Secretariat & Politics: How a Racehorse United America (1973)

19 May, 2025 Siobhan Marie Day 0 Comments 2 categories

A digital illustration or photo collage of Secretariat crossing the finish line at the Belmont Stakes (1973), with an American flag faded in the background. Include stylized overlays of 1970s newspaper headlines (e.g., Watergate, Vietnam Protests). Crowd in the stands should evoke unity — diverse, cheering, with motion blur for energy. Design it for use in a blog header or Instagram post. Tone: powerful, nostalgic, unifying.

In the spring of 1973, America was deeply fractured. The Vietnam War was still raging. Watergate hearings had just begun. Inflation, political mistrust, and civil unrest dominated the headlines. And then, from the starting gates of Churchill Downs, came a symbol no one expected: a 3-year-old chestnut colt named Secretariat.

March 28, 1973: The last group of U.S. prisoners of war released from North Vietnam depart from Hanoi

The Battle of Ia Drang was the first major battle between the United States Army and the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN), as part of the Pleiku Campaign conducted early in the Vietnam War, at the eastern foot of the Chu Pong Massif in the central highlands of Vietnam, in 1965. It is notable for being the first large scale helicopter air assault and also the first use of Boeing B-52 Stratofortress strategic bombers in a tactical support role. Ia Drang set the blueprint for the Vietnam War with the Americans relying on air mobility, artillery fire and close air support, while the PAVN neutralized that firepower by quickly engaging American forces at very close range. Ia Drang comprised two main engagements, centered on two helicopter landing zones (LZs), the first known as LZ X-Ray, followed by LZ Albany, farther north in the Ia Drang Valley. LZ X-Ray involved the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment and supporting units under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore, and took place November 14–16, at LZ X-Ray. Surrounded and under heavy fire from a numerically superior force, the American forces were able to hold back the North Vietnamese forces over three days, largely through the support of air power and heavy artillery bombardment, which the North Vietnamese lacked. The Americans claimed LZ X-Ray as a tactical victory, citing a 10:1 kill ratio. The second engagement involved the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment plus supporting units under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Robert McDade, and took place on November 17 at LZ Albany. When an American battalion was ambushed in close quarters, who were unable to use air and artillery support due to the close engagement of the North Vietnamese, the Americans suffered an over-50% casualty rate before being extricated. Both sides claimed victory. The battle at LZ X-Ray was documented in the CBS special report Battle of Ia Drang Valley by Morley Safer and the critically acclaimed book We Were Soldiers Once... And Young by Hal Moore and Joseph L. Galloway. In 1994, Moore, Galloway and men who fought on both the American and North Vietnamese sides, traveled back to the remote jungle clearings where the battle took place. At the time the U.S. did not have diplomatic relations with Vietnam. The risky trip which took a year to arrange was part of an award-winning ABC News documentary, They Were Young and Brave produced by Terence Wrong. Randall Wallace depicted the battle at LZ X-Ray in the 2002 movie We Were Soldiers starring Mel Gibson and Barry Pepper as Moore and Galloway, respectively. Galloway later described Ia Drang as "the battle that convinced Ho Chi Minh he could win". Photo Credit: United States Army

Washington, DC. John W. Dean III faces the Senate Watergate Committee As hearings resume on the Watergate Affair. Dean, the ousted White House Counsel, lead-off his testimony with a lengthy public statement. Photo Credit: AFP

The New York Times - 1973 Inflation Spike

Protesters demonstrate during Richard Nixon's second inauguration in Washington, D.C., on January 20, 1973. Photo by Nick Machalaba/Penske Media via Getty Images

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

Over the course of just five weeks, Secretariat didn’t just win the Triple Crown — he won the hearts of a nation that desperately needed something to believe in. At a time of protests, division, and disillusionment, he became a unifying figure in American culture.

Horse Racing: Belmont Stakes: Secretariat owner Helen "Penny" Chenery Tweedy victorious with trophy after winning race and Triple Crown at Belmont Park. Elmont, NY 6/9/1973 Photo by Neil Leifer /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images

Protesters demonstrate during Richard Nixon's second inauguration in Washington, D.C., on January 20, 1973. Photo by Fairchild Archive/Penske Media via Getty Images

The Political Landscape of 1973

In May and June of 1973, the United States was in the thick of the Watergate scandal. Senate hearings were dominating daytime television. Richard Nixon’s approval ratings were plummeting. The country was still reeling from years of involvement in Vietnam, with returning veterans often met not with celebration, but indifference or protest. Trust in government, institutions, and media had reached a new low.

