Champagne
October 14, 1972 ~ Champagne ~ 1 mile ~ Belmont Park
The big finale of the 2-year-old New York racing season came at Belmont in the Champagne Stakes in mid-October. It was the 101st running of the famous race, and proved to be one of its most memorable. Before the day was over, Secretariat would win the race, and then lose it.
A large field of 12 colts was entered for the one-mile Champagne, including: Secretariat; his old rivals Stop the Music and Linda's Chief; and a previously unheralded stablemate of Secretariat's named Angle Light.
As they broke from the gate, Secretariat settled to the back of the pack along with Linda’s Chief and Stop the Music also dropping back. But up on the front end, Angle Light was helping create a blistering early pace. After three-quarters of a mile in a sizzling 1:09 4/5, Angle Light called it a day, as the front runners began to wither.
That’s when it got interesting.
Linda’s Chief and Stop the Music both had the step on Secretariat as the threesome rolled toward the front and turned for home. As Secretariat sailed up alongside his rivals, it got a little close. Secretariat brushed with Stop the Music and that horse brushed close with Linda’s Chief.
Turcotte tapped Secretariat left-handed to get his horse to open a little room away from Stop the Music — a normal thing for a jockey to do. Down the stretch, Secretariat took command and went on to a two-length win over Stop the Music. Step Nicely closed to take third, with Puntilla fourth and Linda’s Chief settling for fifth.
Secretariat (1A) crosses the wire two lengths in front, only to be disqualified and placed second behind Stop the Music (5).
Jockey Johnny Rotz, aboard Stop the Music, claimed interference and the stewards posted the “Objection” sign. After reviewing films of the race and talking to the jocks, the stewards reversed the order of finish of the top two horses, with Stop the Music awarded first money and Secretariat second.
The Daily Racing Form chart caller’s account supported the stewards’ decision, noting Secretariat “bore in bumping Stop the Music just inside the final three sixteenths, was straightened up under left-handed pressure and drew away while being strongly ridden.”
A translation of the racing term "bore in" means Secretariat veered left toward the rail, bearing in toward Stop the Music. Hard bumps that knock a rival off stride are not allowed in horse racing, and sometimes lead to disqualification. On the other hand, horses seldom study the rules of racing and generally a bump or two here or there is viewed as an unavoidable part of racing. The crux of the question is whether a horse maintained a straight path and did not cut off the momentum of another horse, costing it a better finish position.
Secretariat's disqualification headlines the news in the Daily Racing Form.
When Secretariat was "straightened up under left-handed pressure," the chart caller was saying jockey Turcotte was engineering a course correction for Secretariat. Turcotte swatted Secretariat with the whip on the horse's left side. That wasn't to punish Secretariat or ask him to run harder, but to encourage him into taking a straight path.
The horse was bearing to his left, bumping into Stop the Music, and Turcotte wanted to steer him to the right, away from the other horse. So he hit the horse on its left side. Think of it this way: You'd head off to the right, too, if a little guy on your back was taking a whip to your left side.
Secretariat went on to easily win the race by two lengths over Stop the Music. However the bumping incident DID lead to the disqualification of Secretariat. The Belmont Park "stewards" (the official racing judges at the track) ruled that Secretariat had bothered Stop the Music enough to hinder that horse's chances. Placing Secretariat second behind the horse he had bumped was a routine result of such a foul.
While being moved up to first place was good news for Stop the Music, the disqualification was naturally a disappointment for the folks in Secretariat's camp. Their horse had run strongly, won by two lengths, and hit the wire in a time of 1:35-flat for the mile. But he didn't get credit for his victory.
While others had their opinions – including jockey Rotz and the New York state stewards — Turcotte remained ever an advocate for his horse.
"By taking away that winning purse (the winner’s share was $87,900 vs. $32,230 for second place), it stopped Secretariat from breaking the record for money won in one year by a two-year-old. I always felt worse for the horse than for myself. He deserved that title. We were robbed. Secretariat was robbed, really. He actually won one more race than everyone says he won. He won that race. But the stewards took it away."
In any case, Big Red knew nothing of the technical or title talk. He’d ruled the way, and was soon back at the barn, munching on a rack stuffed full of sweet alfalfa hay. A happy horse.
