June 30, 1973 Arlington Invitational Winning Pari-Mutuel Ticket

Description

Illinois racing would never be the same after the Meadow Stable selected the Arlington Invitational as Secretariat’s next start three weeks after his historic Belmont Stakes victory. The Invitational was created as a racing event to showcase Big Red to the fortunate fans in attendance as well as the millions of television viewers who clamored for a glimpse of Secretariat in their post Triple Crown euphoria. While the competition was understandably sparse, Secretariat’s performance did not disappoint as he wired the three challengers brave enough to take on the super horse that early summer day. The official chart of the race Shows Secretariat easily winning the 1 1/8 mile race by nine lengths in the time of 1:48, just missing the track mark by 1/5 second — a commanding performance by any account.

The unique aspect about the pari-mutuel wagering for Arlington Invitational was that it only provided two options: bet on Secretariat, or bet against him and receive the field of three competitors (Our Native, My Gallant, and Blue Chip Dan) who were grouped together into a second wagering entry. The smart money went on Secretariat and while the ticket pay-off value for selecting him as the winner was a meager $2.10 in 1973, today an uncashed ticket is considered an extremely rare and most valuable commodity, coveted by sports memorabilia collectors and racing fans alike.

Each vintage yellow and black original $2.00 winning ticket displays the date (June 30, 1973), race (8th), and program number (#1) for Secretariat. Tickets are crisp and completely intact with no torn corners, creases, or stains. In addition to their official designation as an authentic Secretariat.com archival item, tickets may be available hand-signed by Secretariat’s Hall of Fame jockey, Ron Turcotte, please inquire upon purchase. Tickets are shipped within their own acrylic display. This is a very limited offer available on a first-come basis only.