During this week in history Secretariat became the first horse in decades to win America's coveted Triple Crown.
It was June 9, 1973 that the horse nicknamed "Big Red" crossed the Belmont Stakes in just 2 minutes and 43 seconds, a dirt-track record for that distance.
Jockey Ron Turcotte claimed that during the race he lost control of Secretariat and that the horse sprinted into history on his own accord.
In November, 1973 Secretariat was retired. He was euthanized in 1989 after becoming ill and an autopsy showed that his heart was two-and-a-half times larger than the average horse, which may have contributed to his extraordinary racing abilities.
ESPN ranks Secretariat as one of the "Top 50 North American" athletes of the 20th Century, he's the only non-human on the list.
This 100 Years in History Moment is brought to you by Riverton Chevy- Celebrating 100 Years of Service.
