I always said I wanted to go to the Kentucky Derby one time in my life, and that one time has come and gone. Because the Derby calls for all day media coverage, my hubby always has to work on Derby Day, so in 1998, I was able to make an appearance at the Derby. I enjoyed the experience, but I don't want to be in that large of a crowd again.
The Kentucky Derby is the first leg of the Triple Crown Races, with the other two races being the Preakness and the Belmont. It is a very special three-year-old who can win all three of these golden races. The 1970s could be called the golden decade of horse racing because it produced three triple-crown winners - 1973 Secretariat, 1977 Seattle Slew, and 1978 Affirmed.
Secretariat on the cover of Sports Illustrated
In 1973, Secretariat became the first Triple Crown champion in 25 years, setting new race records in two of the three races – the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes – and those records still stand today.
Nicknamed "Big Red," Secretariat stood approximately 16 hands and 2 inches in his racing prime. Altogether, Secretariat won 16 of his 21 career races. When he was retired to stud, Secretariat sired as many as 600 foals. In the fall of 1989, Secretariat was afflicted with laminitis and euthanized on October 4 at the age of 19.
He is buried at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky, and was given the rare honor of being buried whole; usually only the head, heart and hooves of a winning race horse are buried, the rest cremated.
Seattle Slew on the cover of Sports Illustrated In 1977, Seattle Slew was the favorite in the Kentucky Derby. He was a speed horse who normally broke well and went right to the lead, but in the Derby, he had problems in the beginning and it took some time for him to gain the lead. Seattle Slew was able to pull off a win by 1¾ lengths. Seattle Slew became the first undefeated Triple Crown winner.
During his retirement, Seattle Slew stood in stud at Three Chimneys Farm in Midway, Kentucky and is the only Belmont Stakes winner to sire a Belmont winner, A. P. Indy, who in turn sired a Belmont winner, Rags to Riches. When he was 28 years old, and on the 25th anniversary of his Kentucky Derby win, Seattle Slew died in his sleep; he is buried at Hill 'n' Dale Farm in Lexington.
Affirmed on the cover of Sports Illustrated
Affirmed won the Triple Crown in 1978. He was the great-great-grandson of Triple Crown winner War Admiral through damsire Crafty Admiral, and thereby the great-great-great grandson of Man o' War who won two of the three Triple Crown races himself. Affirmed is also known for his famous rivalry with Alydar, whom he met ten times, including in all three Triple Crown races, and who became the first racehorse to finish second in all three Triple Crown races.
As a stud horse, Affirmed sired over 80 stakes winners and 9 champions and was the second Triple Crown winner to sire a second generation Triple Crown champion. In 2001, Affirmed developed laminitis, just like Secretariat, and had to be euthanized.
As an interesting side note, all three of these great horses had the honor of gracing the cover of “Sports Illustrated.”
