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This aged in Oak Barrel's episode originally aired on June 9th, 2022.

It's October 4th, 1989, on a farm in rural Kentucky.

On a bright cold autumn morning, a horse groom named Bobby Anderson walks across the

panic toward the stables. Bobby unlocks a gate and strolls through sun-dappled grass,

swinging a bucket filled with oats. When he reaches the barn,

Bobby removes a key from his pocket, turns it in the lock, and pushes open the barn door.

But as soon as he enters, Bobby can tell something's wrong.

One of the horses is loudly windy, obviously in some distress.

Bobby's frown deepens when he realizes which stall the noise is coming from.

Bobby drops the bucket and races over to the stall.

There, lying on his side, his sweat-soaked body heaving with unsteady breaths is secretariat.

The greatest racehorse in American history. Bobby crouches by secretariat's side.

As he inspects the animal's hooves, his heart sinks. Several weeks ago,

secretariat developed a painful and debilitating hoof condition called laminitis.

For a while, it looked as if the condition might be improving,

but now Bobby can see that the disease has returned.

Secretariat makes a high-pitched breathless sound as he looks at Bobby imploringly

as if begging for help. Bobby paths the horse's chestnut-colored coat.

He knows that secretariat's condition is untreatable.

...