Book excerpt: There has never been a horse like Secretariat. Winner of the Triple Crown in 1973 and record setter in all three races—an unprecedented feat—he still owns the track records at Churchill Downs, Pimlico, and Aqueduct. William Nack, formerly the racing writer for Newsday and currently contributing editor to Sports Illustrated , fell in love with the horse the first time he saw him run. He has written one of the most complete, thrilling, and memorable accounts ever written of the horse-racing world, and its greatest champion.