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Lot Essay
Big Red
Thoroughbred racing has endured as one of the longest tenured sporting traditions in American history dating back to the 1600s having been carried forward by British settlers. While the popularity and mediums for horse racing have endured numerous challenges through social changes, wars, and gambling scandals the sport has entrenched itself as one of the great American cultural events. Hallowed venues such as Churchill Downs and Saratoga have born witness to some of the most revered equines in the history of racing. Many of these thoroughbreds rocket to popularity and then quickly fade due to the short race tenure typically afforded to such horses. Perhaps prescient, on March 30, 1970 a horse by the name of Somethingroyal gave birth to a chestnut red foal to be named Secretariat. That young foal would quickly grow into what many in the racing industry considered to be the perfect horse. Secretariat's large overtly muscular build coupled with a unique general balanced stance and powerful hind quarters drew notice like no other horse had previously received. He entered his year two season with mixed results but immense promise. During one particular race at Saratoga in July of 1972, jockey Ron Turcotte coaxed the young giant to a convincing win. Afterwards, sportswriter Charles Hatton remarked, "You carry an ideal around in your head, and boy, I thought, 'This is it.' I never saw perfection before. I absolutely could not fault him in any way. And neither could the rest of them and that was the amazing thing about it. The body and the head and the eye and the general attitude. It was just incredible. I couldn't believe my eyes, frankly." Secretariat finished the 1972 season displaying clear evidence of his infinite potential with multiple performances that included several track records and a few victories in which he simply obliterated the field. Secretariat was uncommonly, yet deservedly, as the American Horse of the Year as a two year old. The racing world had been put on notice and the stage was set.
The Triple Crown
The 1973 three year old season began just as the previous had ended: with a string of dominating victories. Secretariat had actually improved from the previous season. On April 7, 1973 jockey Ron Turcotte and Secretariat's training team elected to essentially allow the horse to set his own pace. He handled the challenge appropriately cruising for most of the race until he was lightly coaxed at the end to obliterate a challenger winning by three lengths to match a track record. In advance of the vaunted upcoming Triple Crown series of the racing calendar, Secretariat was entered in the annual Wood memorial, a final tune that was presumed by many to be nothing more than a pre-coronation for Secretariat en route to a potential run towards history. No horse had won the Triple Crown since Citation in 1948, but the racing community was already heralding Big Red as the colt to break the drought. In a stunning turn of events, Secretariat almost inexplicably finished third in the race to several horses of a lesser caliber. It was later determined that an abscess in his mouth causing sensitivity to the bit likely served as the root cause for the loss. The Wood Memorial loss generated rumor and speculation before the 1973 Kentucky Derby that the anointed red foal who had shown so much promise may well join a long list of underperforming horses under the brightest lights. A record crowd of over 130,000 fans packed Churchill Downs to witness the most anticipated race of the season. The beginning of the race saw one of the higher ranked horses, Sham, take a commanding lead all the way into the far turn. As witnesses accounted, seemingly out of nowhere Secretariat erupted to pull even with Sham into the stretch and ultimately pull ahead by two and a half lengths to win the Derby and establish a still standing track record of 1:59 2⁄5. 'And all of a sudden there was this, like, just a disruption in the corner of your eye, in your peripheral vision. And then before you could make out what it was, here Secretariat came. And then Secretariat had passed him. No one had ever seen anything run like that — a lot of the old guys said the same thing. It was like he was some other animal out there,' Mike Sullivan, sportswriter. There would be no more debate as to Secretariat's potential, only as to its limits.
The second leg at the Preakness began in typical form for Secretariat, falling behind early into last place only to dramatically blow past the field and finish several lengths ahead for the win. His time was recorded as just shy of the track record. Due to timing inconsistencies, Secretariat's final time was reviewed/debated for decades following, only finally settled in 2012 with a final awarding giving him the track record at 1:53. Following the Preakness victory, Secretariat appeared on the covers of national publications such as "Time" and "Newsweek", feeding a tidal wave within American popular culture so desperately needed against the trailing desperation of the Vietnam War and Watergate.
Long held as the toughest jewel of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes well earned a reputation of dashing the hopes of some of the finest horses due to its challenging course length. As in his previous races, Secretariat elected to ignore history and pushed into a relentlessly blistering pace ending with a record 31 length victory to clinch the Triple Crown. Jockey Ron Turcotte sensed , 'This horse really paced himself. He is smart: I think he knew he was going 1 1⁄2 miles, I never pushed him,' The Belmont win was not only a track record but established a surreal mark as the fastest 1 1⁄2 mile run on a dirt track in the history of the sport, while remarkable 31 length victory remains one of the largest in the sport. No horse before or since has equaled the brilliance of Secretariat and captured the attention of the world in such a fashion.
