“Secretariat’s Legacy: The Greatest Racehorse and His Enduring Impact on Saratoga Springs” with Patricia McQueen
Secretariat’s Legacy Lives On: A Night with Patricia McQueen
August 21, 2024 – Saratoga Springs History Museum
On August 21, the Saratoga Springs History Museum welcomed a packed and enthusiastic audience for “Secretariat’s Legacy: The Greatest Racehorse and His Enduring Impact on Saratoga Springs.” For one memorable evening, guests explored the unmatched story of America’s most famous racehorse — not only his Triple Crown triumphs, but the deep and lasting imprint he left on Saratoga Springs itself.
Leading the program was acclaimed photographer, journalist, and Secretariat historian Patricia McQueen, whose passion for the legendary chestnut spans five decades. Her presentation blended rare photographs, personal memories, racing history, and new insights from her acclaimed 2023 book, Secretariat’s Legacy.
Remembering Secretariat: The Horse Who Changed Everything
Patricia began by grounding the audience in the electrifying brilliance of Secretariat’s 1972–73 racing career. Even those familiar with his story were treated to deeper layers:
His three victories as a 2-year-old at Saratoga
The thrilling buildup to his Triple Crown campaign
And of course, the still-unmatched 31-length Belmont Stakes that remains one of the most extraordinary athletic performances ever witnessed.
Patricia showed original memorabilia from her childhood scrapbooks — underlined entries, saved clippings, and early photographs — a touching reminder of how Secretariat inspired a generation of fans.
She also shared a particularly vivid anecdote from 1972: just before the Hopeful Stakes, Secretariat spooked at a loud truck, dumped his rider, and galloped loose through the stable area before being caught. Two days later, he returned to win the Hopeful by five lengths — the first glimpse of the resilience that would define his career.
The Saratoga Crowds That Welcomed a Superstar
When Secretariat returned to Saratoga after his Triple Crown win, the city erupted in celebration. Patricia shared images showing storefronts draped in Meadow Stable’s blue and white, souvenir stands lining the streets, and crowds so large officials were forced to move his saddling to the infield for safety.
This homecoming also included one of the few disappointments of his career: his shocking defeat to Onion in the Whitney Stakes — a moment some audience members remembered firsthand. Patricia explained the now-well-documented reason for the loss: Secretariat was ill, running a fever shortly after the race.
Yet even in defeat, his legend only grew. Within weeks he returned with a world-record performance in the Marlboro Cup, proving his greatness was unshaken.
Saratoga’s Secret: The Descendants Who Carried His Torch
The heart of Patricia’s talk focused on Secretariat’s astonishing legacy as a sire, especially in Saratoga’s most celebrated races. Despite a persistent misconception that Secretariat was a “disappointing stallion,” Patricia dismantled that myth with decades of data, photographs, and stories:
✦ His son General Assembly
Set a Travers Stakes record that stood for 37 years.
✦ His daughter Lady’s Secret
Won the Alabama, Test, Ballerina, Whitney, and eight Grade 1 races — earning Horse of the Year honors.
✦ His daughter Weekend Surprise
Mother of A.P. Indy and Summer Squall, both classic winners and foundational sires.
✦ His granddaughter Terlingua
Mother of Storm Cat, one of the most influential stallions in modern racing history.
Through these lines — A.P. Indy, Storm Cat, Gone West, Summer Squall, and more — Secretariat reshaped American breeding. Patricia highlighted an astonishing statistic:
Six of the last seven Travers winners,
ten of the last eleven Whitney winners,
and 14 of the last 16 Alabama winners carry Secretariat’s bloodline.
Secretariat may not have run in the Travers — but his descendants have practically owned it.
Rare Stories You’ll Only Hear in Saratoga
Patricia delighted the audience with lesser-known tales, including:
The first Secretariat offspring to race at Saratoga in 1977
The only two-mile dirt race in Saratoga’s history, still holding its track record
A remarkable streak of three generations of Secretariat descendants winning Grade 1 races at Saratoga
A modern descendant named Ice Cream — an undefeated filly with a lineage tracing to a Secretariat mare
Her extensive photography archives allowed guests to see both Secretariat’s children and grandchildren up close, including training shots, paddock moments, and vibrant racing images captured at Saratoga over the decades.
A Personal Legacy
Patricia closed by sharing what Secretariat meant to her personally. She first saw him on television at age 10 — and never looked away. For nearly 40 years she photographed Thoroughbreds professionally, capturing more than 120 Secretariat descendants.
Audience members asked questions ranging from Secretariat’s pedigree influence, to the accuracy of the Disney film, to the fate of his rival Sham. Patricia responded with humor, humility, and encyclopedic knowledge.
More than once, she echoed a sentiment felt across generations:
“To me — and to many people — Secretariat is still the greatest horse who ever lived.”
Book Signing & Closing
The evening concluded with a book signing for Secretariat’s Legacy, now considered one of the most authoritative works on Secretariat’s sons, daughters, and their profound impact on modern racing.
Guests lingered long after the Q&A ended, sharing memories, discussing pedigrees, and reliving the thunder of Secretariat’s Triple Crown run.
Thank You
A warm thank-you to Patricia McQueen, to all attendees, and to our members and supporters who make programs like this possible.
Stay connected with the Saratoga Springs History Museum for future racing-history programs, special exhibits, and behind-the-scenes stories that bring Saratoga’s past to life.