I have to agree with you there, though Secretariat has his own menion of supporters as well. But what sealed it for me as in reference to Man O'War's ability was in another one of his Belmont Park races. It was Sept. 4, 1920 it was the running of the Lawrence Realization Stakes for 1-5/8 miles. It was just Man O'War and Hoodwink in the race. Man O'War carried 126lbs and Hoodwink carried 116lbs (a 10 pounds difference).
Man O'War won the race not by a neck, not by a lenghth, and surely not by 32 lengths like Secreatariat, but Man O'War won the Realization by 100 LENGTHS! This is not an estimate, this is written record. I have been following horse racing since I was first introduced to it from the movie "The Black Stallion" when it was out in theatres. Never in my life have I ever heard of a horse winning a race by anything close to 100 lengths.
For me that is what sealed it in my mind that, put Man O'War in a race with Secretariat, and Man O'War will win every time. Because Man O'War was still under retraint even down the stretch, where as Secretariat was running all out to make the 32 lengths. Who knows how many lengths or for how long Man O'War could've ran if he hadn't been held back during that race.
