This Week in Horse History - June 7th Through June 13th

June 9th, 1973 – Thoroughbred racehorse Secretariat became the Triple Crown winner in twenty five years when he won the Belmont Stakes. He only faced four horses for the race - Sham, Twice a Prince, Private Smiles, and My Gallant. Secretariat crossed the wire thirty one lengths ahead of the next horse and made a world record of two minutes, twenty four seconds for the distance of 1 ½ miles. The record still stands today.

Information courtesy of June 9, 1973 ~ Belmont Stakes ~1 ½ mile ~ Belmont Park

Photo courtesy of A Saturday in May

June 10th, 1938 - Hollywood Park Race Track first opened today. Located in Inglewood, California, the Hollywood Turf Club was formed by Jack Warner of the Warner Brothers Film Corporation. The Turf Club was begun by six hundred shareholders including such names as Walt Disney and Bing Crosby. Hollywood Park features Thoroughbred racing and is open for a Spring/Summer meet and an Autumn meet.

Information courtesy of Hollywood Park Race Track

Photo courtesy of Hollywood Park Stable Notes; Leading Up To Dec. 19′s $750,000 CashC...

June 11th, 1919 - Sir Barton became the first horse to win the Triple Crown, although the phrase had yet to be invented. Despite having achieved what would eventually be regarded as a monumental feat, Sir Barton was largely disregarded by the media, as the focus was largely on Man o’War instead. Sir Barton would eventually lose to Man o’War when the two were brought together for a match race at the Kenilworth Gold Cup.

Information and photo courtesy of Sir Barton: The First Triple Crown Winner