🏇 every horse in today's Kentucky Derby is descended from Secretariat

[underpants]

There's actually not a horse in this year's field that doesn't trace back to Secretariat.

That's right: According to the Louisville Courier Journal, every horse running in the 151st Kentucky Derby has descended from Secretariat.

Given that it's about six generations down the line, the Courier Journal writes that it's not shocking for such lineage to exist.

Secretariat, as the legendary racehorse he was, was heavily desired as a potential sire. In all, he's known to have sired more than 660 foals.

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/horse-racing/news/secretariat-related-every-horse-kentucky-derby-field/f9857e2dad1881077892f639

[Bayard]

1. Interesting

He sired a lot of foals, but just about all of them had less than stellar racing careers.

[bucolic_frolic]

2. This race is incest. /nt

[a kennedy]

3. Wow.....Secretariat, he was just a freaking horse. Won't be another like him for a long, long time.

[NoRethugFriends]

4. And every horse in the race is a victim of abuse

In this "sport of "kings"

[stillcool]

5. Musk and eugenics come to mind

[Tarzanrock]

6. Arguably, the greatest athlete ever!

Secretariat's record-breaking 1973 Kentucky Derby run (FULL RACE) | NBC Sports

If records are made to be broken, then Secretariat is a spectacular exception to the rule. It has been 52 years since the 1973 Kentucky Derby winner accomplished record times in all three Triple Crown races, records that remain standing to this day.

[True Dough]

7. Gimme a long shot

Final Gambit for the win!

[a kennedy]

8. AND HE'S A GRAY!!!!!!

[underpants]

9. We're going Sandman and Chunk of Gold.

We like the silks.

Chunk was bought for $2,500

[underpants]

10. 👍

We're going Sandman and Chunk of Gold.

We like the silks.

Chunk was bought for $2,500

[twogunsid]

11. Secretariat was an outstanding broodmare sire...

...although he was never a sire of sires. And he never reproduced himself so he was considered a disappointment at stud. His daughters, Weekend Surprise and Terlingua, foaled two of the greatest sires in history, AP Indy and Storm Cat. And that is why he is in every pedigree of every starter in the Derby.