Big Brown & The Belmont and the Great Secretariat

[rabid1st]

So, I'm an old timer! In the Doctor Who universe and in horse racing, I go way back. But I do remember what it is like to be young and have some geezer tell you that "back in the day" things were better, bigger and done a bit differently! Yep, we had class back then!

Still...I must turn geezerish now and say, "Big Brown is a fine animal. And I do hope he wins that Triple next Saturday. But they are calling him the "next Secretariat" and he is no Secretariat. Forego was in Secretariat's generation. Sham and Twice a Prince, too. Man O' War (and maybe Citation) are the only American bred horses that deserve to be mentioned in the same paragraph with Secretariat. And that puts Big Brown in some fine company because the same holds true of Seattle Slew and Affirmed and Alydar and Forego and the kick-ass John Henry. None of those horses were fit to be named in the same paragraph as Secretariat. And I believe any one of them could have cleaned Big Brown's clock, bless him."

If you haven't seen this...I'm sure you will see it before the race next Saturday. But this is a very good copy of the broadcast as it went out.

Watch it and imagine seeing it as it happened. It was shattering, like God presenting you with a gift, literally something you would never see again. I was a very young little girl. We didn't have a television. We were too poor. But I had to see this race. So, I biked to a downtown barber shop that had cable. I sat there with old grizzled men on either side of me, gambling men, hard drinking, hardworking men...men who had patiently explained to me over a five week period that the Big Horse wasn't going to get the job done.

At first there was screaming and swearing--the jockey was nuts, moving too soon. Then, a hush began to fall, broken only by half-formed prayers that he didn't drop dead or break a leg. The barber stopped cutting hair. We all began to inch forward into a group in the center of the shop, some of us reached out to take a sleeve of a neighbor as we all gazed up at the screen and when he crossed the finish line...every one of us, every single one, wept.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cS4f6wiQJh4

Rae

Comments

[celtae.livejournal.com]

I was nearly 5 when the big red horse who, as a colt, everyone thought was too lazy and too fat to ever live up to his heritage, left his competition so far behind in the Belmont they couldn't even taste his dust.

Five years later, I was standing in a Kentucky stud barn, right next to that big red horse. My father took me on a tour of horse farms that summer, and the surprise visit was Claiborne Farms. I remember laying my hand on that smooth, sunwarmed hide and being very aware that I was in the presence of history.

I still have the photos my dad took that day.

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

You touched him?! Glee!

I went to see his sire, Bold Ruler when he came to Florida to stand at stud. But we were too poor to go to Claiborne Farms. Riva Ridge, Ruffian, Kelso...I mean...hollowed ground.

Rae
who has yet to attend any Triple Crown or Breeder's Cup race in person.

[celtae.livejournal.com]

Riva Ridge was absolutely the sweetest lapdog of a stallion. I couldn't believe he was a stallion - he was just so darn affectionate and mannered! Drone, on the other hand, was - yeah. Let's just say they had it arranged so he couldn't stick his head out of his stall into the walkway.

I'll have to get out those pictures and scan them. ;)

[fidesangelus.livejournal.com]

Big Brown is a great horse and I hope he wins but anyone who compares him to Secretariat is an idiot. *sigh* I hate that the media, in an effort to stir popular interest, creates sensational historic comparisons that the viewers they pander to won't even understand the importance of in the first place. *sigh*


And this is coming from a girl who doesn't pretend to be a seasoned racing fan, just someone who loves the sport and its history.

[earlgreytea68.livejournal.com]

I hope Big Brown pulls it off, because it would be good for the sport to have another Triple Crown winner finally after all these years. But he isn't Secretariat.

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

Oh, absolutely. He's a magnificent animal. I wish he had more competition and more seasoning and better hooves...but he's still a sight to behold. And the sport very much needs this for new blood. I do hope he opens up some daylight on the other horses.

But if you scroll down on that YouTube thing I put up...you will see some idiot posting how Big Brown is going to do the same thing as Secretariat. Sheesh! You know...we did compare Secretariat to Man o' War in our day...and we were told to hush...by the old geezer guys in the barber shop. And boy, it did feel good to have that Belmont run...so we could say we had the horse.

But I would only say I would match him against the likes of Man o' War and Citation. Big Brown, sadly, has had so few races and he's already having cracked hooves again. His condition is questionable. And I do wonder what his bloodline will do to the breed if he passes on that hoof problem.

Rae

[ginmar.livejournal.com]

The only sporting even that affected me as much as that Belmont run was the 1980 Olympic hockey team.

Thirty one lengths. Thirty one. Nope, Big Brown's a fine animal but he'd be eating Secretariat's dust.

I is doin' fine

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

How you doin', Gin? Long time no comment back and forth. Good to see you! And yeah...31...no way is Big Brown going to get anywhere close to that. I hope his connections have the good sense not to move him too early on the turn. I think they do, though.

Rae

Re: I is doin' fine

[ginmar.livejournal.com]

I keep meaning to comment and then I...forget. The absent mindedness gene is catching up with me.

My impression is once Secretariat got the bit in his teeth that was it, he was going away with it. Big Brown's a good colt for these days, but he wouldn't stand a chance against Big Red.

[ladyofgallifrey.livejournal.com]

Oh I remember this so well. I wasn't quite as young as you (gee, in 1973 I was almost 12) and it's as clear as it was yesteray.

I was a Secretariat-junkie (and I still am). I loved that horse like I have loved no other horse.

It may sound silly, but I hope his records really do stand forever - I don't think there can be another horse like that. Because he wasn't quite normal - no one knew this until after he died. His heart was too large. That was why he had the stamina, speed, and just plain GO that he did. It wasn't just a cliche to say "that horse was all heart" - he really was.

You are absolutely right. I am sure Big Brown is a fantastic horse, but he really can't stand in the same ring as the others you mentioned (I would add Whirlaway to that impressive group - possibly even Seabiscuit because that was another horse that had tremendous heart (albeit a normal sized one) and captivated a nation.

Ah, the "good old days"... ;-)

(I need to make me a Secretariat icon!)

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

Oh...I would love a Secretariat Icon, could you make an extra one? I am not a good icon maker. I have a scrapbook full of horse clippings from my many years of devoted racing fandom. Alydar and Affirmed. John Henry. I remember pacing off Secretariat's stride in the yard. You are correct Whirlaway was a fantastic horse and certainly belongs in that elite company.

The thing is...even if Big Brown wins this race...I'm not sure he's in the same league as say Sunday Silence or Spectacular Bid. I'm sort of with Steve Cauthen in reserving judgement and hoping to see him against better company in the Breeder's Cup. I want to see him prove himself. I don't wish him ill. I just feel that he hasn't proved himself, yet. I do feel he can get the distance at the Belmont. But he's had yet another quarter crack...after being sidelined for most of his 2 year old campaign. I just think there is a big question of fitness.

Rae