It just shows what a superhorse Secretariat was...even Pincay, knowing what a great horse Sham was and how fast he had him running noted Secretariat went by him very easily to win the derby.
What a gracious guy.... and a sense of humour when asked you had a pretty good of view of Secretariat.... "yuh... from behind" :) :) And his remarks on the Kentucky Derby, thinking he had it won... and then Secretariat racing by him "very very easily... no question about it, he was probably the greatest horse I ever saw..." And Sham, bless his heart, so valiant. and YES, not only did Sec set a KD record 1:59 2/5, but Sham also DID 1:59 4/5, right behind Secretariat.
bon 1042: I will always say that Sham was the perfect contender for Secretariat. However, what a lot of people don't realize is that the TC is considered the jockey's race! Remember Lucien Lauren Secretariat's trainer told Ron Turcotte to let Secretariat run his own race and he did to a point. The jockey has to get a horse out of trouble if there is any and know their horse, know when to kick that extra gear in! Secretariat was and is IMHO the greatest horse ever! Ron Turcotte is so gracious. He always gives the credit to the horse. Mr.Turcotte, bless you for hand riding Secretariat to victory. No jockey knows what to expect when the gate is released. The jockey and the horse are always at risk and so are the contenders. You have to be sharp, quick and balanced to have a safe race. That was 45 years ago. I'm sure Laffit Pincay thought he had it, as Sham was a beautiful and wonderful horse. I think there ware sour grapes as well because lets face it, Secretariat was won by a coin toss and a hand shake. I believe Sham cost $200,000!
@@lired70 He was perfect for Red, they were related after all. Their dams were sisters out of Princequillo, and they both ran like it. Ashame we didn’t get to see more of Sham after Belmont but we know why. Fun fact, Risen Star is buried next to Sham. Family is everything
@Bon1042 Did you know that Secretariat's heart weight 22 pounds His lungs and tubes were perfect! Sham's heart weighted 19 pounds.! Pretty incredible when you think about it! Also, Secretariat thew Ron when he was exercising one day. The funny thing was that Secretariat came back to pick Ron up! This being the 50th year of that incredible day in 1973. We will never see an equine and Jockey work In tandem to crush the Triple Crown!
Another one of the best jockies in history that put the claim Secretariat was the best right along with Cordero and Arcaro. I just looked at his major wins and awards he received during his career. Pincay was unbelievable.
" you had a pretty good view of Secretariat on a horse named Sham didn't you..." "yuh, from behind...." great comeback. Nice to have commentator point out Sham's relative status to Secretariat in Derby... second fastest time, 1:59 4/5... and not the winner.
Affirmed was awesome however Sham was a very good race horse that never got any credit. He had a lot of heart to be there with Secretariat through the TC races.
He got No credit from His Jockey at all. What He did get was whipped throughout every one of those Triple Crown Races. It is almost as if this Pincay Hates Sham because He didn't beat Secretariat. Sham, What a Magnificent Horse and during almost any other Year most likely the Triple Crown Winner. He is buried in a field unmarked next to another Horse. Unbelievable !!!
@@jeffhenry7306 Wow, had no idea that he was buried that way. Sham would’ve won the TC in ‘73 if it hadn’t been for Red. And yes, fuck Pincay and how he treated Sham. Sham was such a brave and extremely talented horse. RIP 😢
@@jeffhenry7306 Actually his grave is marked with a stone. Sham is buried at Walmac farm near Lexington. I’m getting ready to go visit. I agree that Sham never got the credit he deserved. It’s almost a cliche’ but, in any other year Sham would have been a triple crown winner. In this interview Pincay doesn’t say much about Sham and I think that’s sad.
@@Psyfi85 Sham was magnificent wasn’t he? Secretariat would have won the triple crown without him but not nearly in the spectacular way that he did. Sham broke the records at Churchill and Pimlico too.
@@myroselle6987 definitely, he pushed Sec to find gears he didn’t know about. Sham is severely overlooked for what he was capable of doing and did. Found out after my initial response that his grave is marked, made my day to find out he’s buried next to Risen Star.
Of course Affirmed achieved the results that no one can take from him and will always be remembered as an incredible horse. But when asked about the greatest horse he ever rode I thought (or perhaps wished) he had picked the incredible Sham. Story goes I think he knocked 2 teeth out in the gate at the Derby and then broke a bone in his leg at the Belmont? Ran record pace at both Derby and the Preakness BUT finished second. Wow .... right horse wrong time!
