5 May, 2025 Siobhan Marie Day 0 Comments 3 categories
May 5, 1973: Secretariat Makes History Fastest Kentucky Derby Ever. A record that still stands.

Featured Film of the Month: Secretariat (2010)
Featured TV Series: Luck (HBO, 2011)

On May 5, 1973, a chestnut colt named Secretariat stormed past the finish line at Churchill Downs, clocking in at an astonishing 1:59 2/5 — still the fastest Kentucky Derby ever run. What followed was a triumphant march into horse racing history, one that would culminate in the first Triple Crown win in 25 years.

The 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat, known as Big Red, with owner Penny Chenery.
A scene from the Kentucky Derby race at Churchill Downs in "Secretariat" (2010) Photo Credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Secretariat thundering down the homestretch, with jockey Ron Turcotte aboard, to win the 1973 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, Louisville. © Jerry Cooke—Corbis Historical/Getty Images
Secretariat: 1973 Kentucky Derby Secretariat and jockey Ron Turcotte winning the Kentucky Derby, 1973. Action Plus Sports Images/Alamy
Kentucky Derby – May 5, 1973 Secretatriat went off as a 3-to-2 betting favorite, a touch better than Sham who went off at 5-to-2. While Sham ran near the front for much of the race, Secretariat methodically hunted every horse down, running each successive quarter mile faster than the previous meaning he was still accelerating near the end of the race. Ultimately, Big Red as he was known, won by a touch more than two lengths in a still-standing Derby record of 1:59.4. Preakness Stakes – May 19, 1973 It was more of the same for Secretariat in Baltimore as jockey Ron Turcotte allowed the rest of the field to go out and then picked his way through to win by two-and-a-half lengths over Sham, again. This race was not without controversy, however, as there were timing discrepancies. The infield teletimer had been damaged so its time of 1:55 was called into question and the Pimlico Race Course timer showed it at 1:54.4 and the Daily Racing Form at 1:53.4. It was not until 2012 when the Maryland Racing Commission was asked by Secretariat’s owner, Penny Chenery, to conduct a forensic review of all footage and determine the time. It was deemed to be 1:53 which set a new Preakness Stakes record (39 years after the race was run and 23 years after Secretariat had died). Belmont Stakes – June 9, 1973 Secretariat pulled away from Sham (who later was diagnosed with an leg injury) near the end of the backstretch and just kept pulling away. The track announcer referred to him as a “tremendous machine” along the way and even had trouble estimating the margin of victory; announcing it at 25 lengths, but official reviews put it at 31 lengths (over 250 feet). And the time! The time of this race was 2:24 flat, which obliterated the world record for a mile-and-a-half dirt track by 2.6 seconds.

Today marks 52 years since that historic Derby victory, and we at MoviesToHistory.com are celebrating by spotlighting the real legend behind the Hollywood version. While Disney’s Secretariat (2010) captures the grandeur of this moment, the truth behind the horse, the people, and the legacy is even more thrilling than fiction.

May 5, 1973: Secretariat Makes History Fastest Kentucky Derby Ever. A record that still stands.
Directed by Randall Wallace, Written by Mike Rich, and Sheldon Turner, Produced by Mark Ciardi, and Gordon Gray, Starring: Diane Lane, John Malkovich, Dylan Walsh, James Cromwell, Kevin Connolly, Scott Glenn, with Cinematography by Dean Semler, Edited by John Wright, with Music by Nick Glennie-Smith, Production companies: Walt Disney Pictures, Mayhem Pictures, Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. (2010)

A Race Like No Other

In 1973, Secretariat was already the favorite coming into the Derby, but few expected the performance that would unfold. Unlike most horses who fade late, Secretariat ran each quarter-mile faster than the one before it — a feat virtually unheard of in racing.

Secretariat: 1973 Kentucky Derby Secretariat and jockey Ron Turcotte winning the Kentucky Derby, 1973. Action Plus Sports Images/Alamy

Final time: 1:59 2/5
Track: Fast
Crowd: Over 134,000 spectators

It was the first sign that Secretariat wasn’t just a great horse — he was something far rarer: a sports icon in the making.

Adorned with the Garland of Roses, Secretariat, with jockey Ron Turcotte and groom Eddie Sweat, celebrate their victory at the 1973 Kentucky Derby. © Jerry Cooke—Corbis Historical/Getty Images

From Derby to Immortality

Secretariat went on to win the Preakness Stakes with another come-from-behind sprint. But it was the Belmont Stakes that immortalized him.

BALTIMORE (AP) — Calling Secretariat a Triple Crown winner actually might understate his dominance. The colt not only won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes in 1973 — he finished each in record time. It just took 39 years for that part of his incredible sweep to become official. When Secretariat won the Preakness a half-century ago, he was a star but not yet a legend. His 31-length romp in the Belmont was still to come, and although his back-to-front surge on the first turn at Pimlico was spectacular, the colt’s final time of 1 minute, 55 seconds wasn’t all that noteworthy. It was a second slower than the Preakness mark set two years earlier by Canonero II. But the dispute over that time was only beginning, and it wasn’t until 2012 when Penny Chenery — Secretariat’s owner — finally succeeded in securing her horse’s Preakness record. She died in 2017 at age 95.
Secretariat winning by a record 31 lengths at the Belmont Stakes, 1973. Dave Pickoff—AP/Shutterstock.com

On June 9, 1973, Secretariat ran the Belmont not just to win — but to demolish. He pulled ahead by an unthinkable 31 lengths, a margin so absurd it looked staged. His time of 2:24 flat remains the fastest 1.5-mile ever run on dirt.

