NFL star apologises for saying Secretariat was on steroids

Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce recently sparked a flurry of reactions on social media after he speculated that the iconic racehorse Secretariat might have been on steroids during his career.

Kelce ignited passionate responses from the racing industry Thursday when he put up a social-media post suggesting Hall of Fame champion Secretariat “was being juiced” and that his famously large heart was evidence of it.

Admitting “it’s impossible to know for sure,” Kelce concluded that Secretariat’s record times that still stand from his Triple Crown victories “may have been natural, but I also think that it’s unlikely given the time it raced and what was happening with a lot of those horses and the lack of testing available.”

The comment ignited a blend of backing and backlash among fans and horse racing aficionados alike. While Kelce initially stood by his comment, he later retracted his statement with an apology, stating he regretted any upset caused and noted the challenges in verifying such claims from the 1970s.

This incident underscored the intense and often polarising nature of social media debates, where Kelce’s change of heart was met with both amusement and respect from the online community.