Secretariat Page #9

by the big, strong Secretariat.

Here is Mrs. Tweedy, who has just won

the second of two

very important races to her.

Secretariat has now won the Kentucky

Derby and the Preakness Stakes,

and this time he did it the same way.

What is it, Lucien? What's wrong?

Nothing.

He just won Preakness,

like he won the Derby.

You keep staring into your coffee.

Are you worried about Red?

Since Citation did it in 1948,

seven horses have won the Derby

and then the Preakness.

Every single one of them has failed

to win the Triple Crown.

He just won the first two

in record time.

Yeah, and the Belmont

is the graveyard of speed horses.

It's the longest race they'll ever run.

What do you suggest?

Normally we rest him, right?

- Yeah. Sure.

- Let him recuperate.

Yeah. Mmm-hmm.

But you don't want to back off.

In all my years of training

I've never had a horse who loves to run

the way this one does.

You take that horse out one day,

he's going to run faster the next.

My instinct?

My instinct is to train him.

Hard. To stoke that fire.

But if I'm wrong, then they will say

that not only did we ruin the

horse's chances at the Triple Crown...

...they may say we ruined the horse.

Red is not afraid. And neither am I.

Just remember,

ifwe push him instead of rest him...

...it could be dangerous.

Nobody knows how much he can take.

He does.

He knows.

[Reporters clamoring]

[Man] Mr. Martin! Secretariat has beaten

your horse twice.

What makes this race different?

Any good horseman will tell you

that Secretariat is built for speed

and Sham is built for distance.

But, of course, uh,

Miss Tweedy believes that her horse

has somehow magically inherited both.

I believe that this race

is going to prove

that her woman's intuition

will only take her so far.

Penny! What about all the attention

Secretariat's getting?

- Covers of both Time and Newsweek.

- Well...

Let me tell you something about

all this talk about "super-horse."

Sham broke the Derby record, too.

He ran the second-fastest Derby. He ran

the second-fastest Preakness... ever.

We were right there with the red horse

every step of the way.

And now we're getting ready to run

the longest of the Triple Crown races.

When we're done,

you'll be calling Sham the super-horse!

Any comment, Penny?

Well, I'd have to say

I agree completely with Mr. Martin.

His horse did run

the second-fastest ever.

[Reporters laughing]

I'm out of here.

Where are you going? Come on!

That woman, she's so arrogant. [panting]

Lucien will do anything to prove he's

not a loser. That's where they're weak.

We rest our horse, they push theirs.

On race day, we push him even harder.

We push him until he comes apart!

Three-quarters of a mile:

Oh, that's good time.

Sure you want to send him

a mile next time out?

- I'm just asking.

- [Exhales]

They think we're training him too hard.

Hmm.

[Thunder crashes]

[Breathing heavily]

Ladies and gentlemen,

welcome to the Belmont Ball.

[Down-tempo music plays]

It's not bad.

[Miss Ham] Your daddy

would be so proud.

Where did you find her?

Told her I was taller

when I stood on my wallet.

Miss Chenery.

Mr. Laurin. You look exceptionally

handsome tonight.

Well, I wanted to go on record,

I left my hat at home, just for you.

- [Chuckles]

- [Both speak French]

I brought you a little something

from a mutual friend of ours.

I offered to give it back to Seth,

but he too thought you should have it.

The "tails" side is very nice.

Lucien, you know you are absolutely

the best trainer

that I could have ever...

You're the best owner I ever saw.

Turcotte and Edward say he's

the smartest horse they've ever seen.

Maybe. I've trained horses

my whole life.

I still don't have the slightest idea

what they know and what they don't know.

Three years ago I would've said that a

racehorse didn't care who his owner was.

But then he's not a racehorse.

He's Secretariat.

And I think tomorrow

he'll be wearing wings.

[Speaks French]

- Mom. I'm sorry I'm late.

- Kate!

Oh!

You're not late.

You're perfectly on time.

Look at you! You're so beautiful.

And you're all grown up.

You look beautiful, too, Mom.

All grown up.

I'm so proud of you.

Thank you.

Oh.

- I love you.

- I love you.

- Mom!

- Come here!

Oh, Sarah.

Oh, look at you.

Missed you.

- You're amazing.

- Look at what I've got.

- Is that the coin?

- The coin?

- The coin.

- Oh.

Here. Go ahead. You can hold it.

You guys keep it safe.

Don't lose it tonight. It's important.

Come on, boys. Let's go.

They are growing up. All of them.

Kate is so beautiful in that gown.

And Sarah in hers.

Yeah. Wish I'd bought

those gowns earlier.

Something I need you to know.

I want you to win. And win or lose,

you've taught our children

what a real woman is.

What it is to believe in yourself, and I

never could have taught those things.

And you've taught me something, too.

Come here.

I realized something.

I've already won.

I made it here. I didn't quit.

I've run my race.

Now you run yours.

[Male announcer]

A record crowd is expected today

as Secretariat makes his bid

for horse racing immortality.

The race is scheduled

for 5:
38 this afternoon.

Forecasters are predicting temperatures

in the mid-90s.

[Neighing]

- Easy. Easy, easy.

- Hold him, Eddie. Hold him.

- [Eddie] Easy, Red. Easy.

- [Lucien] Watch yourself.

[Eddie] Calm yourself. Calm yourself.

Let him walk. Walk off his nerves.

Horse seems pretty fired up.

He knows what's going on.

[Indistinct chatter]

- [Girl] I saw Big Red!

- [Woman] Good girl, sweetheart.

[Indistinct chatter]

[Male announcer chattering indistinctly]

- Is that the one?

- Oh yeah, right.

I don't make a lot of guarantees,

but listen, this one you can bet on.

You're going to eat dirt today, Ronnie.

I don't think so.

Go hard for the lead. Draw him up close.

If he comes, he's ours. OK?

Lot of track today, Red. A lot of track.

OK, Ronnie, don't send him out,

all right? But don't choke him, either.

Remember, we have a mile and a half

to cover. And one last thing, don't...

What? Burst his heart?

Just bring him home, Ronnie.

[Both speak French]

[Crowd cheering]

[Lucien continues in French]

- [Crowd cheers]

- [Fanfare plays]

Come on, Big Red!

Go, Big Red!

[Male announcer]

Coming up:
The eighth race,

the 105th running ofthe Belmont Stakes.

[Hoofs clattering]

- Here we go.

- Oh, here he comes.

- [Man] Big Red!

- [Man 2] Go, Big Red!

Oh, I think he's coming. Oh!

- [Woman] Big Red!

- [All cheering]

Very big day, Mrs. Tweedy.

[Excited indistinct chatter]

[Man] OK, Big Red!

[Woman] Come on, Sham!

Hey! Hey!

Ah, look at him.

You got a couple thousand I can borrow?

[Man] Come on, Red!

He looks fantastic.

Oh! I was afraid you wouldn't show up.

Well, uh... got a tip on a horse.

- Yeah!

- Where is Lucien?

Oh!

- Good luck.

- [Exhales heavily]

[Male announcer] The remaining field,

now entering the gate.

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