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[RC] Secretariat and steroids! - Ridecamp Guest

Please Reply to: Dennis Farnham dfarnham09@xxxxxxx or ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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Hello everyone,

A while back someone posted a question about Secretariat and steroids. Here are 
some of my thoughts on that subject:

Concerning Secretariat and Steroids! My observation is that when horses/humans 
(i.e. Lyle Alzedo) quit using steroids they lose muscle mass etc. Secretariat 
got nothing but muscularly gigantic after entering the stud. Don't forget that 
he possesed a 22 pound heart (average horse= 8 pounds, average TB 10 to 12 
pounds) and a coxofemoral joint (hipjoint) that was so lowly situated as to 
have many TB pundits accused him of  gooserumped...before he started racing. Of 
course he was not gooserumped because he also possessed tremendous length of 
hip. Many of the old french masters considered this characteristic (low 
situation of the coxofemoral joint) to be one of the most important when 
selecting a suitable candidate for the manege (dressage high school). The huge 
heart has since become to be known as the X factor and is sex-linked to the X 
(female) chromosome. Often X factor stallions become trmendous broodmare 
sires...and such is the case for Secretariat. Princequillo daughters seem to be 
an excellent source of X factor, and Secretariat was out of Somethingroyal, a 
Princequillo daughter. If you look at pictures of TB stallions who have won 
$1,000,000plus in the "Bloodhorse" or "Thoroughbred Times" stallion editions, 
you will see that selection by speed at the track selects for the low situation 
of the coxofemoral joint...in other words tremendous push power and the 
consequent optimal biomechanics. I don't believe that he exhibited any of the 
vicious disposition that usually accompany continued steroid usage.  Anyway, I 
suggest that Secretariat simply got more than his share of biomechanical and 
physiological gifts. Had it been steroids, don't you think we'd have had 
another Secretariat by now? Steroids are easily come by, Secretariats are not.

Enjoy the ride,

Dennis


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