The Big Race Saddle
The hand- crafted leather saddle features a series of pockets that allowed for the even distribution of the lead handicap weights. It was custom made for Hall of Fame jockey Ron Turcotte by saddle maker Lee Wincher in Kentucky just prior to the 1972 Bluegrass Stakes. The saddle, which Turcotte called his "Big Race" saddle, was designed specifically to carry the heavier weights assigned in stakes races. The saddle retains four lead weights, each labeled and signed Ron Turcotte. In addition to being used with Secretariat, Turcotte used this saddle during the 1972 season with Secretariat's stablemate Riva Ridge. A tremendous racehorse in his own right, Riva Ridge won 17 of his 30 starts including the 1972 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, and two championships: American Champion Two-Year-Old Male Horse in 1971 and American Champion Older Male Horse in 1973. The offered saddle was purchased via private treaty sale from Hall of Fame jockey Ron Turcotte by Jim Irsay and have never before been offered to the public. Secretariat's saddle transcends the meaning of a simple piece of sporting memorabilia. The horse's iconic path of domination through the 1973 Triple Crown series not only captured the attention of the nation but joined a very select group of events that became heralded as generational memories. Stirring object of the highest significance which is undoubtedly the most important surviving relic from America's most celebrated horse racing champion. SIA has definitively photomatched the saddle to the 1973 Arlington Invitational, and supports the Triple Crown attribution. Lot includes letter of provenance from Ron Turcotte and LOA from SIA (Photomatch): EX
Also included with the lot is a framed panoramic photograph of Secretariat's 31 1⁄2 length victory at Belmont, signed by Ron Turcotte.
Race use with Secretariat
Two-Year-Old Season:
1972 Sanford Stakes
1972 Hopeful Stakes
1972 Belmont Futurity
1972 Champagne Stakes
1972 Laurel Futurity
1972 Garden State Futurity
Three-Year-Old Season:
1973 Bayshore Stakes
1973 Gotham Stakes
1973 Wood Memorial
1973 Kentucky Derby
1973 Preakness Stakes
1973 Belmont Stakes
1973 Arlington Invitational
1973 Whitney Stakes
1973 Marlboro Cup
1973 Woodward Stakes
1973 Man O' War Stakes
Race use with Riva Ridge
1972 Kentucky Derby
1972 Belmont Stakes
Additional Notable Races:
1972 Coaching Club American Oak, Summer Guest
1973 Travers Stakes, Annihilate 'Em
1973 Excelsior Stakes, Key to the Mint
1974 Man o’ War Stakes, Dahlia
Thoroughbred racing has endured as one of the longest tenured sporting traditions in American history dating back to the 1600s having been carried forward by British settlers. While the popularity and mediums for horse racing have endured numerous challenges through social changes, wars, and gambling scandals the sport has entrenched itself as one of the great American cultural events. Hallowed venues such as Churchill Downs and Saratoga have born witness to some of the most revered equines in the history of racing. Many of these thoroughbreds rocket to popularity and then quickly fade due to the short race tenure typically afforded to such horses. Perhaps prescient, on March 30, 1970 a horse by the name of Somethingroyal gave birth to a chestnut red foal to be named Secretariat. That young foal would quickly grow into what many in the racing industry considered to be the perfect horse. Secretariat's large overtly muscular build coupled with a unique general balanced stance and powerful hind quarters drew notice like no other horse had previously received. He entered his year two season with mixed results but immense promise. During one particular race at Saratoga in July of 1972, jockey Ron Turcotte coaxed the young giant to a convincing win. Afterwards, sportswriter Charles Hatton remarked, "You carry an ideal around in your head, and boy, I thought, 'This is it.' I never saw perfection before. I absolutely could not fault him in any way. And neither could the rest of them and that was the amazing thing about it. The body and the head and the eye and the general attitude. It was just incredible. I couldn't believe my eyes, frankly." Secretariat finished the 1972 season displaying clear evidence of his infinite potential with multiple performances that included several track records and a few victories in which he simply obliterated the field. Secretariat was uncommonly, yet deservedly, as the American Horse of the Year as a two year old. The racing world had been put on notice and the stage was set.