Absolutely. Sham was such a valiant horse, mistreated by Pincay in all 3 races. Red was enough motivation for Sham he didn’t need to be cropped to death nearly literally at Belmont. Poor guy broke his leg trying to keep pace with Red. So under appreciated..
I have watched horse racing since 1964. The greatest was Secretariat. Although I consider Affirmed to be the second greatest racehorse I ever saw. He was truly great.
Anything is possible. However, Sec.'s TIMES were so definitive in '73 Trip Crowne: his records for K Derby & Belmont have not been broken YET. I realize there are many variables; however, Sec had to have been extraordinary to have set these significant track records, which stand to date. I respect other's opinions. But clearly, Sec was riveting & remains 'the People's Horse' for many, even now.
@rscarbro100 I love Sec & agree. I wish he had been able to race after his third year. I'm grateful he remained sound/healthy. IMHO Sec is the greatest. He was such a phenom. Wish we could have watched him in his 4th/5th year. There won't be another like him.
he says Affirmed was the greatest horse he ever rode. But i believe it was Sham. Sham wouldve likely gone down as one of the greatest horses ever, i mean he still is but it wouldve been up there higher. But the poor bastard had the downright bad luck to be born the same years as gods own horse, Secretariat.
@21Sarabi I completely agree! IMHO, It's actually AWFUL the way Sham was 'beat up' (Pincay whipped the horse repeatedly) in Sham's final effort against Secretariat @ Belmont. Poor Sham is fortunate not to have broken down. Sham didn't race again after the Belmont. He was a Valiant horse, with amazing heart!
I agree. Secretariat is my favorite horse. However, Sham was a great contender. After Secretariat was running his own race at the Belmont, they just should have let Sham bow out! No horse should have to be cropped like that! Hey, to come in 2nd to Secretariat, it would make my day. Sham could have been cooked that day. If you use the crop 10 times and the horse can't go any faster, beating him with it won't make him go any faster either! Ronnie Turcotte even felt bad for Sham! May both horses RIP.
Absolutely Sham was mistreated, and he suffered his career-ending injury during the Belmont, although it was not initially reported that way. Pancho Martin should have been banned from racing for his handling of Sham.
All you have to do is CHECK THE TIMES in the Triple Crown races. Secretariat beats Affirmed by about 17 lengths in the Belmont. Secretariat comfortably beats Affirmed and Seattle Slew in all three Triple Crown races. Pincay never said that Affirmed was better or even equal to Secretariat. He said that Affirmed was the best horse HE ever raced on.
@rscarbro100 I have a 'lay persons' understanding of Secretariats statistics. I read a comment suggesting Sec was the closest we've seen to a wild stallion. I've paraphased badly. But I think he meant Sec's power & apparent natural gifts manifested the finest attibutes of his Species. This is how I feel about Sec. He was truly exceptional, a real phenomenon. People love him.
@nin12dog Its just not being a lover of Secretariat. Its just what he done no other ever done and still not has ever done. He was still growing between the Derby & Preakness. They build a special belt for the Preakness because he out grew the other. Turcotte said he was still a baby. Any expert will tell you a horse does not reach his maturity until he is 4 and for some 5 yrs..What else did he have to prove at 4? At 3 he beat most all records set by all others horses at any age.
@ZenyattaHOY Not necesarily......Sham was a GREAT HORSE! Do you think Affirmed would have have beaten SECRETARIAT? No one even came close to SEC in the Trip Crowne, EXCEPT SHAM, who ALSO broke the KD record as 2nd place. Sham just had to face SECRETARIAT when he was unbeatable - SEC was a Phenomenon.
An unskilled/untalented Jockey can lose on the best Horse Ever, but Great Jockeys like Pincay, Turcotte, Shoemaker, Arcaro can coax a win out of Horses that Nobody would expect to win, ever. Not every time they go to the Post, but more often than most would believe it possible.
If Secretariat had been 100% in the Derby, and therefore in shape, he would've blown the doors off Sham. Sham was a damn good horse, but no where close to Secretariat. Then again, no horse was.
@Chris Kavanagh: Secretariat had an abscess in his mouth. He ran a race the day before and kept shaking his head. His jockey Ron Turcotte said he never acted like that. He tried to get a message to his trainer Lucien Laurin to no avail. He some how ran the race. When he got back to his stable, the vet examined him and found the abscess. Eddie Sweat put hot packs on him all night. The abscess broke and the next day he won the KD! He truly was an amazing equine athlete!
