Former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce found himself in deep trouble with the horse-racing community this week. Kelce suggested that Triple Crown winner Secretariat was on steroids when the horse went on its historic run in 1973. Kelce's comments even drew a response from the family that owned Secretariat.
During a recent episode of the "New Heights" podcast, Jason and Travis Kelce were discussing the latter's experience at the Kentucky Derby. When the topic of Secretariat came up, Jason said the horse was doing some major doping when it shot to the top of the record books.
"It's not that wild because Secretariat was juiced to the gills," Kelce said. "What are we talking about here? Secretariat just so happens to be right in the heart of the steroid era? In 1973, every NFL player, every baseball player, they were juicing to the gills? You don't think Secretariat was f--king juiced to the rafters? Of course it's the fastest horse of all time. They didn't drug test Secretariat the way they did Mystik Dan."
Shortly after that episode was released, Kelce found himself in some social media battles with some of Secretariat's biggest supporters. While admitting it is "impossible" to know whether Secretariat really was on steroids, Kelce pointed to the horse's enlarged heart as further evidence for his argument.
All of that discussion reached the family of Secretariat owner, the late Penny Chenery. John and Kate Tweedy, the son and daughter of Chenery, wrote that their parents raised and trained Secretariat with the utmost integrity.
"The fact is Secretariat was never given performance enhancing drugs," Kate and John Tweedy wrote. "Indeed, both our mother Penny Chenery, who managed Secretariat, and our grandfather Christopher Chenery, who bred him, were morally committed to the rule that horses should only be given healthy feed, water and such medical treatment as is required to maintain health."
After plenty of back-and-forth, the former NFL star issued an apology on social media, saying it was unfair to accuse Secretariat of cheating without hard evidence.
I’m sorry everyone, wasn’t trying to get people riled up, I really thought it was just known that in the 70s steroid use was rampant. I’m not trying to take away from Secretariat’s, or anyone from that eras legacy. You’re right, without proof it is unfair to assume these things…
— Jason Kelce (@JasonKelce) May 9, 2024
Kelce might have finally made some peace with the horse-racing community, but he should probably keep his distance next weekend when the Preakness Stakes run in Baltimore.
