Won Thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown (Kentucky Derby, Preakness
Stakes, Belmont Stakes) in 1973.
In the 1973 Belmont Stakes, he ran the 1½-mile distance in world record
time of 2 minutes, 24.00 seconds. As of May 2007, this record still
stands.
Inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 1974.
In the book "Thoroughbred Champions: Top 100 Racehorses of the 20th
Century", published by The Blood-Horse, Inc., he is ranked #2, behind
only Man o' War.
Secretariat inspired a movie, The Electric Horseman (1979) which centered on a fictional famous race horse named "Rising Star." Coincidentally, he later sired a horse named "Risen Star" (named for religious reasons by his owner) who went on to win the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes in 1988.