secretariat tour rouge

804.994.2800

SECRETARIAT BIRTHPLACE TOUR

Visitors are welcome to visit the historic barns Monday through Friday between 10 and 4. While visiting, use the audio tour link below to guide you!

https://www.youraudiotour.com/tours/1570/stops/7779

Tour Highlights:

The Meadow Event Park, formerly Meadow Stable, is the site where Secretariat was born, raised and first trained. Educational signage is posted at the historic barns and other points of interest.

Points of interest include:

On the north side:

Original yearling and stallion barns built in the 1930s. This includes the stall in the yearling barn where Secretariat stayed as a colt in 1971.
The Cove, where the Meadow mares and foals grazed
Secretariat stride markers showing his enormous 25-foot racing stride
Meadow Hall mansion with galleries of framed photos depicting the history of the farm and Secretariat’s Triple Crown races, along with Meadow Stable memorabilia and the riding outfits of Penny Chenery and her father Christopher Chenery
The Meadow Stable horse cemetery where Imperatrice, Hill Prince and Sun Beau are buried
The historic cemetery on the front lawn of the mansion, marked with a memorial plaque about the Morris family who founded The Meadow in 1805; their descendant Christopher Chenery would establish Meadow Stable in 1936 here at his ancestral homeplace.

On the south side:

Secretariat’s foaling shed where he was born on March 30, 1970. Though it was moved from its original location on the north side, it is the same structure and is listed on the state and national historic registers.
Secretariat’s training barn where he stayed when he was in training at the Meadow training track in the fall of 1971. A plaque marks the stall where he first wore a saddle and bridle and had a jockey on his back.

Come visit the Virginia farm that produced an American legend! A portion of proceeds go to our new non-profit, the Secretariat Heritage Center, for the restoration of the historic barns at The Meadow. See www.secretariatheritagecenter.org for more info.

Triple Crown
Horses First

Traveling and Onsite Exhibitions to Celebrate 50th Anniversary of Secretariat’s Triple Crown Win

Secretariat Hall of Fame exhibition Churchill Downs Belmont Park Pimlico Saratoga Race Course Triple Crown Kentucky Derby Preakness Belmont Stakes Jessica Cloer memorabilia trophy racehorse

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – To commemorate the 50 th anniversary of Secretariat ’s historic 1973 Triple Crown sweep, the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame will present traveling and onsite exhibitions honoring the accomplishments and enduring legacy of the famed Meadow Stable colt from May through October. The exhibitions are underwritten by Churchill Downs, Inc., the Maryland Jockey Club, the New York Racing Association, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, the Virginia Equine Alliance, Dean Dorton Equine, and Godolphin.

“A Tremendous Machine: Celebrating the 50 th Anniversary of Secretariat’s Triple Crown” will journey the same path Secretariat did to become America’s ninth Triple Crown winner. The unique traveling exhibit will open at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., for Kentucky Derby week May 3-6; advance to Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore for Preakness Stakes festivities May 18-20; and conclude its Triple Crown tour at the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., June 8-11.

Following its Triple Crown travels, a more comprehensive exhibition of “A Tremendous Machine” will open to the public July 13 at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, coinciding with opening day at Saratoga Race Course . At the conclusion of the Saratoga racing season, “A Tremendous Machine” will travel to Colonial Downs in Secretariat’s home state of Virginia for closing weekend at the New Kent-based track Sept. 7-9. The onsite exhibition at the Museum will remain on view through Oct. 29.

The traveling version of “A Tremendous Machine” will feature Secretariat’s 1973 Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes, and Triple Crown trophies. A video component of the exhibition will take fans through Secretariat’s unique journey in which he set speed records in each of the Triple Crown races and tell the stories of the people who guided the horse through his remarkable career. In addition to the trophies and video components, the onsite exhibition at the Museum will include an extensive array of artwork, artifacts, photography, and pop culture items.

“It is an honor to share the awe-inspiring story of Secretariat and the people around him on this golden anniversary of horse racing’s greatest test, the Triple Crown,” said Jessica Cloer, the National Museum of Racing’s curator. “We hope that everyone will have an opportunity to visit the exhibition at the Museum or at one of the tracks as we bring the incomparable story of the great Secretariat to both longtime and new fans of the sport.”

Sculptor Jocelyn Russell’s impressive 21-foot long bronze monument of Secretariat will serve as the symbolic centerpiece of the tour , and be on display at each of the Triple Crown venues following its April 30 Louisville debut in the Kentucky Derby Festival Pegasus Parade.

