Sweat Legacy Etched in Stone
Our inaugural and very special installment of Askin’ Haskin on Secretariat.com. What better way to begin this new adventure than to write a much-needed story about how a group of people took it upon themselves to get Big Red’s groom, Eddie Sweat, a proper headstone. Future blogs will be about all aspects of racing, especially the human side, and nostalgic behind-the-scenes pieces about the greats of the past.
“Sweat’s Legacy Now Etched in Stone”
By Steve Haskin
On a barren-looking tract of land in Rock Hill AME Church Cemetery in Vance, South Carolina, laid a withered slab of unknown material surrounded by dead grass and a tangle of weeds. At its head was a small vase of plastic blue and white flowers that had toppled over. Atop the slab was a plastic miniature horse and a plastic or ceramic miniature cardinal, along with a small faded blue sign attached with two screws with the simple words: “Edward Sweat 1939-1998.”
At the foot of the slab was what appeared to be an added piece of concrete with the words “Edward S. Sweat 1939-1998,” which looked as if it had been hand-inscribed with a nail or another sharp object by a good-willed person who thought highly of Sweat.
It was hardly a fitting tribute to a gifted horseman who was well known in Thoroughbred racing as the groom of the legendary Secretariat, as well as the horse who helped save Meadow Stud, Riva Ridge, and champion Chief’s Crown. Grooms, who devote their lives to these noble steeds while toiling in relative anonymity, can only dream of taking care of and being responsible for three such magnificent athletes and titans of the Turf, including one many believe to be the greatest Thoroughbred of all time.
In 2019, Pam Shushkowski, a member of the Facebook group, “THE Secretariat Group – dedicated to the Horse that God Built,” visited Sweat’s grave and was saddened by what she saw. Shushkowski decided then and there to rectify this great injustice. Sweat needed to have a proper headstone and memorial befitting a man of his stature and accomplishments. After all, this was a person who was part of history and helped make Secretariat arguably the most iconic equine athlete in the history of the sport, right up there with Man o’ War.
She contacted her friends, Buddy Hassell and Elaine Kreil, and all three began their quest to give Sweat the headstone and memorial he richly deserved. Hassell reached out to potential donors, while Kreil contacted Sweat’s family, tracked all the funds collected, and worked with the monument company. Kathy Wood, creator of “THE Secretariat Group,” organized and ran the auctions that would help pay for the endeavor.
Thanks to their diligent work and the generosity of all those who donated, Eddie Sweat now has more than an appropriate headstone; he has a magnificent memorial, shimmering in polished black granite, on which is etched a tender photo of him and his beloved Secretariat inside a horseshoe. Engraved on the headstone in white lettering are the words: “Edward ‘Shorty’ Sweat, August 29, 1939, April 17, 1998, Beloved groom to Chief’s Crown, Riva Ridge, and Secretariat.” Below that are the profound words of Sweat himself: “I think they’ll take me to my grave with a pitchfork in my hand and a rub rag in my back pocket.” In many ways, those words salute all grooms throughout history who devoted their lives to the horses they loved and cared for.
The headstone now is surrounded by lush carpet of green grass and is a treasured shrine, not only to Sweat, but Secretariat.
Sweat, who died of leukemia 25 years after Big Red captured the hearts of a nation with his historic Triple Crown sweep, now has the headstone and epitaph he deserves. You can bet his gravesite will now be visited by scores of people who want to feel part of one of the greatest legacies of the Turf.
“What a difference a year makes,” Shushkowski said. “One year ago I was standing over Eddie Sweat’s grave, feeling so sad. I dreamed of him having a headstone, one I believe he deserved. I mentioned it to a couple of members who said it could be done. Then other members started believing, too. To anyone who generously contributed, no matter the amount, we did this. We accomplished it much sooner than I expected. For me this has been a way to celebrate Secretariat’s 50th birthday by helping honor his best friend.”
Kate Tweedy, daughter of Penny Chenery and also a contributor, said of the new headstone, “I am very impressed. It is beautiful, and I’m so grateful for all the effort that was put into it.”
Although the racing industry knew him as Eddie, he was never called that in the barn. He was either Edward, Mr. Sweat, or Shorty. And to some he was much more than a groom.
