1973 Kentucky Derby starting gate. This forced Brumfield to dismount and adjust the saddle, delaying the Derby's start. Despite this, Brumfield stated he did not "want to make excuses, everything considered, my horse did fine." Betting on the ten races held that day at Churchill Downs totaled to $7,627,965, breaking the previous single-day record for American horse racing events of $7,164,717. Off-track betting on the Kentucky Derby reached $3,050,194, which was included in the previous record total. Secretariat went on to participate in the Preakness Stakes two weeks later, where he finished in first. Sham was second, again, by a margin of lengths.
1977 Belmont Stakes 1 mile: 1:38.8, 1mile: 2:03.8, Final: 2:29.6 Note: times were kept to the fifth of a second. 1977 Belmont Stakes The 1977 Belmont Stakes was the 109th running of the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York held on June 11, 1977. With a field of eight horses, Seattle Slew won by four lengths in front of a crowd of 70,229 spectators. In conjunction with previously winning the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, Seattle Slew became the tenth horse to with the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, and the first to do so unbeaten. The race went off