How can He downplay Sham like He does ? Sham would have mopped the floor with Affirmed. Second fastest Derby and third fastest Preakness ever. He can't deal with the fact of what He was up against that Year. Sham would have won Him His only Triple Crown and He was SOOO close and it is like pulling teeth to get Him to Praise a Horse out of Bull Hancock's stable Who I believe is in the top 10 Of Greatest Horses Ever and Affirmed is not in that group.
A truly remarkable jockey...but the thing I remember him most for is beating the crap out of Sham in the derby and the Preakness trying to deal with Secretariat, who other than 2 quik swats at the beginning of the Derby home stretch, was ridden as hand rides in all 3 races....yes Sham broke the old Derby record too but he was beaten hard to do it and used up by the time the Belmont rolled around.
@ Steve Fowler: You are right. Laffit Pincay was given instructions to keep Secretariat close to the rail through the Belmont. Sham was a wonderful horse. However, in the Belmont, he was whipped almost to death the way I see it. Some horses do not respond to the whip! When everyone saw that their was a point of no return for the rest of the horses, they should be made to concede and put the damn whip away. Even Ron Trucotte felt horrible for Sham. That speaks volumes!
@@lired70 Completely agree, Sham was a gallant boy! Hate how Pincay rode him, Red was all the motivation Sham needed to win and vice versa. Sham broke his leg he was running so hard at Belmont. RIP to both legends
@@Psyfi85 Honestly Rusty, Ron Turcotte truly cared about the horses he rode. He got the kinks out of Secretariat, and according to Bill Nack who wrote the book Secretariat, (may he rest in peace)
@@Psyfi85 I may have lost half of my response. Anyway, Bill saw what Ron Turcotte did when he needed more power. He made a chirping noise and twisted his cuff somehow and that's all it took! Secretariat would just fly! Sham was a great challenge for Secretariat. However, he should have been treated better. No anal should be subjected to such abuse! Pincay ruined Sham. I swear, I really thought his heart was cooked. Two great equines, may they RIP. They gave so much for so little.
You have to figure that Lafitte and Sham probably had a lot to do with Sec’s great times in his triple crown wins. certainly in the first two legs anyways.
@JayAr709 As I suppose all Secretariat-lovers would suggest, it is unfortunate Sec was unable to race after he turned 4. Many think he would have even better (if that were possible). But are you saying the other mentioned (GREAT!) horses - SS, Affirmed, Alydar would have won against 3-yr-old Sec, after they had an additional year to mature? If so, this is would not be a 'level playing field'. Perhaps you're suggestins Sec was precocious & peaked early - possible.
@MelC54 Me too -- as to Pincay's opinion of Secretariat (who I believe is still enjoying the jet-assist of media hype) -- but not as to Affirmed being 'best'. Pincay DID ride Affirmed at age 3, when Affirmed won the '78 Santa Anita Derby by 8 lengths. At 4, after the 5 losing races cited by 'Bid's fans & Slew's fans -- the Travers DQ, another 2nd & a 3rd (after a Rainiest Season in California History) + Throat Infection/dozing Cauthen and the Saddle Slippage helping Slew -- they never lost again
@nin12dog Name me one horse with only 4 workouts before a race coming off a serious illness that ran a world record 1:45 2/5. Still the record at Belmont Park. The fractions were 1:09.2, 1:33. the mile, 1:39.2 for the 1 1/16, 1:45 2 for the 1 1/8. These times he done 'Pullin Up' after the race was done. 1:51.6 for the 1 3/16 thats faster than R.R. WR of 1:52.2 that still stands & 1:57.8. Tied SB record that still stands. He done all this taking the long route not in top form.Holy Cow
There a lot of factors to consider. If the fastest horse gets blocked in or bumped he can easily finish out if the money. They don't have their own lane to run in.
@bltorioles Affirmed was one hell of a horse. Let your saddle slip and its over for any horse. The throat infection in which he did have in the M.C. could have very well down graded his performance against a 4 yr. old Slew. As for competiton Slew ran the poorest at 3.. Ask Steve Hakiins or even Slew's jockey. They said he ran against oridnary horses. What horse in history beat 4 champion horses in just one race. 'Nobody' is the answer except Secretariat.
Agreed on Slew, still a fime horse but Sham had Secretariat and Forego to contend with, *both* of whom are rated higher than Slew on the Bloodhorse top 100 horses of the 20th century.
