He was the third offspring of 1957 Preakness winner Bold Ruler, the greatest sire of his generation, and Somethingroyal, who raced just once but whose breeding was of top quality. Secretariat was born on March 30, 1970, at the Meadow Stud in Doswell, Va. As former Pimlico general manager Chick Lang said, "He looked like a Rolls-Royce in a field of Volkswagens." The true measure of Secretariat's greatness was his performances in big races. By the time he went to stud, he had won back-to-back Horse of the Year awards. He was an odds-on favorite 17 times, winning 13. In a career that spanned only 16 months, Secretariat started 21 times, won 16 and finished in the money in all but his first race. "This red horse with blue and white blinkers and silks seemed to epitomize an American hero," said Penny Chenery, who owned the playful, barrel-chested colt during his racing days. At the time, no movie star was as hot as "Big Red." The William Morris Agency booked his appearances the way it would for a hot movie star. Secretariat became so popular, Time, Newsweek and Sports Illustrated featured the horse on the cover the same week. His time of 2:24 for 1 1/2 miles set a world record many argue may never be broken. Secretariat's response went beyond unreal. He was being counted on to win the race and become the first Triple Crown champion in 25 years - the first of the television generation that had already put him on an unrealistic pedestal. The international buzz surrounding him was deafening. He had the weight of Secretariat Mania on his back. He carried a lot more than jockey Ron Turcotte when he went to the gate a 1-to-10 favorite. Then there was Secretariat at the 1973 Belmont Stakes. Secretariat was sold to a breeding syndicate for a then-record $6.08 million. And there's that old expression that applies so perfectly to horse racing: There's no such thing as a sure thing. Pay-per-view fights are hyped without money-back guarantees. Seldom does performance match excessive expectation. Secretariat named 35th-greatest athlete of the century
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