Where Is Kentucky?
All eyes were on the horse called Secretariat. Nicknamed Big Red, he had been a favorite to win 1973’s Kentucky Derby. Then, to everyone’s surprise, he lost a race the month before. He’d be too old to run the Derby next year. This was his one chance. Could he win?
Secretariat joined twelve other horses at the starting gate. The big red horse tossed his head. The gate opened, and they were off! After a quarter of a mile, Secretariat was in eleventh place. The other horses were ahead and moving fast.
More than one hundred and thirty thousand fans watched as jockey Ron Turcotte worked Big Red through the pack. In a sudden move, Secretariat was sixth. Then fourth . . . then third!
Hooves pounding down the final stretch, Secretariat took the lead. He flew past the second-place horse and won the race in a record-breaking time. He was the first horse to win the Kentucky Derby in less than two minutes. His record still stands today. Big Red did it!
Secretariat went on to win the Triple Crown, a series of three famous races for horses that starts with the Kentucky Derby. When he was too old to race, Secretariat retired to a horse farm in Paris, Kentucky.
Often called the Horse of the Century, Big Red inspired books and movies. He’s one of the best-known horses of all time! His legendary Kentucky Derby win helped Kentucky become world-famous, but horses are only one of the things that make the state unique.
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