@nin12dog He well may have. So, too, might Alydar & Spectacular Bid (& Slew)- Affirmed & 'Bid (at age 4) likely (if not at 3) in my opinion. Sham was a clear second among an arguably soft crop of 3-year olds that Secretariat dominated. Sham's lifetime record, from 13 starts?: 5-5-1. Affirmed's, at age 3 alone, from 11 starts: 8-2-0 (includes both excusable losses to Seattle Slew). At age 4 Affirmed won 6 straight grade-ones (14 in all), ending in a Jockey Clib Gold Cup romp over Spectacular Bid
A "soft" crop of thee year olds that contained Secretariat, Sham and Forego, the first two of whom have the two largest measured throughbred hearts in world history and perhaps not coincidentally the two fastest times in Kentucky Derby history !?! Affirmed's record tanks if he meets Secretariat too often.
Besides Secretariat, Seattle's Slewwas the best. $17,500....not the best of bloodlines.... mom and pop type owners, not a well known Trainer....the ONLY undefeated triple crown winner.
Should've been arrested for animal abuse after the Preakness- beat the shit out that horse - even ronnie said he felt sorry for sham an could him beating em over all the other noise
@MelC54 Triple crown was Affirmed only claim to fame? How about horse of the year in 1979....Sham was a great horse, but ran into probably the best horse who ever lived in Secretariat. Sham vs Affirmed is subjective, but Affirmed's records and feats ( espicially in 1979 with Pincay ) is hard to deny. Pincay would know better than anyone and Affirmed certainly had the numbers
A 4y.o. Affirmed usually beats a 3y.o. Sham, but a 4y.o. Sham did not race. Sham still had the 2nd largest heart ever measured on any throughbred in human history and was a cousin to Secretariat.
Comparing race times of 1973 to 1977/1978 is purely academic and theoretical. I see this over and over by people who think all track surfaces are the same at all times. A horse's time can only be compared to the other horses' times in the same race. To say that a great horse that won a race can beat another great horse that won the same race by a certain number of lengths strictly by comparing times is nothing short of stupidity.
I think Secretariat is 2nd best of all time. Man 'o War's times were slower but there are other factors such as track surface prep, no starting gate during MoW's time, training techniques, and farrier methods and technology.
Man o War also carried more weight than Secretariat. It really is impossible to compare entire careers since they raced in such different eras. It would be like comparing prime Tiger Woods to prime Jack Nicklaus. If you transport Tiger back to 1965 and give him Jack’s clubs and tell them to play a series of matches, who would win? I don’t know. If you transport Jack to 2000 and give him Tiger’s clubs and tell them to play a series of matches, who would win? I don’t know. I will say one thing though. If you gave Jack the exact same equipment as Tiger and they both played in the 2000 US Open, Tiger would beat Jack for sure. If Man o War was transported to the 1973 Belmont Stakes and he raced under the same rules as the other horses in the race, Secretariat would beat him handily.
Upon necropsy Sham is said to have a large heart too! However, Secretariat won again! His heart was approximately 22 pounds! I think Sham's heart was 17 pounds.
@JayAr709 As I suppose all Secretariat-lovers would suggest, it is unfortunate Sec was unable to race after he turned 4. Many think he would have even better (if that were possible). But are you saying the other mentioned (GREAT!) horses - SS, Affirmed, Alydar would have won against 3-yr-old Sec, after they had an additional year to mature? If so, this is would not be a 'level playing field'. Perhaps you're suggestins Sec was precocious & peaked early - possible.
Secretariat, the best i ever seen, the race caller on that day like a tremendous machine
It just shows what a superhorse Secretariat was...even Pincay, knowing what a great horse Sham was and how fast he had him running noted Secretariat went by him very easily to win the derby.
What a gracious guy.... and a sense of humour when asked you had a pretty good of view of Secretariat.... "yuh... from behind" :) :) And his remarks on the Kentucky Derby, thinking he had it won... and then Secretariat racing by him "very very easily... no question about it, he was probably the greatest horse I ever saw..." And Sham, bless his heart, so valiant. and YES, not only did Sec set a KD record 1:59 2/5, but Sham also DID 1:59 4/5, right behind Secretariat.
bon 1042: I will always say that Sham was the perfect contender for Secretariat. However, what a lot of people don't realize is that the TC is considered the jockey's race! Remember Lucien Lauren Secretariat's trainer told Ron Turcotte to let Secretariat run his own race and he did to a point. The jockey has to get a horse out of trouble if there is any and know their horse, know when to kick that extra gear in! Secretariat was and is IMHO the greatest horse ever! Ron Turcotte is so gracious. He always gives the credit to the horse. Mr.Turcotte, bless you for hand riding Secretariat to victory. No jockey knows what to expect when the gate is released. The jockey and the horse are always at risk and so are the contenders. You have to be sharp, quick and balanced to have a safe race. That was 45 years ago. I'm sure Laffit Pincay thought he had it, as Sham was a beautiful and wonderful horse. I think there ware sour grapes as well because lets face it, Secretariat was won by a coin toss and a hand shake. I believe Sham cost $200,000!