Steve Jordan, who hotwalked Secretariat and Riva Ridge and then went on to a career as a trainer and eventually working for the New York Racing Association as head of the holding barn, said of Sweat, “Throughout our more than 15 years together, Mr. Sweat was not only a mentor professionally, but an inspiration as an honorable and gentle family man. After the (Lucien) Laurin years, Edward was at my side as I began my training career in Delaware. It was his friendship, however, that was treasured most of all.”
From Humble Beginnings to Famous Groom
Eddie Sweat was born in Holly Hill, South Carolina, in 1939 to David and Mary Sweat, the sixth of nine children. He grew up poor. His father was an African American, Cherokee sharecropper who knew how to make poultices out of plants. He used this folk knowledge to heal his plow mule’s sore legs, passing this knowledge onto his son Eddie. Education of her children was important to Mary. It was a means to escape the poverty and hard life. Even in grade school, Eddie helped the family by working on nearby farms plowing fields and harvesting crops after class.
On his way to school, Eddie would look longingly out the bus window at the Thoroughbred horses on a farm. That farm belonged to trainer Lucien Laurin, the man who would later train both Riva Ridge and Secretariat and entrust both horses to Sweat. On a number of occasions Sweat would skip his studies to get closer to the horses and observe them, which displeased his mother. But the bond had already been created. Although just a youngster, Sweat asked Laurin for a job and began by digging post holes and erecting fences in the afternoons and on weekends. It wasn’t long after that Sweat quit school. His work ethic on the farm soon earned him a job driving the horse van as well as increased responsibilities as a hotwalker and groom.
Physically, Sweat had all the attributes. He was short, but powerfully built, especially in his forearms, which helped him handle all kinds of horses and enabled him to succeed in a physically demanding career. But it was not brute force that helped him communicate with his horses. It was the way he talked to them and looked at them, and more importantly, the way he understood them. He and Secretariat had that kind of understanding. Although Sweat would let him be playful, they had a mutual respect for each other, and Big Red always knew when it was time for business. Sweat admitted he was closer to Red than his own family during those years.
Sweat was, without question, Secretariat’s best friend, spending long days and even some nights with him. He believed in treating his horses more like humans and they responded to him. When he spoke to them, some would say he almost sang to them. Sweat was using Gullah, a language the South Carolina and Georgia African slaves created in order to be able to communicate with one another. It is part West African, part English. Its melodic sounds, combined with the rhythmic brush and rub rag strokes, calmed and soothed the horses, all the while building trust.
Although Secretariat was the star of the stable and a national hero, Sweat always made Riva Ridge, the previous year’s Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner and world-record holder at 4, feel like a champion as well. After all, he was as a 2-year-old in 1971, ushering in the Meadow Stable glory years. Both Sweat and owner Penny Tweedy had soft spots in their heart for the amiable, lop-eared Riva. When Lucien Lauren retired, Sweat went to work for his son Roger, where he groomed the classy 2-year-old champion and Travers Stakes winner Chief’s Crown.
One of the hardest days for Sweat was when he had to accompany Secretariat and Riva Ridge on their flight to Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky, following their retirement. Having to say goodbye to both of them at the same time made it twice as tough. During the flight, Secretariat would gently clench his teeth on Sweat’s jacket, as if knowing he would never be this close to him again.
After Big Red and Riva were safely tucked away in their new home and it was time for Sweat to depart, he stood alone in the parking lot with his suitcase resting atop a small brick wall, and appeared to be wiping away a tear. The image was captured by Daily Racing Form photographer Ray Woolfe Jr., who shot it from behind Sweat as he gazed at an empty paddock, depicting the solitude and loneliness he must have been feeling.
Remembered Near and Far
Sweat had already been memorialized in 2004 with a statue at the Kentucky Horse Park, which shows him leading Secretariat and jockey Ron Turcotte to the Churchill Downs Kentucky Derby Winner’s Circle. A humble and quiet man, Sweat would have been thrilled, yet embarrassed, to know that 16 years later a group of strangers cared enough about him to give him such a magnificent tribute.
