Yes the timing is different between the tracks of Man O' War's time and Secretariat's time. But 5 seconds is just an estimate, it's not cold hard fact. There are a number of differences between the races and tracks the two champions ran on. Just take the Belmont racetrack for instance. Man O' War raced using cold steel shoes, where Secretariat used aluminum shoes. Also the weight that Man O' War carried were slightly heaver than the weights that Secretariat carried since the assigned weight of Man O' War was heaving than Secreatait at the same age, so the weight the two horses carried even for the same races or similar races were totally different. Also, the track itself was different. For Man O' War the track surface was a bit looser, the material used to make the track was totally different. The track Secretariat ran on at Belmont was more packed and secure footed for race horses.
The races and the tracks the two horses ran on were the same, but it may as well have been different races and different tracks (in my opinion) because of the changes and differences and changes made through the years. So to say the tracks today are 5 seconds faster are only an estimate. Also, no one can really know what would happen if Secretariat and Man O' War met each other on the same race track. Both horses are well known for being VERY competitive in races. This isn't to start the old debate of which one is the better race horse because everyone that's been to this board knows there's no win or loose in that argument. Just keep in mind that even though yes they ran in the same races and at the same tracks, changes have been made over time. So there's no way to end the debate unless someone finds a way to alter the space/time continuum and bring the two stallions together. Then I want a ticket to THAT race personally.