“Thanks to the hospitality and support of the Triple Crown tracks we are thrilled to be able to bring the story of Secretariat to longtime fans as well as new admirers during this milestone anniversary year,” said Leonard Lusky, president of Secretariat.com . “To this day, Secretariat and his Triple Crown records still stand and remain an enduring highlight of American sports history and popular culture, inspiring an ever-growing legacy filled with admiration, awe, and affection that transcend the sport.”

Secretariat.com was founded in 2002 in conjunction with Secretariat’s luminary owner Penny Chenery as the official website for the legendary champion.

Bred in Virginia by Christopher T. Chenery’s Meadow Stud and campaigned by Chenery’s daughter, Penny , Secretariat was a chestnut son of Bold Ruler out of the Princequillo mare Somethingroyal. Trained by Hall of Famer Lucien Laurin and ridden primarily by Hall of Famer Ron Turcotte , Secretariat won the Eclipse Awards for Horse of the Year and Champion 2-Year-Old Male in 1972. The following year, he became the first Triple Crown winner since Citation in 1948, setting records in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes, all of which still stand a half-century later.

“I don’t think we will ever see another horse like him,” said Turcotte from his Canadian hometown of Grand Falls, New Brunswick. “He had it all – the temperament, the ability, the soundness and the versatility. To me, he was the perfect horse. He loved to compete and he loved to run.”

Secretariat was retired at the end of his 1973 season with a record of 16-3-1 from 21 starts and earnings of $1,316,808. His sophomore year earned him Eclipse Awards for Horse of the Year, Champion 3-Year-Old Male, and Champion Male Turf Horse.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1974, Secretariat stood at the iconic Claiborne Farm in Paris, Ky., where he sired 57 stakes winners, including Hall of Famer Lady’s Secret . After a battle with laminitis, Secretariat was euthanized on Oct. 4, 1989. He was buried at Claiborne.

For more information about the Museum, including special events and program offerings, please call (518) 584-0400 or visit our website at www.racingmuseum.org .

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Home > News > Monument to mark Secretariat’s Triple Crown 50th

Monument to mark Secretariat’s Triple Crown 50th

March 6, 2023
⎯ Edited Press Release

Secretariat, in the form of a 3,500-pound bronze monument, is racing to his home state of Virginia to kick off the national 50th anniversary celebration of his record-setting Triple Crown of 1973.

Graphic announcing Virginia kickoff to 50th anniversary of Secretariat's Triple Crown

At 21 feet long and 11.5 feet tall, this is the largest monument of Secretariat in existence. As such, it is a dramatic representation of the Virginia-born Thoroughbred champion’s larger-than-life presence as an equine athlete and American icon.

Dubbed “Secretariat Racing Into History,” the work by renowned equine artist Jocelyn Russell is traveling over 1,000 miles from the foundry in Oklahoma to the historic town of Ashland, Virginia. On April 1, the heroically proportioned artwork will be formally unveiled there as the centerpiece of the anniversary celebration.

Family ties

Ashland has the honor of being the first venue of the multi-state Secretariat 50th anniversary tour due to its longstanding ties to the Chenery family. Secretariat’s breeder Christopher Chenery grew up here, attended Ashland’s own Randolph-Macon College, and founded nearby Meadow Stable, where Secretariat was foaled in 1970. Penny Chenery took over the farm for her father and managed Secretariat’s spectacular career.

Her daughter, author/speaker Kate Chenery Tweedy, lives in Ashland and is carrying on the Secretariat legacy. She is chairing the Secretariat For Virginia Committee to raise the funds to place the Secretariat monument permanently in Ashland. “Secretariat’s story truly would come full circle if the monument is placed in Ashland,” said Tweedy. “How fitting it would be to see this happen during this milestone Triple Crown anniversary.”

“Secretariat Racing Into History” will stay in Ashland until late April. Then Russell and the monument will continue the anniversary tour through the summer. Further details of the tour will be announced by Secretariat.com .

Fundraising efforts

After the anniversary tour, the bronze is expected to return to Ashland as the fundraising effort continues. If fund-raising goals are met, this will be the first and only monument of Secretariat located in his home state. The town of Ashland and Randolph-Macon College have agreed to provide a site on the college campus near the CSX train tracks.

“I have always wanted this second edition of “Secretariat–Racing into History” to come home to Virginia,” said Russell. “This is literally where his history started.” The first version of the monument was placed in Lexington, Kentucky in 2019.

