Agree with you about the Bid, Deadheat. He certainly belongs on the short list of the very greatest. I have to rank him behind Secretariat and Man O'War, though, because unlike them he was never able to win at a distance beyond 1 1/4 miles. Although he ran well and may not have been at his very best, Bid did try twice unsuccessfully at 1 1/2 miles. In addition to winning at 1 1/2 miles, both Secretariat and Man O'War also won at 1 5/8 miles. Plus, both set records in their long distance performances.
The successes of Secretariat's bloodlines outside the U.S. are sometimes forgotten as well. For example, Secretariat sired Kingston Rule, who won the Melbourne Cup in record time. Further, Big Red is the broodmare sire of 1984 Epsom Derby winner Secreto - who defeated El Gran Senor in that race - as well as Istabraq, who won the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham 3 consecutive years.