing.
His words to Turcotte were ‘Son, there’s no way you can get this horse punch, just don’t fall.’ Trust me, boy, you’re riding the greatest horse ever and I’ve seen them all.
Needless to say, Turcotte did not fall. He won the Belmont by an impressive 31 lengths and set the record for the mile and a half in 2 minutes 24 seconds.
Kent Hollingsworth of The Blood-Horse wrote: “Two twenty-four. I don’t think so. Impossible. But I saw it. I can’t breathe. He won by a sixteenth of a mile. I saw it. I have to believe it.”
In his lifetime, the Secretariat had 21 starts and 16 victories and was named Horse of the Year two years in a row.
These two horses were two of the best athletes in history. Their racing results clearly demonstrated that they are among the best thoroughbreds to ever make it down the stretch.
Which was the best? You study the results of horse racing and decide, if you can.