In 1973, Secretariat not only won the Triple Crown but set speed records in all three races.

His record-breaking victory in the 1973 Belmont Stakes, which he won by 31 lengths, is widely regarded as one of the greatest races of all time.

Secretariat was sired by Bold Ruler who won the Preakness Stakes and Horse of the Year honors in 1957.

Having won the previous year with Riva Ridge, Turcotte became the first jockey to win back-to-back Kentucky Derbies since Jimmy Winkfield in 1902.

Secretariat raced in Meadow Stables' blue-and-white-checkered colors.

Secretariat was known for his appetite. During his three-year-old campaign, he ate 15 quarts of oats a day.

As Secretariat prepared for the Belmont Stakes, he appeared on the covers of three national magazines: Time, Newsweek, and Sports Illustrated. He had become a national celebrity.

In January 1973, Christopher Chenery, the founder of Meadow Stables, died and the taxes on his estate forced his daughter Penny to consider selling Secretariat. Together with Seth Hancock of Claiborne Farm, she instead managed to syndicate the horse, selling 32 shares worth $190,000 each for a total of $6.08 million, a world syndication record at the time, surpassing the previous record for Nijinsky who was syndicated for $5.44 million in 1970.

Secretariat was known in life as a horse with a large "heart", but his autopsy revealed it to be a whopping 22 lbs--nearly three times the size of a normal Thoroughbred heart!

The role of Secretariat was actually played by five horses. Trolley Boy, the principal horse used in the movie, was selected by Penny Chenery in a Secretariat look-alike contest and even walked the Red Carpet at the film premiere in Hollywood.