Video: 1973 Secretariat vs. 2015 American Pharoah

[Lapkritis]

Thoughts?

[flipper35]

They just don't make them like they used to.

The 2015 race was closer though.

[billh1963]

Secretariat was a unique horse...his heart was about 2.75 times larger than that of an average horse. With an "engine" like that he was unbeatable.

[Chocaholic]

Interesting. Have there been any rule changes since 1973 that may have played a part?

[widgeon13]

As I watched the race I didn't see the jockey put the whip to AP, could he have been told to win but not kill the horse in the process?

[Tobra]

Looks to me that the 2015 winner would have been back with the bunch of also rans 4 seconds behind the greatest horse that ever lived if they ran against each other.

Ask yourself this, do you think Secretariat would have gone even faster if he had a horse within shouting distance on the final stretch? I say he would.

[widgeon13]

We'll never know but it is great conversation topic.

[xbrumossalesman]

Looks to me that the 2015 winner would have been back with the bunch of also rans 4 seconds behind the greatest horse that ever lived if they ran against each other.

Down south we call that an ass whippin'

[GH85Carrera]

As a non horse person it has always amazed me that Secretariat was so much faster after all these years. Look at the human records for the mile or a marathon from 1973 vs today. Same for swimming or almost any timed sport.

Some of that is due to better equipment and scientific training but not all.

[Lapkritis]

I was wondering about technique... Secretariat developed the lead over American Pharoah over the beginning of the race with American Pharoah closing or at least minimizing the gap over the last 1/3rd into the finish. How would American Pharoah have done if he were pushed harder early on? I think the way they race has changed... sandbagging too much for a strong finish instead of going for a faster all-around race.

[Chocaholic]

Agree...I think strategy and jockey skills deserve more credit. 7 race victories in a row for AP, all with the same jockey.

[widebody911]

TIL: American Pharoah - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[rusnak]

I'm digging the down jacket and Red Wing work boots on the 1973 jockey, haha! No foo-foo hoity toity new age reality crap for that guy!

[herr_oberst]

I watched the vid and all I could think of was this cartoon...

[drcoastline]

American Pharoah is a good horse but he's no Secretariat.

Secretariat set track records in all three of the triple crown races. All three records still stand. Secretariat crushed the field by 31 lengths as well as the world record for the 1.5 mile length by 2-3/5 seconds in the Belmont.

American Pharoah was slightly faster than affirmed and about two seconds faster than Seattle Slew in the Belmont stakes.

Secretariat is the equivalent of Wilt Chamberlain and his 100 point game or Tiger Woods and his Masters win by 12 strokes.

[Lapkritis]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

I watched the vid and all I could think of was this cartoon...

I was thinking about the record player strip...

[porsche4life]

Does it matter if AP is the fastest ever? He's the fastest of his day, and the first to pull out a triple crown in many years. That's inpressive in its own right.

[pete3799]

They had better drugs back in 73......

[Tobra]

Terlingua, a celebrated broodmare, through whom he is a fifth-generation descendant of Secretariat

This is from Thom's link to Wikipedia

5th generation descendant of Secretariat, great, great, great grandson, go figure

[Nostril Cheese]