BIG RED OF MEADOW STABLE: Secretariat, the Making of a Champion

The first time that turfwriter Charlie Hatton ever saw Secretariat (in 50 years of coming to the races), the enormous red horse seemed not to stride but swim at him in a vision: ""it was like seeing a bunch of gravel and there was the Kohinoor lying in there."" When Ron Turcotte first rode Secretariat at Saratoga, the horse accelerated without urging, from last in the field bounding into an awesome new pace and tempo ""not responding to any force the race was generating, but rather moving as though he'd evolved his own kinetic field beyond it."" And how well Nack conveys the unbelievable power of Big Red. The greatest horse of the century won the Triple Crown in one season, taking the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and the Belmont -- leading Sham in the last race by 36 lengths and breaking all records. Nack takes us from the moment of birth through all phases of Secretariat's growth and training, and ail his races are described with visceral power. Deserved. Champion stuff.