SECRETARIAT

(foaled 1971), American racehorse (Thoroughbred), a record-breaking money winner, who in 1973 won the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes, constituting the U.S. Triple Crown; he was the first horse to do so since Citation in 1948. Sired by Bold Ruler and foaled by Somethingroyal, the large Virginia-bred chestnut colt grew to over 16 hands high and was at two years the size of a three-year-old. Trained by Lucien Laurin and ridden by Ron Turcotte, Secretariat entered his first race as a two-year-old and came in fourth, the only time he failed to win a purse. Thereafter, in his short, brilliant two-year career, he came in first 16 times, second 3 times, and third once, winning a total of $1,316,808, the largest amount for any horse for the number of races run. At Belmont he won by an unprecedented 31 lengths and established the dirt-track record of 2:24. In November 1973 Secretariat was retired and put to stud. He died in 1989. the organ that administers and coordinates the activities of the United Nations. It is headed by the UN secretary-general. The Secretariat influences the work of the United Nations to a degree much greater than indicated in the UN Charter. This influence largely results from the fact that the Secretariat's staff is composed of permanent expert officials, rather than political appointees of member nations. The staff is recruited on a merit basis, with regard to equitable geographic distribution, and its members are required to take an oath of loyalty to the United Nations and are not permitted to receive instructions from their home governments. The Secretariat's personnel in effect constitute an international civil service. Among them are translators, clerks, technicians, administrators, project directors, and negotiators. The secretary-general is elected by the General Assembly, on the recommendation of the Security Council, for a renewable five-year term. He must have the approval of all five permanent members of the Security Council to be selected to the post; because of this, secretaries-general have usually come from small, neutral countries. The secretary-general is the chief administrative officer at all meetings of the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, and the Trusteeship Council, and he may carry out any functions that these organs entrust to him and his staff. He submits an annual report to the General Assembly on the work of the UN, and he may also bring to the Security Council's attention any matter that he deems a threat to international peace and security. The secretary-general is the chief spokesman for the UN and is that body's most visible and authoritative figure in the arena of world affairs. He has his headquarters at the UN building in New York City.