@@lired70 He was perfect for Red, they were related after all. Their dams were sisters out of Princequillo, and they both ran like it. Ashame we didn’t get to see more of Sham after Belmont but we know why. Fun fact, Risen Star is buried next to Sham. Family is everything
@Bon1042
Did you know that Secretariat's heart weight 22 pounds
His lungs and tubes were perfect! Sham's heart weighted 19 pounds.! Pretty incredible when you think about it! Also, Secretariat thew Ron when he was exercising one day. The funny thing was that Secretariat came back to pick Ron up! This being the 50th year of that incredible day in 1973. We will never see an equine and Jockey work In tandem to crush the Triple Crown!
Yet neither of them could catch Angle Light in the Wood .
Another one of the best jockies in history that put the claim Secretariat was the best right along with Cordero and Arcaro. I just looked at his major wins and awards he received during his career. Pincay was unbelievable.
" you had a pretty good view of Secretariat on a horse named Sham didn't you..."
"yuh, from behind...." great comeback. Nice to have commentator point out Sham's relative status to Secretariat in Derby... second fastest time, 1:59 4/5... and not the winner.
Affirmed was awesome however Sham was a very good race horse that never got any credit. He had a lot of heart to be there with Secretariat through the TC races.
He got No credit from His Jockey at all. What He did get was whipped throughout every one of those Triple Crown Races. It is almost as if this Pincay Hates Sham because He didn't beat Secretariat. Sham, What a Magnificent Horse and during almost any other Year most likely the Triple Crown Winner. He is buried in a field unmarked next to another Horse. Unbelievable !!!
@@jeffhenry7306 Wow, had no idea that he was buried that way. Sham would’ve won the TC in ‘73 if it hadn’t been for Red. And yes, fuck Pincay and how he treated Sham. Sham was such a brave and extremely talented horse. RIP 😢
@@jeffhenry7306 Actually his grave is marked with a stone. Sham is buried at Walmac farm near Lexington. I’m getting ready to go visit. I agree that Sham never got the credit he deserved. It’s almost a cliche’ but, in any other year Sham would have been a triple crown winner. In this interview Pincay doesn’t say much about Sham and I think that’s sad.
@@Psyfi85 Sham was magnificent wasn’t he? Secretariat would have won the triple crown without him but not nearly in the spectacular way that he did. Sham broke the records at Churchill and Pimlico too.
@@myroselle6987 definitely, he pushed Sec to find gears he didn’t know about. Sham is severely overlooked for what he was capable of doing and did. Found out after my initial response that his grave is marked, made my day to find out he’s buried next to Risen Star.
Of course Affirmed achieved the results that no one can take from him and will always be remembered as an incredible horse. But when asked about the greatest horse he ever rode I thought (or perhaps wished) he had picked the incredible Sham. Story goes I think he knocked 2 teeth out in the gate at the Derby and then broke a bone in his leg at the Belmont? Ran record pace at both Derby and the Preakness BUT finished second. Wow .... right horse wrong time!
Absolutely. Sham was such a valiant horse, mistreated by Pincay in all 3 races. Red was enough motivation for Sham he didn’t need to be cropped to death nearly literally at Belmont. Poor guy broke his leg trying to keep pace with Red. So under appreciated..
These are the best horses I saw: Secretariat, Affirmed, Ruffian, Risen Star, Spectacular Bid, Sham, Seattle Slew, Easy Goer, Damascus, and Dr Fager.
All great horses, Mr. Green. For me personally, I would subtract Seattle Slew and add Big Brown.
Greenwolfe Green I would add Ack Ack to that list.
Bellmont Secretariat , Sham, greatest race I ever saw.
Sham finished last.
I have watched horse racing since 1964. The greatest was Secretariat. Although I consider Affirmed to be the second greatest racehorse I ever saw. He was truly great.
He was beat by slew twice.
Seattle Slew is better imo , that horse was just muscle on top of muscle and had a Secretariat look to him. He s my favorite male,
Slew kicked his ass...twice
Let's not leave out Sham, he was a great horse.
He was a great horse! And the only horse that could compete with Secretariat!
Anything is possible. However, Sec.'s TIMES were so definitive in '73 Trip Crowne: his records for K Derby & Belmont have not been broken YET. I realize there are many variables; however, Sec had to have been extraordinary to have set these significant track records, which stand to date. I respect other's opinions. But clearly, Sec was riveting & remains 'the People's Horse' for many, even now.
