It goes without saying that Secretariat was truly a horse for the ages; arguably the best ever. His Triple Crown certainly exemplified all that he was. And his Derby? A record-setting performance that has stood the test of time. Comparisons to “Big Red” are few and far between but just to be mentioned in the same breath is rare. Which brings us to Eclipse Champion Animal Kingdom.
The horse that made his first-ever dirt start in the Derby came close to making history. Among all the winners in the 142-year storied history of the “Run for the Roses”, only Secretariat ran a faster last half mile than did Animal Kingdom:
Secretariat (1973): 46 2/5
Animal Kingdom (2011): 47 1/5
Proud Clarion (1967): 47 4/5
Whirlaway (1941): 48
Canonero II (1971): 48 1/5
It’s certainly worth another look so click here to see Animal Kingdom’s Derby again.