Amid that uncertainty, Secretariat galloped into the national consciousness.

Unspecified members of the Judiciary Committee in the committee room of the Rayburn House Office Building during the Judiciary Committee Impeachment Panel which had met to hear evidence relating to the Watergate scandal, in Washington, DC, 29th July 1974. The panel's findings eventually led to the impeachment of President Nixon. Photo Credit: Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Washington Post Reporters (L) Bob Woodward and (R) Carl Bernstein walk from Federal court after covering the President Richard Nixon Watergate hearings March 1,1974 Washington, DC. Photo Credit: David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images

Vietnam Veterans Against the War participate in the Home With Honor parade in Manhattan, New York City, New York, which honored Prisoners of War and veterans returning from the Vietnam War, and also prompted counter-protests by groups opposed to the war, March 31, 1973. Photo by Stuart Lutz/Gado/Getty Images

Nixon and Watergate were on the minds of Americans in 1973 as the Watergate Hearings in Congress began.

View of an anti-President Nixon demonstrators, many in boaters with a stickers that read 'Impeach Nixon,' during a rally in front of the White House (at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW), Washington DC, October 21, 1973. Photo by Ann E. Zelle/Getty Images

Triple-crown champion racehorse Secretariat, April 29, 1973. © Bettmann/Getty Images

The Kentucky Derby: A Moment of Hope

Kentucky Derby, the most prestigious American horse race, established in 1875 and run annually on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs racetrack, Louisville, Kentucky. With the Preakness Stakes (run in mid-May) and the Belmont Stakes (early in June), it makes up American Thoroughbred racing’s coveted Triple Crown. The Derby field is limited to three-year-olds and, since 1975, to 20 horses; fillies carry 121 pounds (55 kg) and colts 126 pounds (57 kg). The race distance was reduced in 1896 from 1.5 miles (about 2,400 meters) to its present 1.25 miles (about 2,000 meters). In the early 21st century it was one of the most popular single-day spectator events in the world, attracting some 150,000 spectators to Churchill Downs annually.

On May 5, 1973, over 134,000 people packed Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky for the Kentucky Derby. Millions more watched from home. Secretariat not only won — he did it with flair, running each quarter-mile faster than the last, finishing in a record time of 1:59 2/5. For many, it was the first time in months they’d cheered for something together.

UNITED STATES - MAY 05: Horse Racing: Kentucky Derby, Ron Turcotte in action aboard Secretariat at Churchill Downs, Louisville, KY 5/5/1973 Photo by Jerry Cooke/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images

Horse Racing: Kentucky Derby: Ron Turcotte in action aboard Secretariat (1A) during race at Churchill Downs. Louisville, KY 5/5/1973 CREDIT: Neil Leifer Photo by Neil Leifer /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X17680 TK1 )

(Original Caption) Secretariat here is ridden by Ron Turcotte as he wins the Kentucky Derby. Sham, #5 is riden by Liffit Pincay, and came in second.

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

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

Penny Chenery, Secretariat’s owner, was also a symbol of strength and grace under pressure. A woman running a racing operation in a male-dominated sport, she embodied resilience and vision — qualities Americans were longing to see.

Elizabeth Ham, Penny Chenery, Lucien Laurin, Secretariat and jockey Ron Turcotte at the Winner Circle at the 1973 Kentucky Derby.

The Preakness: National Eyes Turn

Preakness Stakes, a 13/16-mile (about 1,900-metre) flat race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held at Pimlico Race Course, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S., annually in mid-May. Fillies carry 121 pounds (55 kg), colts 126 pounds (57 kg). The Preakness Stakes is the second (and shortest) race of the Triple Crown of American horse racing, which also comprises the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes.

By the time the Preakness Stakes came around on May 19, Secretariat was more than a racehorse. He was a cultural event. Newspapers, magazines, and TV anchors referred to him as a “superhorse.” Crowds at Pimlico chanted his name. Footage of his come-from-behind victory was broadcast nationwide.

Even those indifferent to racing felt drawn to this unflinching athlete who seemed to outrun cynicism itself.