@rscarbro100 I love Sec & agree. I wish he had been able to race after his third year. I'm grateful he remained sound/healthy. IMHO Sec is the greatest. He was such a phenom. Wish we could have watched him in his 4th/5th year. There won't be another like him.
he says Affirmed was the greatest horse he ever rode. But i believe it was Sham. Sham wouldve likely gone down as one of the greatest horses ever, i mean he still is but it wouldve been up there higher. But the poor bastard had the downright bad luck to be born the same years as gods own horse, Secretariat.
@21Sarabi I completely agree! IMHO, It's actually AWFUL the way Sham was 'beat up' (Pincay whipped the horse repeatedly) in Sham's final effort against Secretariat @ Belmont. Poor Sham is fortunate not to have broken down. Sham didn't race again after the Belmont. He was a Valiant horse, with amazing heart!
I agree. Secretariat is my favorite horse. However, Sham was a great contender. After Secretariat was running his own race at the Belmont, they just should have let Sham bow out! No horse should have to be cropped like that! Hey, to come in 2nd to Secretariat, it would make my day. Sham could have been cooked that day. If you use the crop 10 times and the horse can't go any faster, beating him with it won't make him go any faster either! Ronnie Turcotte even felt bad for Sham! May both horses RIP.
Absolutely Sham was mistreated, and he suffered his career-ending injury during the Belmont, although it was not initially reported that way. Pancho Martin should have been banned from racing for his handling of Sham.
laffit from panama , god bless you brother , thank you for all the achievement
All you have to do is CHECK THE TIMES in the Triple Crown races. Secretariat beats Affirmed by about 17 lengths in the Belmont. Secretariat comfortably beats Affirmed and Seattle Slew in all three Triple Crown races.
Pincay never said that Affirmed was better or even equal to Secretariat. He said that Affirmed was the best horse HE ever raced on.
and he would of beat Slew by 39 lengths...
That's some hilarious advice right there. "Check his times." Bwahaha ha ha ha. Too funny.
@rscarbro100 I have a 'lay persons' understanding of Secretariats statistics. I read a comment suggesting Sec was the closest we've seen to a wild stallion. I've paraphased badly. But I think he meant Sec's power & apparent natural gifts manifested the finest attibutes of his Species. This is how I feel about Sec. He was truly exceptional, a real phenomenon. People love him.
I always wagered with confidence on your horses. Poetry in Motion.
It was disgusting the way he was treated in the last 10 years of his career. GOAT by far.
Secretariat, Sham, and Affirmed run the Derby in the same race. Affirmed come third.
@nin12dog Its just not being a lover of Secretariat. Its just what he done no other ever done and still not has ever done. He was still growing between the Derby & Preakness. They build a special belt for the Preakness because he out grew the other. Turcotte said he was still a baby. Any expert will tell you a horse does not reach his maturity until he is 4 and for some 5 yrs..What else did he have to prove at 4? At 3 he beat most all records set by all others horses at any age.
@ZenyattaHOY Not necesarily......Sham was a GREAT HORSE! Do you think Affirmed would have have beaten SECRETARIAT? No one even came close to SEC in the Trip Crowne, EXCEPT SHAM, who ALSO broke the KD record as 2nd place. Sham just had to face SECRETARIAT when he was unbeatable - SEC was a Phenomenon.
Sham WAS great. Had he run in any other year we’d be talking about him and not Affirmed.
An unskilled/untalented Jockey can lose on the best Horse Ever, but Great Jockeys like Pincay, Turcotte, Shoemaker, Arcaro can coax a win out of Horses that Nobody would expect to win, ever. Not every time they go to the Post, but more often than most would believe it possible.
If Secretariat had been 100% in the Derby, and therefore in shape, he would've blown the doors off Sham. Sham was a damn good horse, but no where close to Secretariat. Then again, no horse was.
@Chris Kavanagh: Secretariat had an abscess in his mouth. He ran a race the day before and kept shaking his head. His jockey Ron Turcotte said he never acted like that. He tried to get a message to his trainer Lucien Laurin to no avail. He some how ran the race. When he got back to his stable, the vet examined him and found the abscess. Eddie Sweat put hot packs on him all night. The abscess broke and the next day he won the KD! He truly was an amazing equine athlete!
that old teacher sure did a damn good job! sludos liffitt desde puerto rico!
