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Did Secretariat ever lose a race? Yes—five times officially
Secretariat won 16 of 21 starts. See his five official defeats, including the Champagne disqualification, and why finishing first is not always a win.
Yes. Secretariat lost five races officially, finishing his career with 16 wins from 21 starts. His record also included three seconds, one third and one fourth. One of those seconds was a disqualification: he crossed the line first in the 1972 Champagne Stakes but was placed second for interference. The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame confirms his career totals and the Champagne ruling.
The precise distinction is five official defeats, but only four races in which another horse finished ahead of him on the track.
The five races Secretariat lost
| Date | Race | Track | Secretariat’s official result |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 4, 1972 | Maiden special weight | Aqueduct | Fourth on his debut |
| October 14, 1972 | Champagne Stakes | Belmont Park | Second after disqualification; Stop the Music awarded the win |
| April 21, 1973 | Wood Memorial | Aqueduct | Third behind Angle Light and Sham |
| August 4, 1973 | Whitney Stakes | Saratoga | Second to Onion |
| September 29, 1973 | Woodward Stakes | Belmont Park | Second to Prove Out |
Dates, venues and results are documented in Secretariat.com’s individual race accounts: maiden debut, Champagne, Wood Memorial, Whitney and Woodward.
His debut was the only start in which he finished outside the first three. The account quotes the contemporary Daily Racing Form chart, which recorded traffic trouble after the start and into the turn, followed by a strong finish along the rail. That context matters: fourth place records the outcome, not an unobstructed test of his ability. Debut race account
Why the Champagne counts as a loss
Secretariat crossed the finish line two lengths ahead of Stop the Music in the Champagne. Following an objection, the stewards reversed the first two placings because of interference. Secretariat therefore received an official second, not a win. Champagne race account
For a racecard reader, this is the clearest lesson in his record: finishing first and being the official winner are not always the same thing. A result figure alone would show second place; the accompanying disqualification note explains how that placing arose. Career win totals use the official result.
Did he lose any Triple Crown races?
No. Secretariat won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes in 1973. The Wood Memorial defeat came before that sweep; the Whitney and Woodward defeats came afterward. The Hall of Fame biography records all three Triple Crown victories. See our 1973 Triple Crown guide for the individual results.
His defeats also show why a finishing position needs context. Trainer Lucien Laurin later reported a mouth abscess around the Wood Memorial, while illness was reported following the Whitney. Those reports may help explain the performances, but they do not establish exactly how much either condition affected the result. Wood Memorial account · Whitney account
When reading past form, separate three things: the official placing, the race circumstances, and any proposed explanation. Secretariat’s five defeats belong in the record; understanding them requires more than counting the non-winning figures.