But no one was more thrilled and grateful than Sweat’s youngest sister, Geraldine Holman, who lives in Florida.
“Oh my God, you just don’t know,” she said. “I was so stunned I just bust out crying when I saw it on Facebook. It is just so beautiful. Kathy Wood sent me a picture of the group who helped her raise the money and I wrote to every one of them. They were going to go to South Carolina and have a ceremony, but because of the COVID they decided to do it another time and said that they wanted to meet me. I told her, ‘If the Good Master allows it I want to come and meet each and every one of you.’ I just wish he and my mom and my dad were here to see this. I miss him a whole lot, but I know he’s looking down and smiling.”
As she spoke, the memories came flooding back. “Elwood (that’s what they called him) left home when he was 11, and my mom used to talk about him and I would say, ‘Mama, I don’t have another brother,’ and she would say, ‘Yes you do,’ and I would ask, ‘Where is he?’ That’s when she told me what happened. She said, ‘One day he went to school and he never came home, so I went looking for him and I couldn’t find him.’ He was hiding out at the track, which wasn’t too far from where we lived.
“Mama cried like a baby day and night, because she didn’t know where her child was. I was just a little girl and she told me the story later. He wound up going to New York on the van hiding behind the horses. When they opened the van and saw him they asked him what he doing back there, and all he said was, ‘I’m with the horses.’ But he was only 11 years old and he was too young to work with the horses. He continued to work for Mr. Lucien, who raised him.”
Geraldine was 12 years old when her big brother finally came home to visit. “He came off the truck and I said, ‘Mama, who is that?’ She said, ‘My God, Lord, I’m so happy to see my child.’ I said ‘Your child?’ Mama, that’s not your child,’ and she said, ‘Yes it is, just you wait.’ He walked off that truck and he looked exactly like my mom. He walked like my mom and he acted like my mom. He walked up to me and he said, ‘Hey sis. Look at my baby sister, she done all grown up. You don’t remember me, do you? You don’t remember when you was little and I used to give you a bottle?’ And I said, ‘No, I ain’t your sister. I was just tiny and I don’t even know you.’ And when he and my mom said I was his sister, I asked him, ‘Where have you been?’
“We all got to talking and my mom said to him, ‘Lord, I prayed day and night for this day,” and then she started crying. And Elwood said, ‘Mom, don’t cry, I’m here now.’ But then he told us he was only staying for a couple of days, and he asked my mom if he could take me out to the track with him. And my mom went, ‘No, no no, I don’t want my baby around them horses.’”
But Eddie convinced his mom she would be in good hands and he wanted to spend time with her and get to know her. The first thing he did was teach Geraldine how to drive the van. “But I’m too little,” she told him. “He sat me in his lap and showed me how to switch the gears and everything, and I was so thrilled.”
What really amazed Geraldine was watching her brother take the horses off the van. “Mr. Lucien asked, ‘Who is this little girl?’ He said, ‘This is my baby sister. I haven’t seen her since I left home.’ I stood there and I watched him with those horses. He was just talking to them and they obeyed him. I couldn’t believe it, it was like they were listening to every word he said.”
Geraldine followed Eddie’s career closely and celebrated all his great victories. But then in 1998, Eddie was stricken with leukemia at the same time Geraldine was battling cancer. Because his sister was ill, Eddie wouldn’t tell her what was wrong with him when she flew up to New York to see him. But she knew he was sick by the amount of weight he had lost. When Eddie went down to Florida to visit his sister he told her, “Sis, I want you to fight, because I’m not coming back. This is my last trip. If anything happens to me I want you to bury me in a blue casket with blue interior, and I want to be dressed in a double-breasted blue suit, blue shirt, blue socks, and a blue and white necktie. All Geraldine said when he left was, “Please Lord, take care of him.” He gave her a hug and a kiss and said, “This is goodbye, but I will be watching over you.” Geraldine never saw her brother again.
But when the day comes that she goes to South Carolina and meets the Facebook group, she will see her brother once again in all his glory, adorned in shiny black granite. A fitting way to see a man who was made of granite and who left a legacy that will live on as long as people remember the name Secretariat. And that will be forever.
