There is no one answer to this question. Some individuals believe that Secretariat, a champion thoroughbred racehorse, was based largely on the real-life running phenom, Black Caviar. Others contend that the story of Secretariat's racing career is fictionalized and based on loosely sourced elements from the horse's life. A third group believes the film is an accurate depiction of the horse's life and career, with some artistic license taken for dramatic effect.