Secretariat Quotes

  • Penny Chenery: Well, Mr. Lauren. What do you think?

    Lucien Laurin: I think he's 1100 pounds of baby fat. He eats too much, and too often, the only reason he doesn't eat more is 'cause he's too busy sleeping. He only does what *he* wants to do, exactly when *he* wants to do it. He lays against the back of that starting gate like he's in a hammock in the Caribbean. And when he finally *does* get out of the gate, it takes him forever to find his stride. Any other questions?

    Miss Ham: I have one. How much did you spend on that hat?

  • Penny Chenery: This is not about going back. This is about life being ahead of you and you run at it! Because you never know how far you can run unless you run.

  • Lucien Laurin: He's slower than a fat man encased in concrete being drug backwards.

  • Chris Chenery: It's not whether they think we won. It's whether we think we won.

  • Miss Ham: Great colts come from great sires.

  • Penny Chenery: I got what I wanted.

    Hollis Chenery: You got what no one else wanted.

  • Penny Chenery: My father's legacy is not his money. My father's legacy is the will to win.

  • Penny Chenery: I will not live the rest of my life in regret.

  • Penny Chenery: [Chenery speaking to Secretariat the evening before the Belmont Stakes] I've run my race. You run yours.

  • Penny Chenery: More than three thousand years ago a man named Job complained to God about all his troubles and the Bible tells us that God answered. Do you give the horse its strength or clothe its neck with a flowing mane? Do you make him leap like a locust, striking terror with his proud snorting? He paused fiercely, rejoicing in his strength and charges into the fray. He laughs at fear, afraid of nothing, He does not shy away from the sword. The quiver rattles against his side, along with the flashing spear and lance. In frenzied excitement he eats up the ground. He cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds.

  • Eddie Sweat: Hey, Kentucky! Big old Red done ate his breakfast this morning! And you about to see something that you ain't never even seen before!

  • Penny Chenery: [after losing race] Mr. Lauren, all this is new to me. You have been around racing for years. But never... ever... let me hear you say this doesn't concern me. It definitely DOES concern me. Is that understood?

  • Lucien Laurin: [as Secretariat nears the finish line at the Belmont Stakes] Ronnie, don't fall off!

  • Penny Chenery: Let him run, Ronnie! Let him run!

  • Triple Crown Race Announcer: [Secretariat is leading by 11 lengths and still accelerating] Entering the final turn, Secretariat is moving like a tremendous machine!

    Pancho Martin: That's impossible.