Since he was last seen in New York, Secretariat had concluded his juvenile campaign with victories in the Laurel Futurity and Garden State, collected trophies as champion two-year-old and Horse of the Year, and been syndicated for a hefty sum. All eyes were thus on Aqueduct on March 17, 1973 as he made his three-year-old debut. He crossed the wire in front, galloped out strongly, and survived a jockey's objection to take the race.