Sanford

Two weeks after Secretariat had glided to victory in his first start at Saratoga, the promising Meadow Stable 2-year-old was entered in the Sanford, a $25,000 stakes race with a five-horse field – and this time he would face a tough cookie named Linda’s Chief.

There was a bit of disagreement amongst fans as to which horse was best in the Sanford Stakes. Secretariat had his backers at 3-2 in the betting, but undefeated Linda's Chief was the “odds-on” 3-5 favorite. Slim pickings for bettors: A $2 bet on Secretariat would return $5, if he won. But a $2 bet on Linda’s Chief would pay just $3.20. Linda’s Chief, a grandson of Bold Ruler, had plenty of speed, and was an early-maturing horse. In his four starts, he’d won three stakes races. This would be Secretariat’s first start in a stakes.

The riders enjoyed renown as well, with Canadian Ron Turcotte on Secretariat and Panamanian Braulio Baeza on Linda’s Chief, both future Hall of Fame jockeys. Also riding in the Sanford were Jorge Velasquez, Eddie Belmonte and Angel Cordero, Jr. Just five horses, and five jocks, but plenty to talk about in the stands at Saratoga.

Secretariat approaching the wire over Linda's Chief in the Aug. 16, 1972 Sanford Stakes

The race turned out to be all Secretariat. The growing, reddish-chestnut 2-year-old powered to an open-lengths victory over Linda’s Chief in 1:10 flat for six furlongs. That’s fast. Turcotte allowed Secretariat to settle in stride, as he had in his previous start, and again asked the colt for run on the turn for home. But this time, instead of taking the clear “overland route” wide around his competition, Turcotte drove Secretariat between horses.

Linda's Chief was an excellent racehorse and would go on to have an impressive career, but on this day he finished a distant second. His rider, Braulio Baeza, remarked that the Meadow Stable's crimson comet "went by me like I was tied up to a pole."

From there to the wire, the Daily Racing Form chart caller noted that Secretariat was “ridden out.” That’s racetrack vernacular for how a horse that is winning a race is asked to finish the event. Secretariat had reached the lead and was going to win easily, but Turcotte did not ease the horse to the finish line. Nor did he urge the colt to give him more.

Turcotte was riding at the top of the horseracing game. He was probably the most interested observer of all as he let Secretariat do it his own way that day at Saratoga. Sitting chilly in the saddle throughout the race, he knew there were bigger tests ahead.

Trainer Lucien Lauren, owner Penny Chenery (then Tweedy), groom Mordecai Williams and jockey Ron Turcotte celebrate Secretariat's first stakes victory.