The courthouse in Charlotte was silent except for the scratch of quills on parchment. Abraham Alexander stepped forward, his voice steady. "We declare ourselves free. From this day forward, we are no longer subjects to a distant king." The men around him nodded, their resolve hardening. One by one, they signed their names. In that moment, North Carolina declared its independence—not just from Britain, but from fear. The fight for freedom had begun.

More than half a century after his record-breaking run, Secretariat still thunders through the heart of American horse racing. In the 2025 Kentucky Derby, every horse in the field carries his blood — proof that legends don’t fade, they evolve.