How can He downplay Sham like He does ? Sham would have mopped the floor with Affirmed. Second fastest Derby and third fastest Preakness ever. He can't deal with the fact of what He was up against that Year. Sham would have won Him His only Triple Crown and He was SOOO close and it is like pulling teeth to get Him to Praise a Horse out of Bull Hancock's stable Who I believe is in the top 10 Of Greatest Horses Ever and Affirmed is not in that group.
A truly remarkable jockey...but the thing I remember him most for is beating the crap out of Sham in the derby and the Preakness trying to deal with Secretariat, who other than 2 quik swats at the beginning of the Derby home stretch, was ridden as hand rides in all 3 races....yes Sham broke the old Derby record too but he was beaten hard to do it and used up by the time the Belmont rolled around.
@ Steve Fowler: You are right. Laffit Pincay was given instructions to keep Secretariat close to the rail through the Belmont. Sham was a wonderful horse. However, in the Belmont, he was whipped almost to death the way I see it. Some horses do not respond to the whip! When everyone saw that their was a point of no return for the rest of the horses, they should be made to concede and put the damn whip away. Even Ron Trucotte felt horrible for Sham. That speaks volumes!
@@lired70 Completely agree, Sham was a gallant boy! Hate how Pincay rode him, Red was all the motivation Sham needed to win and vice versa. Sham broke his leg he was running so hard at Belmont. RIP to both legends
@@Psyfi85 Honestly Rusty, Ron Turcotte truly cared about the horses he rode. He got the kinks out of Secretariat, and according to Bill Nack who wrote the book Secretariat, (may he rest in peace)
@@Psyfi85 I may have lost half of my response. Anyway, Bill saw what Ron Turcotte did when he needed more power. He made a chirping noise and twisted his cuff somehow and that's all it took! Secretariat would just fly! Sham was a great challenge for Secretariat. However, he should have been treated better. No anal should be subjected to such abuse! Pincay ruined Sham. I swear, I really thought his heart was cooked. Two great equines, may they RIP. They gave so much for so little.
@@lired70 Love how Ron rode him, he let him run his own races. Then again, guess that’s easy when you’re riding Pegasus. 😉
@jamecpa10 Its nice to see people showin my uncle love! He is one of greats!
good looking out jamecpa
YES !!!!
I am an illusionist. Thus, I do love your regiment.
He acknowledges secretariat was the greatest horse ever
viva panama carajo, god bless you !
You have to figure that Lafitte and Sham probably had a lot to do with Sec’s great times in his triple crown wins. certainly in the first two legs anyways.
"From behind" yup!
@JayAr709 As I suppose all Secretariat-lovers would suggest, it is unfortunate Sec was unable to race after he turned 4. Many think he would have even better (if that were possible). But are you saying the other mentioned (GREAT!) horses - SS, Affirmed, Alydar would have won against 3-yr-old Sec, after they had an additional year to mature? If so, this is would not be a 'level playing field'. Perhaps you're suggestins Sec was precocious & peaked early - possible.
Interesting, Conference. Meadowlands.
@MelC54 Me too -- as to Pincay's opinion of Secretariat (who I believe is still enjoying the jet-assist of media hype) -- but not as to Affirmed being 'best'. Pincay DID ride Affirmed at age 3, when Affirmed won the '78 Santa Anita Derby by 8 lengths. At 4, after the 5 losing races cited by 'Bid's fans & Slew's fans -- the Travers DQ, another 2nd & a 3rd (after a Rainiest Season in California History) + Throat Infection/dozing Cauthen and the Saddle Slippage helping Slew -- they never lost again
Dream on
Agreed 100%.Micheline Kribs.
@nin12dog Name me one horse with only 4 workouts before a race coming off a serious illness that ran a world record 1:45 2/5. Still the record at Belmont Park. The fractions were 1:09.2, 1:33. the mile, 1:39.2 for the 1 1/16, 1:45 2 for the 1 1/8. These times he done 'Pullin Up' after the race was done. 1:51.6 for the 1 3/16 thats faster than R.R. WR of 1:52.2 that still stands & 1:57.8. Tied SB record that still stands. He done all this taking the long route not in top form.Holy Cow
There a lot of factors to consider. If the fastest horse gets blocked in or bumped he can easily finish out if the money. They don't have their own lane to run in.
@bltorioles Affirmed was one hell of a horse. Let your saddle slip and its over for any horse. The throat infection in which he did have in the M.C. could have very well down graded his performance against a 4 yr. old Slew. As for competiton Slew ran the poorest at 3.. Ask Steve Hakiins or even Slew's jockey. They said he ran against oridnary horses. What horse in history beat 4 champion horses in just one race. 'Nobody' is the answer except Secretariat.