"I always felt worse for the horse than for myself. He deserved that title. We were robbed. Secretariat was robbed, really... He won that race. But the stewards took it away."
~ Jockey Ron Turcotte
Further Commentary from jockey Ron Turcotte
In the 1972 Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park, Secretariat crossed the wire two lengths ahead of Stop the Music, who was ridden by John Rotz. Step Nicely, trained by Allen Jerkens, finished third under the reins of Angel Cordero Jr. And then the “Inquiry” sign flashed…
Jockey Ron Turcotte shares his memories of the race:
Q: Can you describe your recollections of the race as it happened?
RT: Everything was going fine. As we turned for home, Stop the Music carried me out a little bit, but I just chose to go to the outside of him. But that didn’t really affect me – I was still moving good. Secretariat was running the race beautifully and he won it easily enough, but they still took him down [disqualified him]. It was a bad call.
Q: Regarding what prompted the inquiry, describe what happened from your vantage point aboard Secretariat.
RT: Linda’s Chief came out into Stop the Music, and Stop the Music hit Secretariat in the rear and turned him in. So I grabbed him as soon as I could, to give him more room. Really, Secretariat got affected more than Stop the Music. But the chain reaction started with Linda’s Chief.
Q: As you crossed under the wire, did you have any inkling that the win might not stand?
RT: Not really, because I knew that Stop the Music was the one that had turned me in, and I’d grabbed Secretariat as quick as I could. I came back and saw the blinking light. I didn’t think they would take him down. Secretariat was much the best horse.
Q: Is it part of the breaks of the game that sometimes there’s just a bad call like that?
RT: Yes. Also, where the camera was positioned at the head of the stretch at the clubhouse turn, it’s supposed to be straight, but it seems to favor the inside horse. If you watch the replay from there it always looks like the outside horse goes in. It’s just the way the camera is set on the outside fence.
Q: How did you feel when they disqualified Secretariat to second place?
RT: I just felt it was unfair. He should not have been disqualified. I thought there was no way in the world they could take him down. I’ve seen way more than that occur during a race without horses being disqualified.
Q: Did you and Stop the Music’s jockey John Rotz ever talk about that race?
RT: No, we always got along really good afterwards. I don’t blame him at all because had I been in his place, I probably would have claimed foul too because you’ve got to take every chance you can. You came to win. My horse got pushed by the other horse, but it could still be seen as the outside horse who caused the problem. You’ve got to go by how the stewards look at it.
Q: Do you remember the reactions of [trainer] Lucien Laurin and [owner] Penny Chenery?
RT: More Penny than Lucien. I stopped at the barn on the way home. I was always interested in the horses, to make sure they came back good from the race and all that. She thought I’d ridden Secretariat in a way that moved him toward the inside but I said, “Mrs. Chenery, I didn’t turn the horse in. I tried to take him out.” She dropped it at that.
Q: As a jockey, being second-guessed must be frustrating.
RT: Well, you get used to it. We’re the last people exposed. If a trainer makes any mistake, it happens behind the scenes. An owner can make a mistake, like placing the horse in a race where it shouldn’t be. But if the horse gets beat, it’s always the jockey. You can’t say anything. But I never got suspended for the ride after the race. They never blamed me for the disqualification.
Q: Of course Lucien and Penny couldn’t have been too upset because you were back on Secretariat for the Laurel Futurity two weeks later.
RT: Right.
Q: Did the inquiry affect how you rode Secretariat in his following race?
RT: No, in the Laurel Futurity I rode him the way I usually did. I let the other horses go and then came up on the outside and let Secretariat run through the stretch. He won by eight lengths and his time was just off the track record. I felt very confident every time I rode the horse.
Q: Coming into this race, Secretariat had run six times with five straight wins, and you’d been on him for four straight wins. The final time in the Champagne was a swift 1:35 for the mile. So even with the disqualification, you still must have felt confident about your horse and his future prospects.
RT: Oh, definitely, I knew the other horses couldn’t beat him. He was the best by that much.
The winner’s circle photo that was not to be. While awaiting the stewards' decision regarding the inquiry, both Secretariat and Stop the Music had their photos captured. The expression on trainer Lucien Laurin's face hints at his sentiments concerning the forthcoming disqualification.
1972 Champagne Stakes Track Program, Official Race Chart and Winner's Circle Photo *(disq)
