While Secretariat has been called a "disappointing" sire for not meeting the extraordinary expectations placed on his stud career, there is nothing disappointing about the way his genes are spreading through the Thoroughbred population. The leading American broodmare sire of 1992, Secretariat has turned out to be a remarkable broodmare sire of sires, with Chief's Crown, Dehere, Holy Roman Emperor, Royal Academy and Summer Squall also numbered among his maternal grandsons.
Excepting Holy Roman Emperor, all these horses have passed from the scene as sires of winners. But with the way they are performing as broodmare sires themselves, it looks like Secretariat will be an important part of pedigrees for a long time to come.