Secretariat’s Illustrious Lineage
Hailed as the “king of racing,” Triple Crown legend Secretariat truly sprang from racing royalty. Both the top of his pedigree (sire) and the bottom (dam) boast extraordinary forebears. This series will focus on Bold Ruler, Nasrullah, Nearco, Somethingroyal and Princequillo.
Nearco, the Italian Stallion and the Godfather of Thoroughbreds
This 1941 photo by a photographer named Anscomb shows Nearco being led back outside from his bomb shelter at Beech House Stud in England following an air raid during WWII. That the stallion merited his own bomb shelter speaks to his enormous importance in the world of Thoroughbred breeding.
Nasrullah, the Irish Rogue
The potent influence of Nearco, the great grandsire of Secretariat, became personified in America by his talented but tempestuous son, Nasrullah.