Secretariat and jockey Ron Turcotte winning the Belmont Stakes and the Triple Crown in a record-breaking time of 2:24, finishing 31 lengths ahead of the competiton, on June 9, 1973. Bettmann/Getty Images

A Record That Still Stands

Over half a century later, no horse has broken Secretariat’s Derby or Belmont times. He remains the only horse in history to hold the fastest times in all three Triple Crown races. Even with decades of breeding, training evolution, and technology, Secretariat’s records haven’t been seriously challenged.

Kentucky Derby – May 5, 1973 Secretatriat went off as a 3-to-2 betting favorite, a touch better than Sham who went off at 5-to-2. While Sham ran near the front for much of the race, Secretariat methodically hunted every horse down, running each successive quarter mile faster than the previous meaning he was still accelerating near the end of the race. Ultimately, Big Red as he was known, won by a touch more than two lengths in a still-standing Derby record of 1:59.4. Preakness Stakes – May 19, 1973 It was more of the same for Secretariat in Baltimore as jockey Ron Turcotte allowed the rest of the field to go out and then picked his way through to win by two-and-a-half lengths over Sham, again. This race was not without controversy, however, as there were timing discrepancies. The infield teletimer had been damaged so its time of 1:55 was called into question and the Pimlico Race Course timer showed it at 1:54.4 and the Daily Racing Form at 1:53.4. It was not until 2012 when the Maryland Racing Commission was asked by Secretariat’s owner, Penny Chenery, to conduct a forensic review of all footage and determine the time. It was deemed to be 1:53 which set a new Preakness Stakes record (39 years after the race was run and 23 years after Secretariat had died). Belmont Stakes – June 9, 1973 Secretariat pulled away from Sham (who later was diagnosed with an leg injury) near the end of the backstretch and just kept pulling away. The track announcer referred to him as a “tremendous machine” along the way and even had trouble estimating the margin of victory; announcing it at 25 lengths, but official reviews put it at 31 lengths (over 250 feet). And the time! The time of this race was 2:24 flat, which obliterated the world record for a mile-and-a-half dirt track by 2.6 seconds.

From History to Hollywood

Disney’s Secretariat (2010), our featured film this month, captures much of the spirit of the story — from owner Penny Chenery’s (Diane Lane) perseverance to trainer Lucien Laurin’s (John Malkovich) eccentric wisdom. But like all biopics, it smooths out the rough edges and simplifies the narrative. That’s why we’re spending May digging into the real history behind the film: what it got right, what it embellished, and what it left out.

Directed by Randall Wallace, Written by Mike Rich, and Sheldon Turner, Produced by Mark Ciardi, and Gordon Gray, Starring: Diane Lane, John Malkovich, Dylan Walsh, James Cromwell, Kevin Connolly, Scott Glenn, with Cinematography by Dean Semler, Edited by John Wright, with Music by Nick Glennie-Smith, Production companies: Walt Disney Pictures, Mayhem Pictures, Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. (2010)
The 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat, known as Big Red, with owner Penny Chenery.
Diane Lane as Penny Chenery in "Secretariat" (2010) Photo Credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Diane Lane as Penny Chenery in "Secretariat" (2010) Photo Credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Lucien Laurin, Secretariat's trainer, in Belmont Park, Elmont, New York, circa 1973. Photo by Michael Gold/Getty Images
John Malkovich as Lucien Laurin in "Secretariat" (2010) Photo Credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Penny Tweedy, Secretariat's owner, and trainer Lucien Laurin in front of sign in Belmont Park, Elmont, New York, circa 1973. Photo by Michael Gold/Getty Images
Margo Martindale, John Malkovich and Diane Lane in "Secretariat" (2010) Photo Credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

We’re also pairing this retrospective with HBO’s Luck (2011), a very different take on the world of horse racing. While Secretariat is about triumph, Luck is about the moral shadows cast by the sport. The combination gives us a rare window into how Hollywood portrays both the light and dark sides of equine history.

Genre Drama Created by David Milch Starring Dustin Hoffman Dennis Farina John Ortiz Richard Kind Kevin Dunn Ian Hart Ritchie Coster Jason Gedrick Kerry Condon Gary Stevens Tom Payne Jill Hennessy Nick Nolte Michael Gambon Opening theme "Splitting the Atom" by Massive Attack Country of origin United States Original language English No. of seasons 1 No. of episodes 9 Production Executive producers David Milch Michael Mann Carolyn Strauss Producer Dustin Hoffman Running time 47–67 minutes Production company HBO Entertainment Original release Network HBO
Dustin Hoffman as Chester "Ace" Bernstein in "Luck" (2011) Photo Credit: HBO Entertainment
Dennis Farina, and Dustin Hoffman in "Luck" (2011) Photo Credit: HBO Entertainment
Jason Gedrick, Ian Hart, Ritchie Coster, and Kevin Dunn in "Luck" (2011) Photo Credit: HBO Entertainment
A scene of one of the horse races in "Luck" (2011) Photo Credit: HBO Entertainment

Join the Conversation

This month at MoviesToHistory.com, we invite you to:

  • Read our breakdown: What Secretariat Got Right — and What It Missed
  • Watch our Reel: Secretariat’s 31-Length Belmont: Real vs. Reel
  • Compare: Secretariat vs. Luck — Ethics, Legacy, and Spectacle
  • Explore: The Real Penny Chenery: Trailblazer Behind the Crown

Follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Facebook for carousels, reels, threads, and more as we unpack the truth behind the track.

Because history deserves better than a highlight reel.

Exercise riders work out their mounts on the morning of the 2023 Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park racetrack in New York.
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