Secretariat's Birthday to be Celebrated on March 30th

Secretariat, an American Thoroughbred racehorse, was born in 1970 at the Meadow Farm in Doswell, Virginia. The amazing athlete was by Bold Ruler and was out of a mare named Somethingroyal, who was by Princequillo.

Secretariat is widely considered one of the greatest racehorses of all time. He made his debut on July 4, 1972, in New York at the Aqueduct Racetrack, where he finished fourth. In just his second race, 11 days later, he easily won by six lengths.

The colt went on to win the Triple Crown of Racing in 1973, meaning he won the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont Stakes. In the final race of the Triple Crown, Secretariat set records everywhere. He won by 31 lengths and also broke the track record by 2 3/5 seconds.  

The great thoroughbred stallion was so popular at the time that he was featured on the covers of three national magazines: Time, Newsweek, and Sports Illustrated.

Over the course of his career, Secretariat earned $1,316,808, which made him the fourth-leading money winner at that point in racing history.  

The stallion was retired to stud in November 1973, the same year he was named Horse of the Year for the second time.  He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame in 1974 and died in 1989.

In honor of what would be Secretariat's 54th birthday, the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame will celebrate with several activities from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  Guests can experience all of the additional features for the regular price of admission.

Kids can expect a variety of activities, including:

• An “Easter Egg” scavenger hunt through the Museum with a prize
• A build-your-own trophy station
• A station to dress up like a real jockey and to color your own silks
• Wish Secretariat a happy birthday by designing your own birthday card
• Light refreshments and sweet treats will be served throughout the event

The Museum will also be screening the popular Disney film "Secretariat" at 11 a.m.

For more information about the Museum, including special events and program offerings, please call (518) 584-0400 or visit our website at www.racingmuseum.org.