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Secretariat crosses the finish line to win the Preakness, the second leg of horse racing's Triple Crown, in 1973. Jerry Cooke/Corbis via Getty Images

May 19 in sports history: No stopping Secretariat

By Justin Mears | Last updated 5/18/20

Here's a look back at notable sports news on May 19 through the years:

1973: Secretariat is the most popular racehorse in American history, thanks in large part to the 2010 Walt Disney film. The thoroughbred's illustrious career included winning the 1973 Triple Crown, five Eclipse Awards, and an eye-popping victory by 31 lengths at the Belmont Stakes that is still talked about.

On this date in 1973 at the Preakness, Secretariat earned the second victory of what would eventually become the first Triple Crown in 25 years. Ridden by jockey Ron Turcotte, the horse was far from flawless. A slow start had him in last place going into the clubhouse turn, but a powerful maneuver catapulted him into the lead coming down the homestretch.

"He was running on his own," Turcotte told reporters. "I wanted to slow him down, but he wanted to go."

Some controversy exists over the timing of the race, as the original teletimer clocked in at 1 minute, 55 seconds for the 1 3/16-mile race. A couple of days later, Pimlico amended it to 1:54 2/5. Thirty-nine years later, the official time was amended again, to 1:53 -- the fastest in the race's history.

1991: Built in 1909 as just a gravel and tar track, the Indianapolis 500 track has undergone several upgrades over the last century, and it remains the premier event on the IndyCar calendar. For a long time, however, the race lacked diversity.

Twenty-nine years ago, Willy T. Ribbs became the first black driver to crack the lineup for the event. "I'm glad everybody was here today to witness history," he told reporters. "Because it can only be done once." Ribbs came in 32nd out of drivers, but the result was almost irrelevant compared to the doors he opened for his peers.

YOUNG AND OLD

2014: The LPGA was the source of an uplifting story that quickly received national attention. Only 11, Lucy Li became the youngest player to qualify for the U.S. Women's Open after winning the sectional qualifier at Half Moon Bay in California. She surpassed Lexi Thompson — who qualified for the '07 Open as a 12-year-old — as the youngest competitor to appear in the event.

While Li shot back-to-back 78s in the first two rounds at the Open and missed the cut, the preteen was undeterred. "I'm really happy with how I bounced back from the big numbers," she said that June. "I got birdies after I got, like, doubles and triples, so that's what I'm really happy about."

Li won the Junior PGA Championship two years later and turned professional late in 2019.

2004: Saying Julio Franco was a veteran back in the early 2000s is quite the understatement. The journeyman played until he was 48, almost entirely as a right-handed bat off the bench in his later years. On this date, he broke his own record as the oldest player to hit a pinch-hit home run. In a game against Arizona, Franco, then 45, crushed a two-out, two-run bomb in the eighth that pulled the Braves even at the time. They'd lose in extra innings.

ALSO

1935: Today the NFL draft is a prime-time event that draws millions of viewers and provides months worth of intrigue and anticipation. But there was a time that it didn't exist at all. Eighty-five years ago, the league made Eagles owner Bert Bell's idea of an annual draft of college players a reality. It was held for the first time the next year -- 24 years before Mel Kiper Jr. was born.

1956: Dale Long never became a household name, but in 1956, he was the hottest thing going in Major League Baseball. As a Pirate, Long crushed a ninth-inning long ball against the Cubs that became meaningful when he also homered in Pittsburgh's next seven contests. The eight-game homer streak is still a MLB record, albeit one shared with Ken Griffey Jr. and Don Mattingly.

1984: In the mid-'80s, Wayne Gretzky was at the zenith of his career, and in 1984 hockey's best player got to lay his hands on the Stanley Cup for the first time. The Great One put the biscuit in the basket twice in Game 5 of the Cup Finals, propelling the Oilers to a 4-1 series win over the Islanders and their first championship. Gretzky and Edmonton would go on to win four titles in a five-year span.

1994: At just 18 years old, American tennis star Jennifer Capriati checked herself into a drug rehab center. Capriati had recently been arrested for marijuana possession.

Blow out the candles today, Archie Manning. Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports

Happy birthday...

Archie Manning, patriarch of one of the most famous football families. Manning, father of Peyton and Eli (and Cooper) set franchise passing records for the New Orleans Saints, now held by Drew Brees. (71)
Bill Laimbeer, the NBA player who was recently in the spotlight thanks to his presence on the "Bad Boys" Detroit Pistons in the '80s. The vicious matchups between the Bulls and Pistons were documented in ESPN's "The Last Dance." (63)
Kevin Garnett, a 15-time NBA All Star as a member of the Timberwolves, Celtics, and Nets. In '95, Garnett became the first player to be drafted directly out of high school in two decades. Following a blockbuster trade that sent him to Boston, he led the Celtics to the 2008 title. (44)

R.I.P.

2012: Bob Boozer, College/NBA Hall of Fame forward (Olympic gold 1960) and No. 1 pick in the 1959 NBA Draft. Boozer won an NBA title with the '71 Milwaukee Bucks. He died of a brain aneurysm at 75.

May 18: The Big Perfect, Randy Johnson

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