What was the controversy surrounding Secretariat's official time in the Belmont Stakes?
Secretariat's 31-length victory in the 1973 Belmont Stakes, which set a still-standing world record, was accompanied by a controversy over his official time. The track timer, using a hand-held stopwatch, recorded a time of 2:24 for the 12-furlong race. However, many observers believed the time was closer to 2:23, which would have broken the world record by a full second.
The controversy stemmed from the fact that the track timer was not using an electric timing system, which was the standard at the time. Additionally, the timer was not positioned at the finish line, but rather at the quarter-mile pole, which meant he had to estimate the time it took Secretariat to run the final quarter-mile.
In the days following the race, there were numerous articles and editorials questioning the official time. The New York Times, in particular, published a scathing piece that accused the track of "covering up" the true winning time.
The controversy eventually led to the New York State Racing and Wagering Board ordering an investigation into the matter. The investigation concluded that there was no evidence to support the claim that the official time was inaccurate. However, the investigation did recommend that the track install an electric timing system for future races.
Related Questions
- What was Secretariat's official winning time in the Belmont Stakes? 2:24
- What was the estimated winning time according to many observers? 2:23
- Why was there controversy surrounding Secretariat's official time? The track timer used a hand-held stopwatch and was not positioned at the finish line.
- What did the New York State Racing and Wagering Board investigation conclude? There was no evidence to support the claim that the official time was inaccurate.
- What did the investigation recommend? That the track install an electric timing system for future races.
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