The history of Secretariat: The unstoppable horse that set unbeaten records for all three Triple Crown races

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Secretariat is the most well-known racehorse in history. The 1973 Triple Crown winner, who was owned by Penny Chenery, still holds unbroken records for the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes. 

The horse, also known as Big Red, won most of the races he ran by a landslide leading into the Triple Crown.

Secretariat was born at Meadow Farm in Virginia in March 1970. When he was two years old, his racing career began. His very first race was on July 4, 1972, at Aqueduct Racetrack in New York City. Big Red got off to a rocky start after being bumped at the beginning of the race. He finished in fourth place.

Secretariat was ridden by jockey Ron Turcotte for most of his racing career, including the Triple Crown races. (Jerry Cooke/Corbis via Getty Images)

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Although his racing career didn’t start off with a win, there would be many triumphs to come for Big Red. 

The horse's second race was the first win for Secretariat. The next race was on July 31, where he won again. This race was won with Ron Turcotte on his back, the man who would become Secretariat’s main jockey. 

During the 1972 season, he won seven out of nine races that he competed in. He was also named Horse of the Year. This was a huge title for Secretariat to hold, especially considering how young he was at the time.

In 1973, Secretariat started the racing season off on a high, winning his first race at Aqueduct racetrack and his second at Gotham Stakes. 

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The records set by Secretariat in the three Triple Crown races still