![]() That regulation, however, was eventually repealed and replaced. He concluded that the commission’s regulation still mandated that 1:54 2/5 should remain the official time. In 1998, with Secretariat’s Preakness time still a bone of contention, Bruce Spizler - Maryland’s assistant attorney general - sent the commission a letter. Nowadays, instant replay could fix that - but it would be reviewed immediately. In 2010, Armando Galarraga of the Detroit Tigers lost a perfect game because of a missed call by an umpire. It’s one thing to use technology to correct mistakes while competition is ongoing, but doing it well after the fact is a bit different. ![]() The debate persists today, even as instant replay becomes increasingly normalized. That statement may have reflected a world that was still uneasy about allowing technology too much latitude to fix errors on the field of play. The commission’s order also included a bit of a declaration: “To change records established by the official timer because of later electronic analyses of such events would be destructive of the integrity of all sporting events.” ![]() “The commission, however, is bound by its rules and regulations which provide that the official time of any race is that which is clocked by the official timer.” “It would appear that Secretariat might have run the 1973 Preakness somewhat faster than Canonero II ran the same race in 1971,” the commission said, according to minutes dated July 10, 1973. In July 1973, the Maryland Racing Commission acknowledged the possibility that Secretariat had set a record, but it wasn't officially recognized. The official time was changed to 1:54 2/5 - not quite good enough to beat Canonero II’s 1:54. Stewards determined there were “extenuating circumstances” with the electronic device, but it was the Pimlico clocker whose figure carried the day. Pimlico’s official hand clocker had it at 1:54 2/5. ![]() Although the electronic timing device said 1:55, two Daily Racing Form clockers independently recorded the race at 1:53 2/5. She’s the one that really pushed for it to be done.”Īfter Secretariat’s Preakness, it was clear something was amiss. Chenery really wanted to do in her lifetime,” said Amy Zimmerman, a senior vice president at Santa Anita Park who also works with NBC on its Preakness coverage. It was a second slower than the Preakness mark set two years earlier by Canonero II.īut the dispute over that time was only beginning, and it wasn’t until 2012 when Penny Chenery - Secretariat’s owner - finally succeeded in securing her horse’s Preakness record. His 31-length romp in the Belmont was still to come, and although his back-to-front surge on the first turn at Pimlico was spectacular, the colt’s final time of 1 minute, 55 seconds wasn’t all that noteworthy. When Secretariat won the Preakness a half-century ago, he was a star but not yet a legend. It just took 39 years for that part of his incredible sweep to become official. The colt not only won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes in 1973 - he finished each in record time. BALTIMORE – Calling Secretariat a Triple Crown winner actually might understate his dominance.
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