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SPORTS Thursday 7 June 2018
Secretariat's mighty ride jolted all of racing 45 years ago

By BETH HARRIS front around the turn, but and died in 1993.
AP Racing Writer not for long. In addition to Secretariat,
NEW YORK (AP) — Ron On the backstretch, Pincay the 1970s produced two
Turcotte peeked under his sensed something wasn't other Triple Crown winners:
arm with about a quarter- right with his horse. Turcotte Seattle Slew in 1977 and
mile to go in the Belmont noticed, too. Affirmed the next year.
Stakes. The other horses "I was feeling like he was Secretariat became a
were mere dots behind him weak. I tapped him again pop culture phenomenon,
and Secretariat. and I had nothing," Pincay appearing on the cover of
With the crowd roaring, the said, initially thinking Sham Time and a U.S. stamp and
chestnut colt nicknamed was bleeding. was the subject of a 2010
Big Red hit the wire an He checked and didn't see Disney movie. His name
astounding 31 lengths any blood. recognition, even among
in front on June 9, 1973, Approaching the quarter- those who don't follow
at Belmont Park. The pole, Pincay knew Sham sports, remains strong 29
racing world had never was injured. years after his death and he
seen anything like his "He didn't feel right to me, appears in the pedigree of
performance before or so that's why I tried to save many current racehorses.
since. him," Pincay told the AP. His owner, Penny Chenery,
When Justify runs in the "I stopped him before the died in September at
Belmont on Saturday, it wire." 95. Bill Nack, the former
will be 45 years to the day Secretariat began Sports Illustrated writer
Secretariat ended a 25- distancing himself from who chronicled Big Red's
year Triple Crown drought his closest competition as career, died in February
by sweeping the Kentucky Sham started to fade. at 77. Trainer Lucien Laurin
Derby, Preakness and "Secretariat is widening died in 2000.
Belmont. now," track announcer Now 76, Turcotte became
"He'll be awfully hard to Chic Anderson intoned. "He a paraplegic after a riding
beat," Turcotte told The is moving like a tremendous accident in 1978. He plans
Associated Press by phone machine!" to travel to Belmont Park
from his home in Canada. Turcotte took his famous as he has in recent years In this May 5, 1973, file photo, jockey Ron Turcotte rides
Secretariat to victory in the 99th Kentucky Derby at Churchill
"I feel he's going to win the peek back to see how far to witness another Triple Downs in Louisville, Ky.
Triple Crown." behind the other horses Crown bid.q Associated Press
Turcotte thought the same were. The rest of the race
thing about Secretariat. he kept his eye on the timer
Sent off as the 1-10 favorite in the infield.
by the crowd of 69,138, "We kept breaking records
Secretariat faced just through the stretch," he
four rivals in the 1 ½-mile said.
Belmont, the longest and Secretariat ran the mile in
most grueling of the three- 1:34 1/5. He reeled off 1 ¼
race series. miles in 1:59, faster than his
"I was very, very confident," record time in the Derby.
Turcotte recalled. "I didn't He had long since ceased
think he could get beat." running against the other
Among Secretariat's four horses; he was racing the
rivals was Sham, who had clock and history.
finished second in both the Big Red completed the
Derby and Preakness. last quarter in a scant 25
Sham's jockey, Laffit Pincay seconds. He finished in 2:24,
Jr., had been instructed by a record that still stands.
trainer Frank Martin to go Sham finished last, and an
after Secretariat from the angry Martin approached
start. Pincay after the race
Secretariat went to the asking why he didn't let
early lead along the rail Sham run. Although Sham
and was soon challenged showed no outward signs
by Sham. The two were of injury, Pincay told Martin
even through a half-mile the colt didn't feel right.
at a fevered pace in what Martin walked away.
became a match race "I felt bad about it," Pincay
with the rest of the field said. "I was sad the horse
about 10 lengths behind. didn't perform the way he
"Even if he stayed with me, had."
I didn't think any way in the The following Monday,
world he could beat me Pincay's phone rang in
because my horse was so Southern California and
good," Turcotte said. "He Martin was on the line.
had trained so hard for the "He apologized and
race and the others hadn't thanked me for saving his
done much." horse," the jockey said.
Sham poked his head in Sham never raced again