There are a lot of romantic sayings about horses. For example, “Nothing is as good for the inside of a man than the outside of a horse.” Or the old Arabian proverb, “The wind of Heaven blows between a horse’s ears.” To me, though, the most moving thing I have ever heard about a horse was said on ESPN, of all places. It was during its “Sports Century” series, which included an episode about Secretariat. “Big Red” was named one of the 2oth Century’s 50 top atheletes.
An ex-NYRA official, who was present at the 1973 Belmont Stakes said of Secretariat’s performance that day, “It’s as if the Good Lord was holding the reigns. Secretariat was one of His creatures and He maybe whispered a ‘go’, and that horse really went.” I like to picture God smiling as His most magnificent equine creation did the impossible by running a mile and a half on dirt in 2:24. Horses, as they say, cannot run that fast.
Make no mistake, winning the Triple Crown is simply the single most difficult achievement in all of sports (for a hundred reasons that could fill an entire column). At the same time, Secretariat’s 1973 Belmont is the single most dominant performance in the history of sports. For example, Don Larson’s perfect game in the World Series is the stuff of legend, but for it to compare, he would have had to throw four perfect games while sweeping the series. Impossible, you say? So is 2:24.
I certainly do not expect Big Brown to perform like “Big Red” in this Saturday’s Belmont, but I do expect him to win. The now 30-year drought of Triple Crown winners will end on June 7, 2008. Period.
There are those that will knock Big Brown for a variety of reasons that you are welcome to read about elsewhere. Even so, when he crosses the finish line in front of his Belmont rivals, he will join the ranks of the Triple Crown winners, bringing the membership to an even dozen. The name of Big Brown will roll off the tongues of horseplayers everwhere as easily as Citation, Seattle Slew, and Affirmed. The class is headed by Secretariat however, and no names compare to his.
I like to think that somewhere there is a Thoroughbred Heaven. Man O’ War and Secretariat race each other daily, Affirmed and Alydar have a comedy routine, and Ruffian stands tall on four rock-solid legs. There are no broken legs in Thoroughbred Heaven, and so running freely with the wind of Heaven between his ears is my beloved Barbaro.
Here’s hoping that when the gate swings open on Belmont day, the Good Lord and Barbaro will join me in whispering, “Go Big Brown….Go.”