Agreed on Slew, still a fime horse but Sham had Secretariat and Forego to contend with, *both* of whom are rated higher than Slew on the Bloodhorse top 100 horses of the 20th century.
@nin12dog He well may have. So, too, might Alydar & Spectacular Bid (& Slew)- Affirmed & 'Bid (at age 4) likely (if not at 3) in my opinion.
Sham was a clear second among an arguably soft crop of 3-year olds that Secretariat dominated. Sham's lifetime record, from 13 starts?: 5-5-1. Affirmed's, at age 3 alone, from 11 starts: 8-2-0 (includes both excusable losses to Seattle Slew). At age 4 Affirmed won 6 straight grade-ones (14 in all), ending in a Jockey Clib Gold Cup romp over Spectacular Bid
A "soft" crop of thee year olds that contained Secretariat, Sham and Forego, the first two of whom have the two largest measured throughbred hearts in world history and perhaps not coincidentally the two fastest times in Kentucky Derby history !?!
Affirmed's record tanks if he meets Secretariat too often.
@kimbies42 I have a copy of the picture with my uncle on ur horse!
Besides Secretariat, Seattle's Slewwas the best. $17,500....not the best of bloodlines.... mom and pop type owners, not a well known Trainer....the ONLY undefeated triple crown winner.
Should've been arrested for animal abuse after the Preakness- beat the shit out that horse - even ronnie said he felt sorry for sham an could him beating em over all the other noise
@MelC54 Triple crown was Affirmed only claim to fame? How about horse of the year in 1979....Sham was a great horse, but ran into probably the best horse who ever lived in Secretariat. Sham vs Affirmed is subjective, but Affirmed's records and feats ( espicially in 1979 with Pincay ) is hard to deny. Pincay would know better than anyone and Affirmed certainly had the numbers
A 4y.o. Affirmed usually beats a 3y.o. Sham, but a 4y.o. Sham did not race. Sham still had the 2nd largest heart ever measured on any throughbred in human history and was a cousin to Secretariat.
@TTBOYFORPRESIDENT You can't stand the best can ya? Hehehe
Comparing race times of 1973 to 1977/1978 is purely academic and theoretical. I see this over and over by people who think all track surfaces are the same at all times. A horse's time can only be compared to the other horses' times in the same race. To say that a great horse that won a race can beat another great horse that won the same race by a certain number of lengths strictly by comparing times is nothing short of stupidity.
I think Secretariat is 2nd best of all time. Man 'o War's times were slower but there are other factors such as track surface prep, no starting gate during MoW's time, training techniques, and farrier methods and technology.
time is not slowing dude. .secretariat is the best
Man o War also carried more weight than Secretariat. It really is impossible to compare entire careers since they raced in such different eras. It would be like comparing prime Tiger Woods to prime Jack Nicklaus. If you transport Tiger back to 1965 and give him Jack’s clubs and tell them to play a series of matches, who would win? I don’t know. If you transport Jack to 2000 and give him Tiger’s clubs and tell them to play a series of matches, who would win? I don’t know. I will say one thing though. If you gave Jack the exact same equipment as Tiger and they both played in the 2000 US Open, Tiger would beat Jack for sure. If Man o War was transported to the 1973 Belmont Stakes and he raced under the same rules as the other horses in the race, Secretariat would beat him handily.
Secretariat would be faster with Man O' War on his back!! SuperHorse just loved to work and RUN!! 🐎💨💨💨
You should compare the stride of these horses. Muck longer for Secretariat.
secretariat has a larger heart biological otherwise sham would have beaten him with that heart anyone can win
Upon necropsy Sham is said to have a large heart too! However, Secretariat won again! His heart was approximately 22 pounds! I think Sham's heart was 17 pounds.
Patty Healy incorrect Sham's heart was 18 lbs and Secretariats was about 22lbs. You were close though.
Nope! No horse was gonna beat Secretariat, big heart or not.
@@scootdaws25 my hypothesis is that Man O'War, Ruffian, and Phar lap would of definitely had a chance at beating him.
Not Belmont day
@JayAr709 As I suppose all Secretariat-lovers would suggest, it is unfortunate Sec was unable to race after he turned 4. Many think he would have even better (if that were possible). But are you saying the other mentioned (GREAT!) horses - SS, Affirmed, Alydar would have won against 3-yr-old Sec, after they had an additional year to mature? If so, this is would not be a 'level playing field'. Perhaps you're suggestins Sec was precocious & peaked early - possible.