Big Red

Secretariat statue at Churchill Downs

Have y’all seen the recent release Secretariat yet? It’s a great movie — exciting, uplifting, full of great characters, and based on the true story of one of the South’s own most winningest thoroughbreds.

In case you and your family want to check out some of the true history, here are a few resources for you to explore concerning the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and the Belmont Stakes, which collectively make up the Triple Crown.

It hasn’t been done in 32 years, so while it’s always exciting to watch, history proves that what this “Big Red” did was remarkable!

• At the Kentucky Derby site, you can watch footage, and read a synopsis of the race in the original form.
• From the archives, a great New York Times article, declaring Secretariat “Horse of the Year” in 1972.
• Articles on ESPN about Secretariat’s performance at the Belmont and record-breaking career. (Be sure to view the Odds and Ends at the end of the article. Did you know upon Secretariat’s passing, the autopsy revealed his heart was around 2 times larger that of an average horse?)
• A couple of great DVDs on Kentucky Derby Greatest Moments and The Life and Times of Secretariat.
• If you’re interested in reading even more about Secretariat, pick up William Nack’s The Making of a Champion, Secretariat by Timothy Capps, The Big Red Horse by Lawrence Scanlan, or Secretariat’s Meadow by Kate Chenery Tweedy.
• And here are some stats on “Big Red” — everything you’d want to know from birthdate to height, from wins to how many foals he sired.