Claiborne and Barn photos by Ray Woolfe
Such a great story of a man and his life’s journey and the love for horses. Yes there’s no doubt that Eddie was the glue between himself, Ron Turcotte and Secretariat. I’m sure he had a lonely life without his family but he did have the love of his horses he attended and that love was mutual. So glad for those that worked to get Eddie a nice headstone for his grave. I know it broke his heart to leave Secretariat and the other horses he attended but he knew it was time to move on. Wish I could have known him but life is what it is on our journeys. Love this story and I only live maybe 1.5 hours away from his burial site ( Winston Salem NC. ) thanks for sharing and I’ll be visiting his site before to much longer.
I have such gratitude for your talent. It took me forever to read about Birdstone because I was bawling my eyes out. Every time I went to the paddock with Marylou, I continue to say, “he’s so tiny“. But I knew he was mighty. As her best friend, I was with Marylou at every race. When Birdstone beat Smarty Jones, she exuded her gracious personality. It seems like yesterday that I heard Marylou say to Edgar, in the paddock, “second would be wonderful”. As we sat in the box before the race, she said, isn’t it relaxing not to be the favorite? I remember the four of us bawling, as we saw tiny Birdstone flying down the middle of the track. And still vivid, is our fight to get to the winners circle. Belmont security thought it would be a coronation. They forgot what a horse race is. A new fact I learned was about Bob Frieze, and his terrific quote to Zito about “tomorrow“. Being with Marylou and Birdstone was truly a spiritual experience. The way she took care of her horses, employees, Ronaldo, Nick And all who had a hand in Birdstone’s success, was nothing less than remarkable. Well, I’ve course, she was a remarkable and wonderful woman who deserved every win she ever had. RIP, dear friend.
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Steve
“Welcome Home” to a place you’ve never been before, but somehow feels so right. How appropriate your very first article is about someone so near and dear to anyone who worked with or was around him. Mr. Sweat was a gifted soul whose ability to commune with his equine charges, by today’s standards, would have been called the King of Horse Whisperers. Thank you for so eloquently telling his story. Thank you to Leonard for bringing you to Secretariat.com May we all look forward to many, many more of your stories and thoughts. xoxo
Hi Steve,
So good to see your columns found a new “home”. Love the inaugural one about Mr. Sweat and his great relationship with
Big Read. Will be reading all of your columns as they are posted.
Sorry “Big Red”
A timeless story, told here beautifully, of the deep & unbreakable bond between Mr. Sweat & his equine Stars. Heartbreaking when he was parted from Riva & Big Red. Their lives, forever intertwined & now honored together. Thankful for caring folks (& that tender image of him with Riva, Red looking on, always moves me).
Can I simply say what a aid to search out someone who truly knows what theyre speaking about on the internet. You definitely know how one can deliver a problem to light and make it important. More folks must learn this and perceive this side of the story. I cant consider youre no more in style because you positively have the gift.
Lovely article, Steve.
As usual, by the end of reading it, I was teary-eyed.
Beautiful tribute Steve! So happy to still be able to read your stories!!! Looking forward to more! Take care and keep writing!
Lovely, Steve. Thank you so much for etching these stories in electrons. (Not as beautiful as stone, but easier to deliver to the public these days.)
christal
Sweat Legacy Etched in Stone | Secretariat.com
*Sigh* I have been Jones-ing for a Haskin read. Now my day is made. This is the perfect union of Haskin brilliance and the great historic Secretariat.com. I am so happy to see this. Congratulations to Secretariat.com, and Bravo Mr. Haskin.
Thank you so much. Peg. I really appreciate that. And welcome!
Thank You Steve always enjoy your knack of writing which is so detailed that it takes us back to those days and your knowledge of history.
Thanks for this site to keep us all going along.
That’s very kind of you, Gary. Thank you
Steve! It’s so good to have you back! Thank you for this beautiful story. I love the anecdote about how Secretariat gripped Eddie’s jacket with his teeth during their final trip together.
Thanks. Very much appreciated.
It’s wonderful that you’ve found an absolutely fitting home, Steve. Your story about Eddie was sincere and very touching. Congratulations!
Thank you, Helena!
