After The Triple Crown
Three weeks after his win at Belmont, Secretariat shipped to Chicago, and easily won the Arlington Invitational at Arlington Park. He went to Saratoga, for the Whitney Stakes. Racing against older horses for the first time he was beaten by the Allen Jerkens-trained Onion, a four-year-old gelding. Onion led from the start and led Secretariat by a head on the final turn before pulling ahead in the straight to win by a length. A record crowd of over 30,000 witnessed what was described as an "astonishing" upset. He then won the inaugural Marlboro Cup against a field that included Secretariat's stablemate, the 1972 Derby and Belmont Stakes winner Riva Ridge, top California stakes winner Cougar II, Canadian champion Kennedy Road, Onion, Travers winner Annihilate 'Em, and the 1972 American champion three-year-old male horse Key to the Mint. Secretariat ran 1:452⁄5 for 11⁄8 miles, then a world record for the distance.
In September, Secretariat returned to Belmont for the 11⁄2 mile Woodward Stakes in which he was matched against the Allen Jerkens-trained, four-year-old Prove Out. Racing on a sloppy track, Secretariat led into the straight but was overtaken by Prove Out, who pulled clear to win by 41⁄2 lengths. Following his defeat by Prove Out Secretariat was moved to turf for the Man O' War Stakes over (11⁄2 miles). He won by five lengths from Tentam, with Big Spruce seven and a half lengths further back in third. Secretariat set a track record time of 2:244⁄5. After the race, Ron Turcotte explained that "when Tentam came up to him in the backstretch I just chirped to him and he pulled away".
Secretariat's owner entered into a syndication deal that precluded the horse racing past age three. Accordingly, Secretariat's last race was against older horses in the Canadian International Stakes over one and five-eighths miles at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Canada on October 28, 1973. With Ron Turcotte out with a five-day suspension, Eddie Maple rode Secretariat to victory by 61⁄2 lengths. After the race, Secretariat was brought to Aqueduct Racetrack where he was paraded before fans in his final public appearance.
Altogether, Secretariat won 16 of his 21 career races, with three seconds and one third, with total earnings of $1,316,808.
At age three, Secretariat was again named Horse of the Year, and won Eclipse Awards as the American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse and the American Champion Male Turf Horse.
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