" ... ... and there were few dry eyes in the house when these twelve
brilliant thoroughbreds paraded onto the track some nine minutes ago to
the melodic background strains of 'I Love You, California'. But now the
time has come ... possibly, no assuredly is the better word here ...
assuredly, the greatest moment this sport has ever seen! ... They are
just beginning to load these twelve magnificent champions - eleven colts
and a filly - into the starting gate here at Hollywood Park for the 'Sunny
Jim Fitzsimmons Stakes', the forty-first and championship heat of this
racing spectacle!"
Secretariat |
"Swaps, who'll break from the number one hole, goes in first. Rex
Ellsworth's colt loves Hollywood Park and he's come way down from 11
to 1 in the Morning Line and he is now listed at 5 to 1 ... The great Man
o'War, the 1 to 2 favorite, giving every indication he knows exactly what
today is all about, now steps serenely into the gate. The glowing
chestnut has routed some respectible opposition in his two starts in this
tournament and he looks even more ready today ... Ruffian, perhaps a
bit lathered, is pushed into the third spot. The only filly, the best ever of
her kind, is at 14 to 1 ... The gray, Native Dancer, Eric Guerin aboard,
goes in easily. The Dancer's at 9 to 1 and is the pick of our broadcast
alalyst Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder ... Count Fleet, winner of 16 of 21, is
quickly in the fifth stall. Like Swaps, The Fleet is well liked at 5 to 1 ...
Affirmed, ridden by 18 year old phenom Steve Cauthen, now slips calmly
in beside his fellow Triple Crown winner. Money has shied away from the
Florida chestnut in the final two hours of wagering and he is now at 22
to 1 ... Seattle Slew, 12 to 1, is in next, as is the 'Big Red Guy' beside
him, the majestic Secretariat, ridden by Ron Turcotte and down to 2 to 1
as the second pick of the bettors. Speculation has swirled throughout
the week as to whether Lucien Laurin will allow his superstar to run
comfortably from behind, or whether he will send him out with the
leaders. This could be the question of the day ... Ever regal, Citation,
loads routinely. The Calumet bay has won 27 of his first 29 and goes off
as the third pick at 7 to 2 with the legendary Eddie Arcaro aboard."
" ... As the crowd tenses with anticipation one can only wonder what's
going on in the minds of the twelve men entrusted with today's rides
and, yes, even what's going on in the minds of these dozen 'equines for
the ages' who will settle, within the next three minutes, the question
asked for centuries: 'Who's the greatest of all time'?".
"The last three are all in now, Spectacular Bid, still with Franklin dispite all
the public outcry, at 11 to 1; Whirlaway, the come from behind demon,
who's fallen all the way to 50 to 1. With Arcaro opting for Citation, Ted
Atkinson draws the mount on the eccentric Calument colt; and, of course,
the speed freak Dr. Fager, under Baeza, now down to 8 to 1 and likely to
be among the pace setters."
"Now, the moment for which we've waited for four months ...THEY'RE AT
THE POST ... The colts carry 126 pounds; Ruffian 121 ... Secretariat
throws his head ... Affirmed fidgets ... Ruffian seems a bit uneasy ... And
... THEY'RE OFF IN THE SUNNY JIM FITZSIMMONS STAKES!"
"For the early lead ... for the lead that's Ruffian in the center of the
racetrack. Dr. Fager is away well as Baeza goes to the whip right out of
the gate. From the far outside The Doctor has moved up to be second.
Then it's Man o'War, settled nicely on the rail by Kummer and Seattle
Slew between horses. Swaps is away cleanly as Shoemaker guides him
to the rail to save time; he's a length and a half behind Man o'War ... It's
two more lengths back to Count Fleet. Spectacular Bid, almost abreast, is
seventh. And joining these two, four wide, are Affirmed and Native
Dancer. Citation is trapped early by that wall of horses and he's settling
in 10th as Arcaro seems content to bide his time."
"Secretariat and Whirlaway trail the field, as one of the day's big
questions is answered early. The Meadow Farms colt will attempt to
come from behind today. These two trailers are already some ten or
eleven lengths off the pace."
Ruffian with Jacinto Vasquez up |
"Back on the lead, it's Ruffian by a half length. Dr. Fager is second on the
turn by another half length. Then it's Man o'War, moving easily. ... Swaps
races up to be fourth as Seattle Slew uncharacteristically drops back ...
the quarter was in 22 and 1 ... the filly did it in 'The Whittingham' and her
wire-to-wire potential must be respected here."
"To the backstretch Ruffian holds by three-quarters. Man o'War has
pulled astride Dr. Fager and he clearly wants to run early. Swaps is
fourth and also moving up ... These top jockeys are unwilling to concede
early distance to a filly who's never been headed! ... Count Fleet, very
wide around the turn, is in good position fifth and then it's another two
lengths back to Seattle Slew."