Thank you very much, Judy. I’m thrilled to be here
Dear Mr. Haskin,
Thank you for another beautifully written, poignant piece and wonderful tribute to a fine man.
So happy you are part of Secretariat’s Team. JB
Thank you very much, Judy. It’s great to be here
Many thanks Steve for this heartfelt inaugural piece in Secretariat.com. It is really lovely to renew enjoying your soul-enriching writings … this was a masterful way to not only pay tribute to the great Eddie Sweat but to every groom in the world.
You are greatly contributing to preserving and promoting the essence of the Thoroughbred world.
I am keenly looking forward to your Steve Haskin’s Derby Rankings on Secretariat.com tomorrow.
Thank you so much. Nelson. I really appreciate the kind words.
If I havent thanked you individually, I just want to thank everyone for all your kind comments. They are greatly appreciated.
You are more then welcome Steve. We are so glad to have you back and have a platform to express and discuss horse racing.
It’s so wonderful to know you’ve found a new home at Secretariat.com. I always looked forward to reading your columns and am thrilled to know that you will be continuing to share your great gift and incredible memories with us. This column brought tears to my eyes. Goodspeed, Mr. Sweat…I hope you are with your beloved horses for all eternity. And thank you, Mr. Haskin, for once again giving us insights the people and horses that make racing great.
Thank you very much, Ann. I appreciate the kind words
Steve, I cannot think of a better story to launch your new venture than this. I am convinced that there was Big Red magic at work here. One person, who happened to be exactly the RIGHT person, visited Eddie’s grave and set in motion a chain of events which culminated in a magnificent memorial to a man whom they never knew, but who they were determined would not fade into obscurity. The headstone was completed and placed in the year which marks the 50th anniversary of Secretariat’s birth. In a move which dismayed countless numbers of your followers, you exited The Blood-Horse, only to be resurrected on a site which is beloved to many of the faithful. This, just in time to mark your debut with an article so intertwined with your career that the timing seems uncanny. The image which I will carry wth me, along with the glowing words of tribute, is the photo of the solitary Eddie, standing with his suitcase resting on a wall behind him. The tears flowed, when I realized that this small suitcase held everything which he owned in this world. His true possessions could not be packed in any case, however large, and were the stuff which the most wealthy among us might envy. Thank you, Steve, and your collaborator, Elaine Kreil, for a story that is now etched in our hearts. You have given us the gift of coming to know this remarkable man more deeply.
That is very kind of you, Cynthia. Thank you very much
I am so glad you found a place to continue to express you love of this sport with your eloquent words on any and all subjects. I hope you have carte blanche to write on any subject you please. Good to have you back.
What a powerful essay, Steve. It is a very fitting one to celebrate your homecoming to Secretariat.com. I am so happy that Eddie has been honored!!!! Marlaine, that is indeed a powerful sentence to honor the bond shared by Secretariat & Eddie.
Steve, please stay safe & healthy. Am looking forward to your Derby Dozen…Perhaps A Dozen for the Roses. Take care, Mary in Boone
Thanks Mary. It wont be called Derby Dozen. Actually rank 15 horses.
Welcome home Steve…the drought is finally over..you are back and doing what you love passionately……..your artistic desire and nonpareil journalistic gift….from Secretariat to Steve Haskin..two Triple Crown Winners…what an seamless fit…another one of your poignant essays….so very visceral…looking forward immensely to have you make our day..both in and out of racing….so much more comforting and relaxing…especially during these unprecedented times….you are the elixir…welcome home Steve…stay well and safe….best always…Steve Stone
Thank you so much, Steve. I appreciate the kind words.
Beautiful and touching!
As usual you touched my heart with your words. I always wonder how many very good horses became great horses under the care of exceptional grooms like Mr. Sweat. And how appropriate is his last name. Appears he started working very hard at such a young age. Mr. Sweat does truly live on, as so well put in your last sentence. He was the mechanic behind the horse racing as the “tremendous machine”.
Thank you, Marlaine. Can I borrow that last sentence — brilliant!
This is really touched my heart. I am so happy to be able to continue to read your beautiful articles. Thanks for your wonderful work. All the best to you.
That’s very kind of you, Sandy. Thank you very much.
