Sham and Secretariat and other Horse Race Announcements
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Did you know Sham was 16.2hh? He was a big horse with a big heart — more than twice the size of the average horse's 8.5 or 9 pound heart.
"The weight of Sham's heart was 19 pounds. Sham's heart was the second largest heart I (Dr. Swerczek) have seen in a Thoroughbred race horse."
"Running the second fastest Kentucky Derby in history."
AND SHAM'S LATEST VICTORY (39 YEARS LATER...) "Setting the second fastest Preakness Stakes record"
which was tied in 1985 by Tank's Prospect, in 1996 by Louis Quatorze, and in 2007 by Curlin. Both The New York Times and The Blood Horse explain Secretariat's now confirmed official stakes record of 1:53 — allotting Sham the unofficial record of 1:53 2/5 for 1973.
Race Results by Year
Gunmetal Gray and Mike Smith won the January 5th Sham Stakes! They were last until the home stretch and won in 1:38.96.
Roadster and Mike Smith stormed to victory on April 6 with a time of 1:51.28. (Not close enough to break Sham's tied record of 1:47!)
Maximum Security was disqualified as first place horse; Country House declared Derby winner.
War of Will with Tyler Gaffalione up won in 1:54.34 on May 18.
Sir Winston won in 2:28.30 on June 8 with jockey Joel Rosario aboard.
McKinzie and Mike Smith won the January 6th race in 1:36.58.
Justify with Mike Smith up won the April 7th race in 1:49.72.
Justify took the May 5th Derby with Mike Smith aboard in 2:04.20 — Sham's Derby record untouched once again!
Justify and Mike Smith won the Preakness on May 19th in the fog in 1:55.93.
Justify and Mike Smith won the June 9th race in 2:28.18. The 13th Triple Crown winner!
Team Justify announced retirement to WinStar Farm to begin stud career.
Gormley with Victor Espinoza up won the January 7th Sham Stakes race in 1:35.89.
Another win by Gormley/Espinoza on April 8th with a time of 1:51.16.
Always Dreaming won the May 6th Kentucky Derby with John Velazquez aboard in 2:03.59.
Cloud Computing with Javier Castellano up won the May 20 Preakness.
Tapwrit won the Belmont on June 10 under jockey Jose Ortiz in 2:30.02.
Collected won the Sham on January 9 under jockey Martin Garcia in 1:38.
Exaggerator with Kent Desormeaux up took the Derby on April 9 in 1:49.66.
Nyquist with Mario Gutierrez aboard won in 2:01.31 — almost 3.5 seconds slower than Sham and Secretariat's duel.
Exaggerator was the victor on May 7 in 1:58.31 — Kent Desormeaux says he's ready for the Belmont after his colt's easy victory in the mud!
Creator with Irad Ortiz Jr. up won the June 11 Belmont in 2:28.51.
Calculator with jockey Elvis Trujillo aboard won the January 10 Sham Stakes in 1:34.88 by 4¼ lengths.
Dortmund raced to victory with Martin Garcia on April 4 in 1:48.73 — didn't break Sham's tied record of 1:47.
American Pharoah won on May 2 with Victor Espinoza aboard in 2:03.02 — Secretariat and Sham's records untouched for another year!
American Pharoah and Victor Espinoza won the Preakness on May 16 in 1:58.45 — left the field 7 lengths behind.
History in the making! American Pharoah and Victor Espinoza won the Belmont on June 6 by 5½ lengths in 2:26.65 — the 12th Triple Crown Winner!
American Pharoah with Victor Espinoza up won on August 2 in 1:47.95 with Keen Ice second.
American Pharoah finished second behind Keen Ice on August 29 — only his second loss in eleven starts.
American Pharoah proved himself a champion in his final race, winning the Breeders Cup Classic on October 31 to thunderous applause.
American Pharoah retired to stud at Coolmore's Ashford Stud on November 2, 2015.
Midnight Hawk won the January 11 Sham Stakes in 1:36.48 under Mike Smith.
California Chrome with Victor Espinoza up won on April 5 in 1:47.52 — Sham still holds his fast 1973 tied record of 1:47.
California Chrome won the May 3 Kentucky Derby in 2:03.66 under Victor Espinoza before 164,906 — the second largest crowd in Kentucky Derby history.
California Chrome and Victor Espinoza took the second jewel of the Triple Crown on May 17 in 1:54.84. Secretariat still holds the Preakness record at 1:53.
