1973 Preakness Stakes

Between the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, Mr. Prospector, Cup Bearer, Ecole Etage, Champagne Charlie, and Step Nicely, none of whom had run in the Derby, were all named as possible entrants. Three horses, Secretariat, Sham, and Our Native, all raced in the Kentucky Derby two weeks prior. The horses officially registered that day were Our Native, Secretariat, and Sham, along with new runners Deadly Dream, Ecole Etage, The Lark Twist, and Torsion. A day later, Deadly Dream's trainer stated that he was unsure about racing his colt because he felt the horse could not match Secretariat, Sham, or Our Native. In addition, The Lark Twist's owner Larry Boyce scratched his horse from the race because he received word that Our Native registered, dropping the total number of horses competing to six. In the days between the Derby and the Preakness, groom Eddie Sweat noted that it was strange not having any rumors circulating about Secretariat's health. Aside from Sham and Secretariat, Our Native was selected by Joe Nichols, a writer for The New York Times, as an outside contender for victory. In pre-race interviews, Deadly Dream's trainer Bud Delp believed he could challenge for third place as he had no "illusions about beating Secretariat and Sham." Of the remaining contenders, Deadly Dream had won the fourth race of his three-year-old campaign at Penn National, previously winning the Allegheny Stakes and the Militia Handicap. In total, he won seven races out of the 25 he had started. Ecole Etage had won two races in the 1973 season, prior to the Preakness, the General George Stakes and the Preakness Prep. Torsion entered the race with a most recent finish of fifth place in the Preakness Prep and two wins in twelve career starts, one as a two-year-old and one as a three-year-old. ==Event details==

Post time for the race was 5:40 PM EDT. The horses entering the race all carried 126 pounds. The total purse for the Preakness was $182,400, with the first through fourth-place finishers to receive $129,900, $30,000, $15,000, and $7,500, respectively. The weather during the race was clear and the course conditions were fast. Members of the Johnny Unitas fan club gathered in the infield of Pimilico, the Unitas Corral. which surpassed the previous record of 48,721 people set in 1972. The new record lasted until 1975 when 75,216 spectators were present at Pimlico. ==Race summary==

Out of the starting gate, Ecole Etage took the lead, ahead of Torsion, while race favorite Secretariat exited last. Sham and Deadly Dream made contact exiting the gate. Going into the course's first turn, Secretariat passed two horses on the outside and passed the remainder as the horses entered the backstretch. This was the first time in the history of the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes that the top three horses in the Derby finished in the same positions at the Preakness. ==Result==

Payout schedule • $3 Exacta: (3–1) $4.50 ==Timing controversy==

Upon the finish of the race there was a dispute over the winning time of Secretariat. The electronic Visumatic timer on the field read 1:55, while Daily Racing Form clockers Gene Schwartz and Frank Robinson timed Secretariat at 1:, which would have broken the track record. The official fractional times were 25, , 1:12, and 1:, while the Daily Racing Form timed the fractions at , 47, 1:, and 1:. On May 21, race officials adjusted Secretariat's winning time to 1:, becoming the then second fastest time in race history. The time was changed to the time obtained by the official Pimilico timekeeper E.T. McLean per Rule 383 of the Maryland Rules of Racing, which stated the "official timer's time is official." During a three-hour meeting, the tapes of Secretariat's run and the three new record-holding runs were overlaid by three separate companies from which a total of five analysts reviewed the footage. Following all five analysts obtaining the time of 1:53, the commission unanimously voted to change Secretariat's time from 1:54 to 1:53, which broke the then-course record of 1:53. Altering Secretariat's time allowed him to actively hold the course record for all three legs of the Triple Crown. The overlaying method used by the committee was reported to be accurate to 0.03 of a second. A representative of Chenery stated that they were "very pleased" with the decision. ==Analysis==

By winning the Preakness, Secretariat earned his fourth victory in five races as a three-year-old. Through his combined victories at the Belmont Stakes, Preakness Stakes, and Kentucky Derby, Secretariat became the ninth horse to complete the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, ==References==