Secretariat wins the Triple Crown; 31 lengths and a clock that reads 2:24 flat

The last Triple Crown winner, Citation, had taken all three races in 1948 — and since then, the title had gone unclaimed for a quarter century. On June 9, 1973, a chestnut colt named Secretariat settled into the gate at Belmont Park as a 1–10 favorite before 69,138 fans and 15 million television households. He won the Belmont Stakes by 31 lengths in 2:24 flat, a time that still stands as the American record for a mile and a half on dirt. The Triple Crown was his — and it didn't look like anything else anyone had ever seen…