Steve,
So thrilled to see you land at Secretariat.com! The article on Eddie moved me to tears, as do so many of your great stories and reminiscences. I was so sorry to learn of your parting ways with B-H, and more than a little angry at their callous treatment of someone who literally made that magazine’s readership – especially during Derby season. But when I saw that the writer/author who specializes in tales about the true heart of this sport had signed on with the website founded by the First Lady of the American Turf and celebrating it’s greatest champion – I was beyond thrilled. It’s the perfect pairing of talent and vision for what the best of this sport is and can be.
Can’t wait to read your next piece and to get your Derby picks!
Thank you so much, Lizzie. Your words mean a great deal to me. I am thrilled to be here
A great article and a wonderful tribute to someone, who contributed much to the history of horse racing.
Thank you.
Steve:
This had me in tears. What a lovely and wonderful tribute to Eddie. I’m so glad I was part of this endeavor to get this headstone for him. Actually going down 8/28 to see this headstone with some friends of our group. Should be a great road trip.
Glad that you are back and will continue on with your great columns. I told Elaine you couldn’t retire since writing was like eating to you and just in time for the Derby!
I appreciate that, Karole. Thank you. When it comes to writing I hope I never go on a diet.
Welcome to your new home on the Secretariat website, Steve. Your inaugural article couldn’t have been a more moving and fitting tribute to Edward Sweat. The gratitude we all feel for Mr. Sweat and the indispensable role he played in Secretariat’s accomplishments is there between every line you wrote. I live about an hour from Vance, South Carolina, where he is buried. His new granite headstone is beautiful.
A few years ago a friend gave me a copy of the New Testament translated into the Gullah language by the Sea Island Translation Team and published by the American Bible Society. The translation was 25 years in the making and is based upon original Greek manuscripts. Gullah is often referred to as a dialect, but it is actually recognized as a distinct language. It is also known as Sea Island Creole.
Thank you, Lyn. Hopefully more people will come and visit it once everything is back to normal
Wonderful article Steve. This Website gained a treasure and I bet the traffic soars!!
Thank you. I hope people come on over and have a lot of fun here.
Thank you for another wonderful story. Secretariat was the first racehorse I was truly aware of and to this day I can’t watch that Belmont without a chill and a tear or two. That was a fitting tribute to Mr. Sweat, to his character, his dedication to his job, his gift with horses and to his lasting legacy. I’m really happy that a headstone commemorates him. His family deserves to be very proud of him.
It was great team effort, Kathryn. I merely told the story
So glad you are back. What a wonderful first story and tribute to Mr Sweat.
So glad you are back. What a wonderful first story and tribute to Mr Sweat.
What a wonderful story, Steve. So glad you are continuing to enjoy what you do so well.
Thank you very much, Irene
Steve it’s a brilliant article. I especially like how you used Raymond Woolf’s photos. I have his book on Secretariat. They have wonderful pictures that you normally see.
Thank you for helping me relive 1973 all over again…with Big Red coming down the stretch all alone…”he’s running like a tremendous machine“.
Thank you, Margaret. It was Elaine who supplied the photos, and they all fit the story well
Margaret,
Ray Woolfe gave me an autographed 11×16 copy of his ’73 Marlboro Cup finish that appears on pages 158-159. It hangs in my living room.
Congratulations, Steve, on your quick return! Beautiful story and kudos to the three samaritans.
Great to see you, Eddie. Thanks for coming on over.
I love that you landed here on this website, a very fitting place for you to be! The piece you wrote above is absolutely amazing, as a member of The Secretariat Group~ “dedicated to the Horse that God Built”, I too feel honored that you chose this as your first article. Eddie Sweat is so deserving of this incredible telling of his story. Thanks a million, look forward to all that you write.
Thank you very much, Teri
Yay! Glad to see you in your new home, Steve! Congrats!
Thanks Gloria
I am SO glad you have a new home, and at one of my favorite websites. LOL! I am looking forward to your future columns and blogs.
I am so excited to have been a part of this project. Pam’s dream was made into reality. Mine too of taking the story public. Thank you, Steve and Leonard!
