It is interesting to speculate how a meeting at The Belmont between Secretariat and Hoist the Flag would have unfolded. Curious that you chose Citation as one who might have challenged Secretariat. I think his time was >5 seconds (25 lengths) slower than Big Red's. Even allowing that track conditions for Citation's run may have been poor, I don't think it would have made a 25 length difference. NONE of the TC winners came close to Secretariat's time. Easy Goer and maybe 1 other came the closest at 2 seconds (10 lengths) slower.
Heart size comparison is also fun to ponder. From an X-Factor standpoint, the two horses are very similar. Both are out of Double Copy mares, Somethingroyal and Wavy Navy. Secretariat also has a Double Copy 2nd dam, Imperatrice. Both are by stallions who are NOT out of a double copy mare, Bold Ruler and Tom Rolfe. Both Bold Ruler and Tom Rolfe are by stallions out of double copy mares, Nasrullah and Ribot. Nasrullah also has 2nd and 3rd dam double copy mares. A linebreeding comparison also reveals the similarity of a BAZILLION crosses with St. Simon and Galopin. The St. Simon/Galopin anomaly is found frequently in the truly great horses, it seems. I'm not sure what this means.
Both died too young. Both produced about the same number of G1 winners but Secretariat had the most millionaires and a TC series winner.
Are you interested in X-Factor related topics, Summerhorse?
The Tin Man!
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