HorseHawk wrote:
passing through wrote:
HorseHawk wrote:
And just what would Secetariat have been without his "large heart" gene...?

Guess we all know though...as he wasn't considered a great sire of sires, or a sire of great race horses, but a broodmare sire ...

HH Man O War was also known as a broodmare sire.  It is an often held belief that the broodmares are the gold, as exemplified by the term "Blue Hen Mare."  I am confused where you are going with this?
  
That's because Secretariat could not give his large heart to a son & only a daughter, & a dam can give it to a daughter or a son...

Again, my point is...What kind(how fast) of a race horse would Secretariat have been without thew large heart/gene that gave him more wind/stamina than the others...?
What does it matter whether he had the large heart gene or not? Sham also had a large heart and he raced against Secretariat many times- even winning once. Many of the Quarter racers have and breed on the X factor. Corona Cash?

X factor doesn't mean anything if the horse doesn't have the conformation, train-ability, and will to go with it. In my opinion, THAT is what makes a great horse. Secretariat didn't have to win by 33 lengths, he had that race won out of the gate- it was his will to win that set him apart.