Inside Secretariat's record $6 million fee before he even won the Kentucky Derby
The greatest horse to ever live was also quite expensive.
Inside Secretariat's record $6 million fee before he even won the Kentucky Derby originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . To those who weren't around to watch Secretariat race, author included, there are so many stories that add to the majesty of the greatest racehorse that ever lived.
One aspect that flies under the radar is this: Secretariat was so dominant as a 2-year old that he was named horse of the year at that near-unprecedented age for such an honor. He was so good that The Sporting News quoted a trainer before the 1973 Kentucky Derby saying: “It was like watching a 3-year-old running against 2-year-olds. And they tell me the boy has become a man this year.
I just don't know if it's worth shipping across country to run against a horse like that this early in the season. ” Secretariat then delivered on the hype, of course, winning the Triple Crown in absurdly dominant fashion. Before he even ran those major races as a 3-year old, tough, he was syndicated for a record-setting fee.
MORE: Secretariat's family tree includes 663 kids and 19 horses in this Derby Inside Secretariat's record-setting $6 million fee A racehorse being syndicated essentially means dividing the ownership of the horse into shares. In February of 1972, Secretariat was syndicated for a record $6. 08 million.