No Triple Crown this year — Tonalist with Joel Rosario up beat California Chrome on June 7 in 2:28.52, leaving Secretariat's Belmont record untouched.
Goldencents won the January 5 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita in 1:36.50 with Kevin Krigger aboard.
Goldencents wins again under Kevin Krigger on April 6 in 1:48.76 — Sham still holds his tied record of 1:47.
Orb won the May 4 Derby in 2:02.89 with Joel Rosario aboard on a sloppy track. Secretariat and Sham remain the first and second fastest Kentucky Derby horses.
Jockey Gary Stevens won the Preakness on Oxbow in 1:57.54 — Secretariat's record of 1:53 and Sham's unofficial time of 1:53 2/5 intact.
Palace Malice with Mike Smith up took the Belmont from Oxbow and Orb in 2:30.70.
Out of Bounds, a 10-1 shot with Garrett Gomez aboard, beat the favorite Secret Circle on January 9 in this year's 1-mile Sham Stakes.
I'll Have Another with jockey Mario Gutierrez up won on April 7 in 1:47.88 — Sham keeps his tied 1:47 flat record intact.
I'll Have Another with jockey Mario Gutierrez won the May 5 Kentucky Derby in 2:01.83 — SHAM'S UNOFFICIAL SECOND FASTEST KENTUCKY DERBY ONCE AGAIN STANDS.
I'll Have Another beat Bodemeister for a second time on May 19. Remind anyone of Secretariat and Sham in 1973?
I'll Have Another was scratched because of tendinitis. Union Rags was the winner of the June 9 Belmont Stakes with John Velazquez aboard. I'll Have Another has been retired from racing.
Tapizar won the Sham Stakes race on January 15 under jockey Garrett Gomez.
Midnight Interlude with jockey Victor Espinoza up won on April 9 in 1:48.66 — Sham's tied record of 1:47 intact for another year!
Animal Kingdom with jockey John Velazquez up won on May 7 in 2:02.04 — SHAM HOLDS HIS UNOFFICIAL TITLE AS SECOND FASTEST KENTUCKY DERBY HORSE IN HISTORY FOR ANOTHER YEAR.
Shackleford wins the Preakness with jockey Jesus Castanon up, beating Animal Kingdom by a half-length.
Belmont shocker: Long shot Ruler On Ice with jockey Jose Valdivia, Jr. up won the Belmont on a muddy track.
The 1⅛ mile Sham Stakes was rained out on February 27 and rescheduled for March 6. Alphie's Bet won by 2¼ lengths in 1:48.72 under jockey Alex Solis.
Sidney's Candy won the April 3 Santa Anita Derby in 1:48 — Sham's 1973 win that tied the stakes record of 1:47 still stands today!
Jockey Calvin Borel brought Super Saver home on May 1 in 2:04.45 — Sham's unofficial record for the second-fastest Kentucky Derby remains intact!
Lookin At Lucky with jockey Martin Garcia up won the Preakness on May 15 in 1:55.47 — Secretariat's controversial record of 1:53 2/5 untarnished.
Drosselmeyer with jockey Mike Smith up won the June 5 Belmont in 2:31.57.
Secretariat Movie
Walt Disney movie "Secretariat" was released October 8, 2010. Strange they don't mention Sham's name in the write-up, but he's prominent in the photos (the horse in green and gold silks running a close second to Secretariat). Time to read about the rivalry between Sham and Secretariat, their owners, trainers and jockeys.
See what Penny Chenery has to say about Secretariat and Sham.2010 Race Horse Queen: Zenyatta
At 6 years old the mare Zenyatta was breaking race records of her own. Zenyatta won the Lady's Secret Stakes race under jockey Mike Smith at Hollywood Park, CA on October 2. Even though Zenyatta lost the Classic to Blame, she proved herself a Champion with 19 wins and 1 second against the boys. She certainly deserves a wonderful retirement for her terrific efforts. The 2010 Horse of the Year Eclipse Award goes to Zenyatta! Zenyatta's little dark bay colt was born on March 8, 2012, in Lexington, KY.
Did you miss the article about the legendary "Queen of Racing" horse Ruffian? Read it now: Ruffian Comes to the Screen, by Mary Walsh — California Thoroughbred Magazine, 2007 June issue. Read article
Own the first book ever written on the life of Sham:
Sham, In the Shadow of a Superhorse ©2007
Also available in electronic form at Amazon. And Sham's Dream ©2011 at Amazon and Blood Horse Magazine.