Will harness racing ever see a horse like Secretariat?
by Bob Duff
There’s an episode of the popular Comedy Central series South Park in which the kids explain to their parents that the reason for their missing pairs of underwear is that they are being stolen in the dark of night by the underpants gnomes.
It’s certainly not an unfamiliar argument to a certain generation of people, but in this case, upon being doubted by their parents, Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny decide to stay up all night and catch the underpants gnomes in the act.
Sure enough, in the middle of the night, a troupe of tiny underpants gnomes sneak into the kid’s rooms and make off with the underwear. Sleuthing the situation, the kids stealthily track the underpants gnomes back to their lair, demanding to know what they plan to do with the underwear.
The leader of the underpants gnomes lays out their three-pronged plan. First, acquire the underpants. Third, world domination.
“What about number 2?” the kids ask. “We haven’t figured that out yet,” answer the underpants gnomes.
What does this have to do with harness racing, or anything for that matter?
Glad you asked.
This scenario, more effectively than any other analogy, succinctly lays out the blueprint for getting something to go viral and become a staple of pop culture.
No one can really explain how or why this happens. It just does.
THERE ARE RACEHORSES AND THEN THERE’S SECRETARIAT
Speaking of pop culture icons, the recent death of jockey Ron Turcotte again highlighted the greatest pop culture icon in the history of horse racing. That would be the brilliant thoroughbred Secretariat, the 1973 Triple Crown winner.
To this day, more than 50 years after Big Red’s incredible run, he remains a horse that reached across popular culture and retains that lofty status. People who couldn’t tell a trotter from a pacer know of the legend of Secretariat. People who don’t know a thing about horse racing know Secretariat’s story.
You can’t go a week or two without coming across the video of Secretariat’s incredible 30-plus length win in the Belmont Stakes to clinch the first Triple Crown since 1948. It is one of the most remarkable achievements in the history of sport.
There have been more Triple Crown winners since Secretariat. Yet Affirmed, or Seattle Slew, didn’t achieve a similar pop culture iconic status. Even American Pharoah, and Justify, Triple Crown winners during the internet era, weren’t able to achieve viral status on the World Wide Web.
WHY DOES SECRETARIAT RETAIN ICONIC STATUS?
To be sure, the manner in which Secretariat won the Triple Crown with a powerful, yet seemingly effortless ability, was an impressive feat. The horse set track records in all three legs of the Triple Crown; records that stand today.
Still, he’s far from the only racehorse to dominate during his prime. No one can truly explain why Secretariat reached pop culture status any more than they can explain why Jake Paul or the Hawk Tuah Girl went viral.
Over the years since Secretariat, there’s been no shortage of legendary racehorses. Harness racing has been witness to the likes of Niatross, Cam Fella, and, in more recent times, Gallo Blue Chip, Somebeachsomewhere, and Bulldog Hanover, just to name a few.
Each ranked among the all-time greats and was granted well-deserved iconic status within the industry. Beyond that, in the realm of pop culture, there wasn’t a blip.
DAN PATCH WOULD’VE GONE VIRAL
Had he began his racing career in 2002 rather than 1902, Dan Patch would most certainly have proven to be a viral sensation. The legendary pacer was definitely a pop culture icon of his era.
Dan Patch held forth as a world champion pacing horse from 1903 until 1938. For three straight racing seasons, Dan Patch was undefeated. The horse so dominated the sport that other owners of harness horses refused to challenge him. For much of his career, Dan Patch’s only opponent was the clock. The records he broke were his own.
He stopped the clock with a 1:55 mile during a Sept. 8, 1906, time trial on the Minnesota State Fair race track. That stood as the fastest mile ever turned in by a pacer until 1938.
For years, the horse traveled across America, putting on exhibition miles for adoring audiences.
The commercial success of the horse reached far beyond the racetrack. Dan Patch’s likeness was featured on stopwatches. Songs were written about him. His brand even adorned washing machines.
HOW IS A POP CULTURE ICON CREATED?
According to the definition, pop culture icons are created through sustained mainstream popularity, historical significance, and the ability to inspire and embody cultural values or significant moments. Required elements include historical significance, longevity, sustained popularity, and mainstream appeal.
It’s that last element which has proven to be a sticking point for harness racing.
When it comes to being a pop culture icon, Secretariat still has it. Dan Patch had it. But what would it take for a current harness horse to become a viral sensation?
That’s the million-dollar question. And if you come up with the answer, plenty of people would like to know what it is.