The Triple Crown
The 1973 three year old season began just as the previous had ended: with a string of dominating victories. Secretariat had actually improved from the previous season. On April 7, 1973 jockey Ron Turcotte and Secretariat's training team elected to essentially allow the horse to set his own pace. He handled the challenge appropriately cruising for most of the race until he was lightly coaxed at the end to obliterate a challenger winning by three lengths to match a track record. In advance of the vaunted upcoming Triple Crown series of the racing calendar, Secretariat was entered in the annual Wood memorial, a final tune that was presumed by many to be nothing more than a pre-coronation for Secretariat en route to a potential run towards history. No horse had won the Triple Crown since Citation in 1948, but the racing community was already heralding Big Red as the colt to break the drought. In a stunning turn of events, Secretariat almost inexplicably finished third in the race to several horses of a lesser caliber. It was later determined that an abscess in his mouth causing sensitivity to the bit likely served as the root cause for the loss. The Wood Memorial loss generated rumor and speculation before the 1973 Kentucky Derby that the anointed red foal who had shown so much promise may well join a long list of underperforming horses under the brightest lights. A record crowd of over 130,000 fans packed Churchill Downs to witness the most anticipated race of the season. The beginning of the race saw one of the higher ranked horses, Sham, take a commanding lead all the way into the far turn. As witnesses accounted, seemingly out of nowhere Secretariat erupted to pull even with Sham into the stretch and ultimately pull ahead by two and a half lengths to win the Derby and establish a still standing track record of 1:59 2⁄5. 'And all of a sudden there was this, like, just a disruption in the corner of your eye, in your peripheral vision. And then before you could make out what it was, here Secretariat came. And then Secretariat had passed him. No one had ever seen anything run like that — a lot of the old guys said the same thing. It was like he was some other animal out there,' Mike Sullivan, sportswriter. There would be no more debate as to Secretariat's potential, only as to its limits.
The second leg at the Preakness began in typical form for Secretariat, falling behind early into last place only to dramatically blow past the field and finish several lengths ahead for the win. His time was recorded as just shy of the track record. Due to timing inconsistencies, Secretariat's final time was reviewed/debated for decades following, only finally settled in 2012 with a final awarding giving him the track record at 1:53. Following the Preakness victory, Secretariat appeared on the covers of national publications such as "Time" and "Newsweek", feeding a tidal wave within American popular culture so desperately needed against the trailing desperation of the Vietnam War and Watergate.
Long held as the toughest jewel of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes well earned a reputation of dashing the hopes of some of the finest horses due to its challenging course length. As in his previous races, Secretariat elected to ignore history and pushed into a relentlessly blistering pace ending with a record 31 length victory to clinch the Triple Crown. Jockey Ron Turcotte sensed , 'This horse really paced himself. He is smart: I think he knew he was going 1 1⁄2 miles, I never pushed him,' The Belmont win was not only a track record but established a surreal mark as the fastest 1 1⁄2 mile run on a dirt track in the history of the sport, while remarkable 31 length victory remains one of the largest in the sport. No horse before or since has equaled the brilliance of Secretariat and captured the attention of the world in such a fashion.
The Big Race Saddle
The hand- crafted leather saddle features a series of pockets that allowed for the even distribution of the lead handicap weights. It was custom made for Hall of Fame jockey Ron Turcotte by saddle maker Lee Wincher in Kentucky just prior to the 1972 Bluegrass Stakes. The saddle, which Turcotte called his "Big Race" saddle, was designed specifically to carry the heavier weights assigned in stakes races. The saddle retains four lead weights, each labeled and signed Ron Turcotte. In addition to being used with Secretariat, Turcotte used this saddle during the 1972 season with Secretariat's stablemate Riva Ridge. A tremendous racehorse in his own right, Riva Ridge won 17 of his 30 starts including the 1972 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, and two championships: American Champion Two-Year-Old Male Horse in 1971 and American Champion Older Male Horse in 1973. The offered saddle was purchased via private treaty sale from Hall of Fame jockey Ron Turcotte by Jim Irsay and have never before been offered to the public. Secretariat's saddle transcends the meaning of a simple piece of sporting memorabilia. The horse's iconic path of domination through the 1973 Triple Crown series not only captured the attention of the nation but joined a very select group of events that became heralded as generational memories. Stirring object of the highest significance which is undoubtedly the most important surviving relic from America's most celebrated horse racing champion. SIA has definitively photomatched the saddle to the 1973 Arlington Invitational, and supports the Triple Crown attribution. Lot includes letter of provenance from Ron Turcotte and LOA from SIA (Photomatch): EX
Also included with the lot is a framed panoramic photograph of Secretariat's 31 1⁄2 length victory at Belmont, signed by Ron Turcotte.
Race use with Secretariat
Two-Year-Old Season:
1972 Sanford Stakes
1972 Hopeful Stakes
1972 Belmont Futurity
1972 Champagne Stakes
1972 Laurel Futurity
1972 Garden State Futurity
Three-Year-Old Season:
1973 Bayshore Stakes
1973 Gotham Stakes
1973 Wood Memorial
1973 Kentucky Derby
1973 Preakness Stakes
1973 Belmont Stakes
1973 Arlington Invitational
1973 Whitney Stakes
1973 Marlboro Cup
1973 Woodward Stakes
1973 Man O' War Stakes
Race use with Riva Ridge
1972 Kentucky Derby
1972 Belmont Stakes
Additional Notable Races:
1972 Coaching Club American Oak, Summer Guest
1973 Travers Stakes, Annihilate 'Em
1973 Excelsior Stakes, Key to the Mint
1974 Man o’ War Stakes, Dahlia