Secretariat won the Kentucky Derby on May 5, 1973.

Quick Scoop: Secretariat’s Kentucky Derby Win

  • Date of victory: May 5, 1973.
  • Location: Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky.
  • Race distance: 1¼ miles (the standard Kentucky Derby distance).
  • Winning margin: 2½ lengths over second-place Sham.
  • Record time: 1:59 2/5, the first Derby ever run in under two minutes, and still the track record.

Secretariat came from the back of the pack, steadily accelerating each quarter mile, and powered past Sham in the stretch to seal the win and begin his legendary Triple Crown run.

Secretariat’s 1973 Derby is often remembered as the moment a very good horse became a legend , setting up his historic Triple Crown sweep later that spring.

TL;DR: When did Secretariat win the Kentucky Derby?
➡ May 5, 1973, in a record-breaking run at Churchill Downs.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.