When Disney announced a film about a racehorse, you might have expected a feel-good underdog story. What you might not have expected was how much of it actually happened — and how much didn’t.

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Release Year: 2010 | Runtime: 123 minutes | Rotten Tomatoes Score: 62% | Box Office: $60 million | Triple Crown Year: 1973 | Horse’s Death Year: 1989

Film Basics

Key Historical Events

  • 1972: Secretariat named Horse of the Year (Waupaca County Post)
  • 1973: Triple Crown win (Waupaca County Post)
  • Film released: October 10, 2010 (Waupaca County Post)
  • Riva Ridge won 1972 Derby and Preakness (Paulick Report)

Film vs Reality

Accuracy Notes

  • Penny Chenery became first woman Jockey Club member (Waupaca County Post)
  • Film inserts religious music at Belmont (Daily Racing Form)
  • Katie Tweedy confirms film is not documentary (Paulick Report)
  • Film uses Keeneland for Belmont scenes (Paulick Report)
Fact Source
Film Release 2010 (Waupaca County Post)
Director Randall Wallace (Waupaca County Post)
Lead Actress Diane Lane (Waupaca County Post)

Is the film Secretariat a true story?

The film is based on real events but takes significant dramatic liberties. Below we separate what is historically accurate from what is embellished.

What historical facts are depicted?

  • Secretariat won the Triple Crown in 1973 (Waupaca County Post).
  • Penny Chenery owned Secretariat and operated Meadow Stable (Waupaca County Post).
  • The film uses real Preakness footage (Movies to History).
  • Penny Chenery became the first woman member of the American Jockey Club (Waupaca County Post).

What dramatic liberties were taken?

  • Fabricated rivalry with Ogden Phipps, including a coin flip (Daily Racing Form).
  • Exaggerated “horse whisperer” bond between Penny and Secretariat (Paulick Report).
  • Inserted religious music (“Oh Happy Day!”) during Belmont recreation (Daily Racing Form).
  • Omitted Riva Ridge’s 1972 Derby and Preakness wins to avoid multiple climaxes (Paulick Report).

“Katie Chenery Tweedy confirmed the film is not a documentary and that Penny approved it knowing dramatizations.” – Paulick Report

The pattern: the film sacrifices historical completeness for a more streamlined, uplifting narrative.

Penny Chenery’s family acknowledges the film takes creative license; the core Triple Crown story is real, but many details are invented.

Why was Secretariat euthanized?

The film does not address the horse’s death. Based on the available research, this topic is outside the film’s scope. Historical records (not verified in this research) indicate laminitis as the cause, but no official source is cited here.

What health condition led to the decision?

Research notes do not cover this.

When and where did it happen?

Not specified in the provided research.

Why did Penny Chenery sell Secretariat?

According to the film’s narrative, financial difficulties after her father’s death forced the sale. The sale included breeding rights, and Secretariat continued to stand at stud under new ownership.

Financial motives

Penny needed money to pay estate taxes. This is portrayed in the film as a central conflict.

Impact on Secretariat’s breeding career

Secretariat stood at Claiborne Farm for the rest of his life.

Is Secretariat a good film?

Critical reception

Rotten Tomatoes gives it 62% critic score and 70% audience score. Critics describe it as “rousing, heartwarming, and squarely traditional” – exactly what one expects from an inspirational Disney drama.

“Rousing, heartwarming, and squarely traditional, Secretariat offers exactly what you’d expect from an inspirational Disney drama — no more, and no less.” – Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus

Audience reactions

Many viewers enjoy the uplifting story, though some note the historical inaccuracies.

The film’s emotional impact does not rely on strict historical accuracy; it is a dramatization, not a documentary.

Did any horse ever beat Secretariat?

Secretariat’s losses

Secretariat lost to Onion in the 1973 Whitney Stakes and to Prove Out in the Woodward Stakes. He had only two losses before the Triple Crown races.

Why records remain unbroken

His Belmont Stakes time (2:24) is still a world record, and no horse has matched his cumulative margins in Triple Crown races.

Key Timeline

  • 1972: Secretariat named Horse of the Year (Waupaca County Post)
  • 1973: Triple Crown win (Waupaca County Post)
  • 2010: Film released (Waupaca County Post)

Confirmed Facts

  • Secretariat won Triple Crown in 1973 with record margins.
  • Penny Chenery owned Secretariat and operated Meadow Stable.
  • Film stars Diane Lane and John Malkovich.
  • Penny Chenery became first woman Jockey Club member.

Uncertainties

  • Whether Penny’s father’s deathbed wish was as dramatized.
  • Exact financial details of the sale of Secretariat.
  • The degree of Robert Redford’s actual involvement in horse riding scenes (he did not ride in the film).

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does the film accurately show the 1973 Kentucky Derby?

The film takes creative liberties; it omits Riva Ridge’s wins and fabricates drama in the owners’ box. (Sources: Paulick Report, Daily Racing Form)

Who is Penny Chenery?

She was the owner of Secretariat and the first woman member of the American Jockey Club.

What is the film’s basis?

The script is based on William Nack’s book “Big Red of Meadow Stable.”

What are the major inaccuracies in the film?

Major fabrications include the rivalry with Ogden Phipps, the “horse whisperer” bond, and the use of religious music. (Sources: Daily Racing Form, Paulick Report)

Why did the film change the story?

To create a more dramatic narrative for a family audience, as acknowledged by the director and Penny Chenery’s family.