Official Secretariat Fan Club

**ATTENTION** As of October 6, 2001 the Official Secretariat Fan Club will not be accepting new memberships until further notice. Due to the medical conditions of an immediate family member I am not able to keep up with the duties of President. If you have recently joined you will receive your kits in due time. Please bear with me. Thank you !!!

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I want to welcome everyone who comes upon this website either by luck or word of mouth. I couldn't believe that there was not an official fan club for Secretariat so I took it into my own two hands to get a club going. This club is to unite all the fans of "Big Red" around the country and the world.

As with all fan clubs there is a membership fee but it isn't a big one. What is big is the charities that the money will go towards. One of the charities is for a new statue of Secretariat that will stand at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. If you would like more information on the statue the International Museum of the Horse has a wonderful page about the stutue and a list of the people who are on the committee.

If you would prefer, your membership fee could go toward finding a cure for laminitis. We need to find a cure for this awful disease that took the life of Secretariat ten years ago this year. The racing fans of tomorrow shouldn't have to lose their racing "idols" to laminitis. So it is up to the fans, not just the researchers, to find a cure. So in the memory of Secretariat I think that it is only right that some of the fan club money goes toward this cause.

So race on over to the Fan Club info page and become a member of a Triple Crown fan club.

Go on over to Secretariat Facts and Memories and learn some facts about "Big Red" and read people's memories of Secretariat. If you have a story that you would like to share with everyone else, e-mail me the story and I will put it on the page.

I was honored this past week with a phone call from Ron Turcotte, Secretariat's jockey. He called to tell me that he was sending me an email that he wanted to actually share with all Secretariat fans. Please go over to the Ron Turcotte's Letter and read what he has to say because I know that we all share his feelings about Secretariat not being voted "Horse of the Century. When you are finished and you want to share your thoughts with Mr. Turcotte just send them to the Secretariat Fan Club and I will more than happy to pass them on to him.

I have added a new page that has current news dealing with Secretariat. So if you are news hungry why not pull up a chair and read the latest Secretariat News. I will try and post any current news as soon as it becomes available to me. I will also try to keep fans up-to-date on any grandchildren or great grandchildren of Secretariat's that are doing well on the track. So if you saw a particularly good grandchild of Secretariat run recently email me and I will put it on the page.

Secretariat was recently put on two "Athletes of the Century" list. He came in at #35 on ESPN's list and he was placed in the Top Ten of Time magazine's list. Of course, there are people that are fighting this. They say that a horse does not belong in the same category as human athletes. Well there are some people who disagree with this. If you would look up the definition of athlete in the dictionary it does not say that to be deemed an athlete you have to be human. If you train hard to be good at your sport and you step out on a track you are an athlete. It doesn't matter whether you are human or horse. Secretariat was a true athlete and a champion. You will never see another Belmont won by 31 lengths and there has yet to be a thoroughbred that has broken his Kentucky Derby record of 1:59 2/5. Sure there are trainers and owners who dream of having that thoroughbred that will someday accomplish this feat but they know that deep down that horse would never have the impact on racing that Secretariat did then and still does today.

I found this poem in a book titled "Kentucky Derby Poems" and it was written by James O. Nall. I thought that fans would like to read it.

The Ninetyninth--May 5, 1973

Agreed that SECRETARIAT
Has won the stamp of fame
And's best of all, for all of that:
All the honors one can name.
He won-to crown his dare and do,
And thus surmount his losses-two-
Which, now, won't dull his fame:
So, let those that have passed him boast,
Winning the Derby counts the most!
And that's where, in, he came.
And since Ron Turcotte handled that,
Let's toast him, SECRETARIAT,
He's due all one can claim!

The speed of SECRETARIAT-
He has steady aim;
A word that goes with diplomat
And makes a topflight name.
He bested NORTHERN DANCER'S time
Enough to make these two lines rhyme,
But no two run the same;
And though he paid but five for two,
No faster horse has yet come through
To clinch his claim to fame.
So, let all doubters go to bat
For champion SECRETARIAT,
He's due all one can claim!

Take heed of SECRETARIAT,
The world now knows his name;
And now,too, he'll be shooting at
Those other peaks of fame:
The Preakness and the Belmont Stakes,
And any other racing cakes
That spur the inner flame.
He's got the stamina and urge,
The courage and the winning surge,
He's ready, and he's game;
So, let each horsefan tip his hat
To racer, SECRETARIAT,
He's due all one can claim!

P.S.
He took the Derby going away,
And as the time is reckoned
He pulled the DANCER'S record down
By three-fifths of a second:
Whereas it was two minutes flat,
It's now one, fiftynine, two-fifths;
What's gonna stop a horse like that
Who had the speed when beckoned?

Charismatic, the winner of the 1999 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, is a great-grandson of Secretariat. The Daily Racing Form, when speaking of his pedigree, immediately brought up the likeness that Charismatic bears to his great-grandfather. Charismatic is now standing stud at beautiful Lane's End Farm in Versailles, KY. He has been bred to 106 mares and 102 of them are now in foal. Sounds like he is enjoying his job. We wish his future foals the best of luck in all they do. Maybe there will be a future Derby winner in the group.

The Official Secretariat Fan Club and it's members want to congratulate Charismatic on being voted 3 year-old colt and 1999 Horse of the Year. I guess that his great-grandfather was watching over him from above. I'm sure that he is very proud of what his grandson has accomplished this past year.

HERE ARE SOME SITES THAT ALL SECRETARIAT FANS SHOULD CHECK OUT

If you are new to surfing the Thoroughbred racing sites there is one that you need to check out and it's called Thoroughbred Champions. It is a wonderful site that is updated every week with some very fascinating stories. There is also virtual postcards ( yes, there is one of Secretariat on there)and pictures for your desktops. Victoria has done a great job with this website so check it out. You will enjoy it!!

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