(Original Caption) Secretariat comes to the finish line in the 98th running of the Preakness Stakes with Ron Turcotte in the irons. Sham with jockey Laffit Pincay Jr. up, finished second.

Secretariat on the cover of TIME Magazine on June 11, 1973. Photo Credit: TIME Magazine

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.

(Original Caption) PIMLICO RACE COURSE, MD: Going into the first turn of the Preakness Stakes 5/19 Secretariat, the winner of the second jewel of the triple crown, is running last in a field of 6 horses. Behind Secretariat at the finish was Sham in 2nd., Our Native 3rd and Ecole Etage 4th.

The Belmont Stakes: A Nation Cheers

Belmont Stakes, oldest and longest of the three classic horse races (with the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes) that constitute the Triple Crown of American horse racing. The Belmont Stakes originated in 1867 and is named after the financier, diplomat, and sportsman August Belmont. It has been run at various distances and tracks in its history. Since 1905, however, it has been held at Belmont Park, near New York City, and the course has been 1.5 miles (about 2,400 metres) in length since 1926. The race is held early in June and is the final race of the Triple Crown.

On June 9, 1973, over 67,000 people filled Belmont Park in New York, and an estimated 15 million watched live on TV. Secretariat’s win wasn’t just a victory — it was a blowout. He crossed the finish line 31 lengths ahead of the competition in 2:24 flat, the fastest 1.5 miles ever run on dirt.

Canadian jockey Ron Turcotte riding Secretariat in the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, 9th June 1973. Other runners and riders. Photo by Bettmann Archive/Getty Images

ELMONT, NY - JUNE 9: Winner Secretariat with Jockey Ron Turcotte during the Belmont Stakes on June 9, 1973 at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Photo by Herb Scharfman/Sports Imagery/Getty Images

Horse Racing: Belmont Stakes: Ron Turcotte in action aboard Secretariat (2) during race at Belmont Park. Elmont, NY 6/9/1973 Photo by Neil Leifer /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images

ELMONT, NY - JUNE 9, 1973: Jockey Ron Turcotte sits atop of Secretariat (2) racing to win the Triple Crown at the Belmont Stakes June 9, 1973, at Belmont Park, Elmont, NY. Photo by Focus On Sport/Getty Images

Canadian jockey Ron Turcotte riding American thoroughbred Secretariat (1970-1989), in blue-and-white-checkered blinders, to victory in the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, 9th June 1973. Having already won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, Secretariat secured the Triple Crown when he won in the Belmont Stakes. Photo by Bettmann Archive/Getty Images

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

The crowd roared not just for a horse, but for an idea: that something pure, something powerful, could still emerge from a country so fractured.

Sunday News - Secretariat! Sweeps Triple Crown With A Record Smashing Belmont (1973)

A Symbol of American Possibility

In a year where headlines were filled with resignations, subpoenas, and protests, Secretariat gave the nation three Saturdays of unity. His speed was unmatched. His dominance undeniable. His story? Unscripted, raw, and real.

He became a metaphor for everything Americans wanted to believe again: that greatness could emerge from chaos, that grace under pressure mattered, that the impossible was still possible.

Elmont, N.Y.: People gather around a giant statue of Secretariat at Belmont Park as they celebrate the 50th anniversary of Secretariat at the 2023 Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York on the afternoon of June 10, 2023. Photo by Thomas A. Ferrara/Newsday RM via Getty Images

Legacy Beyond the Racetrack

Secretariat’s cultural impact went beyond horse racing. He was featured on the cover of Time, Newsweek, and Sports Illustrated in the same week. His fame brought people of all political backgrounds together — conservatives and liberals, city dwellers and rural fans, war protestors and veterans alike. He offered escape, but also renewal.

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Secretariat’s Triple Crown sweep, the Kentucky Derby Museum invites you to experience all aspects of Secretariat’s greatness – from his impact as a celebrity, to his incredible athleticism, to his role in the midst of war and Watergate, and beyond.

Penny Chenery herself recognized the moment. In interviews, she often acknowledged that Secretariat’s story provided a kind of healing, a focal point of national pride in a dark political time.

The Power of a Horse in a Political Storm

Secretariat’s 1973 Triple Crown wasn’t just a sports triumph. It was a moment of rare cultural cohesion. In a divided America, for a few brief moments, millions found themselves on the same side: cheering, breathless, united in awe.