Sportsamerican pharoahWall Street JournalAmerican Pharoah triple crown

This Video Proves Secretariat Was So Much Faster Than American Pharoah

No contest.
Ron Dicker
By 

General Assignment Reporter, HuffPost

After American Pharoah captured the Belmont Stakes Saturday to become the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years, some observers pointed out that he is still no Secretariat, the 1973 Belmont and Triple Crown champion. Secretariat is considered by many to be the greatest race horse of all time.

The Wall Street Journal perhaps ended any debate over which horse would win in a head-to-head race on Monday when it posted video of their historic Belmont runs, side by side. It should be noted that the competition, based on time, isn't close. Secretariat's record-shattering 2:24 for the 1.5 miles would put him considerably ahead of American Pharoah, who clocked 2:26.65. That would be about a 10-length margin, the Washington Post reported.

To American Pharoah's credit, he ran the last quarter mile nearly a full second faster than Secretariat did, but then again, Secretariat won by 31 lengths.

Still, it's fun to watch two great four-legged athletes race side-by-side through time. And if you've never heard the call for Secretariat's run, it might give you chills. Track announcer Chic Anderson exclaiming, "He's moving like a tremendous machine!" is one of the best broadcast moments in sports.

And it helped add to the lore of "Big Red."

H/T Deadspin

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sportsamerican pharoahWall Street JournalAmerican Pharoah triple crown

Before You Go

1979 — Spectacular Bid, 3rd
AP
Coastal, second from right, ridden by Ruben Hernandez, makes the move to pass Spectacular Bid (5), with Ronnie Franklin, on the final turn during the Belmont Stakes.
1981 — Pleasant Colony, 3rd
AP
Jockey George Martens is up in the saddle after guiding Summing (6) across the finish line to win the Belmont Stakes race at theBelmont. Highland Blade (3), with jockey Jacinto Vasquez in the stirrups, placed second, while Triple Crown contender Pleasant Colony with jockey Jorge Velasquez in the irons, approaches the finish line.
1987 — Alysheba, 4th
AP
Trainer Jack Van Berg accompanies his horse Alysheba and jockey Chris McCarron after failing in their bid for the Triple Crown.
1989 — Sunday Silence, 2nd
AP
Easy Goer, piloted by Pat Day, left, moves to an eight-length finish ahead of Sunday Silence, second left, to win the Belmont Stakes.
1997 — Silver Charm, 2nd
AP
Touch Gold and jockey Chris McCarron, bottom, pass Silver Charm and jockey Gary Stevens, top, and Free House, left, to win the Belmont Stakes. With 75 yards to go, Touch Gold snuck up on Stevens, who only caught the horse out of the corner of his eye, and Silver Charm did not react until 10 jumps from the wire when it was already too late.
1998 — Real Quiet, 2nd
AP
Victory Gallop and jockey Gary Stevens (11) edge out Real Quiet and jockey Kent Desormeaux as they cross the finish line to win the Belmont Stakes.
1999 — Charismatic, 3rd
AP
Lemon Drop Kid, left, with Jose Santos up; Stephen Got Even, second from left, with Shane Sellars up; Charismatic, second from right, with Chris Antley up; and Silverbulletday, with Jerry Bailey up, right, come around the fourth turn during the Belmont Stakes.
2002 — War Emblem, 8th
AP
FILE - In this June 8, 2002, file photo, War Emblem and jockey Victor Espinoza, right, stumble into Magic Weisner and jockey Richard Migliore as they leave the starting gate during the Belmont Stakes horse race at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. The front-running War Emblem never recovered from the early collision, resulting in an eighth-place finish behind 70-1 long shot Sarava. As I'll Have Another prepares to attempt to win the Belmont Stakes in his quest to become the 12th Triple Crown champion and first in 34 years on Saturday, June 9, 2012, The Associated Press takes a look at some of the 19 horses who won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, but came up short in the final leg of the Triple Crown, and how the race unfolded. (AP Photo/Dave Martin, File)
2003 — Funny Cide, 3rd
AP
FILE - In this June 7, 2003, file photo, Funny Cide, second from right, with jockey Jose Santos up, leads the field of six horses in the back stretch of the Belmont Stakes horse race at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. From left to right are Supervisor, with jockey John Velazquez; Ten Most Wanted, with Pat Day up; Empire Maker, with Jerry Bailey up; Dynever with Edgar Prado up; Funny Cide; and Scrimshaw, with with Gary Stevens up. Empire Maker won and Ten Most Wanted was second, with Funny Cide, the Triple Crown candidate, fading to third. (AP Photo/Ed Betz, File)
2004 — Smarty Jones, 2nd
AP
FILE - In this June 5, 2004, file photo, jockey Edgar S. Prado, left, aboard Birdstone, reacts after winning the Belmont Stakes horse race as jockey Stewart Elliott, right, aboard Smarty Jones, watches at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. Early duels with Rock Hard Ten and Eddington along the backstretch proved to be Smarty's undoing, as the horse would go on to tire in the stretch and be caught in the final 70 yards by 36-1 long shot Birdstone. As I'll Have Another prepares to attempt to win the Belmont Stakes in his quest to become the 12th Triple Crown champion and first in 34 years on Saturday, June 9, 2012, The Associated Press takes a look at some of the 19 horses who won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, but came up short in the final leg of the Triple Crown, and how the race unfolded. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File)
2008 — Big Brown, 9th
AP
FILE - in this June 7, 2008, file photo, jockey Kent Desormeaux aboard Big Brown, right, and eventual winner Da' Tara, under jockey Alan Garcia, left, run shortly after the start of the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. Big Brown won the first two legs of the Triple Crown, but finished last at Belmont. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)
2012 — I'll Have Another, Scratched
AP
I'll Have Another is led to the winner's circle by groom Ignocenzio Diaz and Benjamin Perez for a retirement ceremony at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., on Saturday, June 9, 2012. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)
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