I must extend a shout out to Worth Monuments of Orangeburg, SC for taking my draft and exceeding my expectations by turning it into this magnificent tribute to Eddie. I can’t wait, but wait I must, to see it in person.
Finally, Geraldine’s comments made the blog; she made me laugh, she made me cry. It’s no longer a mystery to me why she is thrilled with the headstone. I look forward to meeting her one day.
Thank you Elaine. Geraldine was awesome. And thank you again for all your help
This is an awesome way to start Steve. Totally amazing first article and no better place than this. You always show the human side that we so seldom see in what we read. So happy for you and for us.
Thank you very much, Elaine. The human side is what the sport is all about, even the human side of horses 🙂
Steve, another fine article. So pleased you have found a platform where the racing community are able to read historic perspectives that have influenced racing over the years. Thank you.
What a gift, Steve. Your words bring new life to Eddie (Shorty) and Secretariat’s story. Thank you for helping us “…see a man who was made of granite and who left a legacy that will live on as long as people remember the name Secretariat. And that will be forever.”
I appreciate it, Darla. Thank you
Steve, you picked a great place to land. Your initial piece on Eddie Sweat was yet another gem. This man had the gift of communicating with horses. Big Red, Riva and Chief’s Crown were all the better being cared for and loved by Mr. Sweat.
Welcome back. I’m glad that your absence was brief and we now can resume reading your wonderful prose. Happy day!
Thanks so much, Dewey
Steve!!!!
That was a short absence, thankfully – we missed you!
I’m going to read this later, but I already know that it’s going to be beautiful!
Welcome back!
Great to see you, Betsy. Thank you. On to the Derby. Rankings Friday.
Steve, I’m tearing up…that was beautiful. I love reading about the bonds between horses and humans; Eddie truly had special gift. He died too young, sadly…but thank you to everyone who helped make this dream a reality so that he is never forgotten.
I look forward to your list, especially your comments about the Shared Belief – and maybe some comments about the situation with Max Player.
Can’t wait for your next article !
How’s your teeth?
Hi David !
Tooth was extracted and I’m doing well, thanks! I’m wearing this device that has a fake tooth on it …not all the time, but when I go out or just for a few hours a day at home. I’ll need to wear this until the completion of my implant.
Thanks for asking!
Quintessential Steve Haskin! Tears in my eyes…joy in my heart…and a longing for days gone by.
Thank you for your elegant prose, and for the simplicity with which you weave another magical tale.
God Bless Shorty and his baby sister. I’m already yearning for more.
I appreciate that very much, Weezie. Thank you!
Thanks to all that made this happen. Hopefully, the day with come when travel to SC will be feasible and I can visit Edward’s resting place. This will include a stop to honor 2 others from those glory years, Mordecai “Pop” Williams and George “Charlie” Davis. Many here have met Charlie, and who could forget him if you had! Pop also grew up Vance, rubbed Secretariat in his early 2-year-old year, but unfortunately passed away much too young while working along Shorty & I for Roger Laurin.
Some people you meet throughout your life stay with you forever. These three do for me, and am better
What a beautiful tribute Steve, thanks for sharing it with us.
So glad to follow you over here from The Bloodhorse and just love this piece and it’s great message. Write on ….
What a lucky site to have the best turf writer in the business, and a perfect column to start the endeavor.
Steve, thank you for your outstanding article acknowledging a team effort honoring Eddie Sweat’s legacy. The background story honoring Eddie’s contributions was very much appreciated. Thanks again!
Thanks so much, Lenny.
Lovely first column Steve. I can’t wait to read many many more. What a national treasure you are!
That is very kind of you, Kelly. Thank you so much
Great to have you back !! This is a beautiful tribute to Eddie !!! I didn’t know about a lot of his life until now. Looking forward to more great writing from you.
Thank you very much, Darryl
What a wonderful read. So happy to be a part of The Secretariat Group. Good things have happened!!!
Great to have you Kathy. Thank you
Oh my goodness, just had me in tears!
Such a beautiful story to tell. Thank you so much
Steve ❤️
Thanks so much, Judith. Tears are the greatest compliment 🙂
So glad you landed here, Steve! You and Secretariat—-class acts!