"Down the backstretch, Ruffian holds by a neck. Still under a hand ride,
Man o'War is in gear, self propelled if you will, as he ducks past Dr. Fager
and looks for the lead. The half in 44 and 4. The pace is wicked! Swaps
has now taken third as Dr. Fager fades fourth."
"There's a real log jam developing behind the lead pack. Citation seems
to have found a hole and he races fifth. Further back, Secretariat is also
underway. He's full out and has moved up to be eighth."
"But, for this moment, this hushed crowd is seeing only the original 'Big
Red'. It's now Man o'War, literally gliding around this racetrack. He is
eating this racecourse with his gigantic strides. He leads by two lengths!
He leads by two and a half!" Ruffian struggles to hold second. Swaps is
third. Citation moves to the inside for his run at the leaders. But these
great horses almost seem to be standing still! Man o'War leads by four
lengths! ... ... Man o'War leads by five lengths! ... This fabled beast is
moving like a runaway locomotive! In the last fraction of a furlong, he has
made a shambles of this horserace!"
"Three quarters was in 1:07 and 1 ... The race may be for second now ...
Fluidly and effortlessly, Man o'War has opened by six lengths. Swaps is
now second and driving and he has two and a half on Citation.
Secretariat is still flying. He's blowing by horses and has raced up to be
fourth, but he is not gaining on the great red demon setting the pace.
Ruffian is fifth and appears out of it."
"At the head of the stretch, there's no sign of fatigue in Man o'War. His
lead is almost seven lengths. He's a superhorse and he's on a self
directed mission! Man o'War is all alone!!! Swaps continues to hold
second, a length in front of Citation and Secretariat, as this pair, in
tandem, tries to reel in the California colt ... Count Fleet gains fifth, but
he's about fourteen lengths off the lead. Ruffian is sixth; Spectacular Bid
is next and then it's Dr. Fager. Native Dancer is ninth, followed by Seattle
Slew."
Into the stretch now and the only thing preceding Man o'War is his
colossal shadow. Kummer goes to the whip once to remind him who's
boss ... Man o'War leads this field by an incredible eight lengths. Swaps
is on the rail second and Shoemaker asks him for his very best.
Secretariat has no prayer of catching the leader, but he's full throttle,
now third and moving magnificently. Citation is another half length back.
The rest have faded and to address their respective plights would
detract from the great scene about to unfold in the next half minute."
"Man o'War has an eighth of a mile between himself and destiny! His
lead is nine lengths! He has never raced more brilliantly!. Secretariat is
now second. Turcotte's mount has charged past Citation and Swaps. He
surely cannot catch the leader, but the Virginia chestnut will never
subscribe to that assumption! Swaps is third by a neck. Citation, to his
outside is under Arcaro's heavy right handed whip, but he can't get by."
"There's less than a sixteenth to go. History doesn't often write stories
this way ... a legend is blazing his way to immortality! Man o'War leads
by eight lengths. Secretariat is now comfortably second and he's opened
some distance on the next two horses."
Man O'War with Clarence Kummer up |
"Man o'War has left no doubt as to who's the 'mostest hoss'! He's
coming to the finish line now! MAN O' WAR WINS THE FITZSIMMONS
STAKES BY SIX AND ONE HALF LENGTHS!!! It's an amazing performance,
an unthought of final margin! The reality of his performance has left me
and the scores of thousands who've witnessed this destruction totally
numb! Man o'War has run a mile and three-sixteenths in 1:51 and 3!
Savor the moment friends; we will never see one like it again!!!"
"Secretariat has finished second, unofficially in under 1:53. It's
preposterous to believe this modern day giant at his top form has been
defeated so soundly! Citation just got up for third by a nose over Swaps
and then it was several open lengths back to Spectacular Bid and Native
Dancer. The closely bunched second half of the pack trailed this pair by
some five lengths."
"And there you have it, folks! Superlatives do not do justice to the
moment. You've seen Man o'War out there. Yes, with your own eyes
you've seen the one and only Man o'War and then, and only then, eleven
other great racehorses here at Hollywood Park. And these eleven
Hall-of-Famers have literally melted under the onslaught of the single
greatest thoroughbred ever to look through a bridle. This afternoon, Sam
Riddle's colt has traced a path of total destruction, the tremors from
which will continue to rock the thoroughbred world for at least the next
century."
"From Hollywood Park, the site of an incomprehensible conquest by an
incomperable champion, this is Chic Anderson. And now back to Jim
McKay, Win Elliot and Jimmy The Greek in the booth ... ... ..."
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