Secretariat won the 1973 Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes to complete the American Triple Crown.
Bred by Meadow Stable and trained by Lucien Laurin, Secretariat became one of the most famous Thoroughbreds in racing history. He won the Kentucky Derby in a then-record 1:59 2/5 and set a track record in the Preakness Stakes, although the official time was debated for years.
His Belmont Stakes victory was especially remarkable: Secretariat won by 31 lengths, the largest margin in the race’s history, while setting a world-record time of 2:24 for 1½ miles on dirt. His 1973 Triple Crown was the first since Citation in 1948.
Secretariat is sometimes confused with Seattle Slew or Affirmed, the two horses that followed him as Triple Crown winners. He was also a successful sire, but his racing achievements remain the foundation of his enduring reputation.