I appreciate it. Thanks very much
A great article, Steve. I’m very glad that this extremely worthy gentleman has gotten a resting place that reflects him properly. Thank you to the group that made it possible, and to Steve for telling the story so beautifully.
Nice to have you back, Sir!
I appreciate it, Janis, thank you
So tender and sweet
Steve, I am so thrilled to have you back with a wonderful piece about a wonderful man. God bless!
Steve, just wanted you to know who it was. Again, I am just utterly thrilled!!
Steve, I am so happy to see this wonderful tribute to Eddie Sweat! Just brilliant and a perfect article for this new beginning at Secretariat.com. what an amazing life story Eddie had. I am so glad he went back home, saw his mom again, and met his sister.
To the group who made sure he had a fitting headstone, honoring the importance of Eddie to Secretariat’s life, I want to say “thank you.” A most kind and generous thing to do. It will gladden everyone’s heart who sees it.
Well. all is right in the horse racing world now that Steve is back. I can’t wait for more of his thoughts on this year’s racing scene. Thank you to Leonard Lusky and Secretariat.com for giving our favorite horse racing expert and writer a great place to continue his life’s work.
Thank you very much, Paula, Great to have you here
Until I find out a way to respond to everyone individually, I thank you all for your comments. Great way to begin the new adventure.
So great to see you here, very apropos I might add, a great legendary writer working for a website named after a legendary horse.
This should be a fun and exciting ride, I welcome everyone aboard………….Deacon
Great to see you here Deacon!
Wild horses couldn’t keep me away my friend!! 🙂
Thanks so much, Deacon. Welcome
Steve, I had a feeling this was where you would land. Im almost at a loss for words that you would write as your first column about our group THE Secretariat Group and what we accomplished. Im doing my best to hold back the tears. You have to know what this means to our group especially to everyone who were key to making this happen from those of us mentioned to the artists who donated their works to those who participated in the auctions or donated outright. We are honored to have been able to make this long overdue and well deserved tribute come true. As I told Pam never ever allow anyone to tell you something cannot be done. With the right people and a strong faith anything can be accomplished. Thank you for writing Eddie’s story and about our dedication to honoring him.
Thank you, Steve! Thank you for making this public! My dream, as well as those who made it an idea, and our group who made this a reality are incredibly proud we could make this happen. Eddie does indeed have a beautiful headstone. And his memory, as well as Secretariat, will live on forever. Tears of happiness!
You should be very proud of yourself and your team, Pam
Thank you so much! What a wonderful story from everyone’s favorite Thoroughbred writer and historian!
What a perfect place for you Steve…my all time favorite racing writer and my favorite thoroughbred, Secretariat. And how appropriate it this to be your first column. Was in tears from start to finish. Rest in peace Eddie and I know in my heart that you and Secretariat and the much beloved Riva Ridge are together again In Heaven!
Thank you very much, Lynda.
Such a wonderful group of people. I’m so glad you landed here, Steve. And you came out swinging with this one. Congratulations!
Great to see you back, Steve
August 11
Steve: I knew it! I just felt it in my bones when I heard that you were moving to a new location online. Of course, I loved this column, since Eddie & Secretariat are one of my favourite relationships in horse racing ever, and it was very moving to read about Eddie and parts of his life I knew only a little about. I treasure my copy of “The Horse That God Built” — and now I can add this to my small, but powerful, Eddie & Red collection. This is going to be so much fun!!!!!
Thanks very much, Abigail.
Wonderful tribute to a true horse whisperer. Thank you.
This is my first column. Hope you enjoy it.
So happy to see you here, Steve. Wonderful first column and I’m looking forward to many more.
Yes, we did. We did.
I am so glad you wrote this and now have a new home to share your stories. Looking forward to the next one.
Omg! I am so happy you have a new home. I am in my 30s and always was passionate about racing, but there is a lot of great history that I didn’t get to see and I always impatiently waited for your columns to learn more. Even though I was not alive when big red was in the track, he is by far my favorite, so I am so happy that my favorite horse and my writer are joining forces. Thanks for doing what you do!
So happy to hear from someone from the younger generation. Thank you so much for the kind words. Love the name Julky 🙂