The cost of the Secretariat monument is $550,000, including transportation to the site. Installation and landscaping are additional costs, for which the group hopes to obtain in-kind contributions. Friends of Secretariat for Virginia (SECVA) is accepting pledges online and donations through the Ashland Museum , a 501c3 non-profit organization.

For program updates and additional information, please see www.SecretariatForVirginia.com

Images from Secretariat for Virginia website and Facebook page

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Virginia Horse Racing

The source for horse racing in virginia, ashland, virginia to kick off 50th anniversary of secretariat’s triple crown with statue unveiling.

Secretariat, in the form of a 3,500-pound bronze monument, is racing to his home state of Virginia to kick off the national 50TH anniversary celebration of his immortal Triple Crown of 1973. The “Secretariat Racing Into History” monument by renowned equine artist Jocelyn Russell is traveling over 1,000 miles from the foundry in Oklahoma to the historic town of Ashland, Virginia . At 21 feet long and 11.5 feet tall, this is the largest monument of Secretariat in existence, dramatically illustrating the Virginia-born champion’s larger-than-life presence as an equine athlete and American icon. On April 1, the heroically proportioned artwork will be formally unveiled as the centerpiece of the anniversary celebration.

Ashland has the honor of being the first venue of the multi-state Secretariat 50th anniversary tour due to longstanding ties to the Chenery family. Secretariat’s breeder Christopher Chenery grew up here, attended Randolph-Macon College , and founded nearby Meadow Stable where Secretariat was born in 1970. Penny Chenery took over the farm for her father and managed Secretariat’s spectacular career. Her daughter, author/speaker Kate Chenery Tweedy, lives in Ashland and is carrying on the Secretariat legacy. She is chairing the Secretariat For Virginia Committee to raise the funds to place the Secretariat monument permanently in Ashland.

“Secretariat’s story truly would come full circle if the monument is placed in Ashland,” said Ms. Tweedy. “How fitting it would be to see this happen during this milestone Triple Crown anniversary.”

Here is a preliminary schedule of the festivities on April 1. The day’s activities are FREE.

11 am – 1:30 pm at the Ashland Theatre : a free showing of the Disney film “Secretariat.” Kate Tweedy, who was in the film with her mother, will share her behind-the-scenes experience on the movie set.

2:00 pm at Ashland Town Hall Pavilion: the official unveiling of “Secretariat Racing Into History” monument with local officials, special guests, live music and birthday cake.

2:30 – 5:00 pm at Town Hall and Lawn areas: meet and greet with a Secretariat lookalike horse who is a descendant of “Big Red;” display of the first saddle Secretariat wore at Meadow Stable; kids’ activities and crafts; presentation on sculpting the monument by Jocelyn Russell; videos of Secretariat’s Triple Crown races; tours of the Ashland Museum featuring its Meadow Stable display; sale of Secretariat merchandise; and more.

“Secretariat Racing Into History” will stay in Ashland until late April. Then Ms. Russell and the monument will continue the anniversary tour through the summer. Further details of the tour will be announced by Secretariat.com shortly.

After the anniversary tour, the bronze is expected to return to Ashland as the fund-raising effort by SECVA continues. If fund-raising goals are met, this will be the first and only monument of Secretariat located in his home state. The town of Ashland and Randolph-Macon College have agreed to provide a site on the college campus near the CSX train tracks.

“I have always wanted this second edition of “Secretariat – Racing into History” to come home to Virginia,” said Ms. Russell. “This is literally where his history started.” The first version of the monument was placed in Lexington, Kentucky in 2019.

Donations for the monument are being accepted by the Ashland Museum, a 501c3 non-profit organization. For continuing program updates and additional information, please see www.SecretariatForVirginia.com

The cost of the Secretariat monument is $550,000, including transportation to the site. Installation and landscaping are additional costs, for which the group hopes to obtain in-kind contributions. SECVA is accepting pledges online and donations through the Ashland Museum, also a partner in the project.

If you have any questions on the monument or would like more information on how you can help make this movement to bring Secretariat home to Virginia a reality, please contact us and become part of “Friends of Secretariat for Virginia (SECVA).” You can also join our email list for updates on our progress. We look forward to hearing from you!

The Hoofprints of History
Upcoming Events

The Secretariat Heritage Center

Where the legend and the legacy live on.

Secretariat, legendary Triple Crown champion, born at The Meadow in Virginia.

The Secretariat Heritage Center is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to preserving Secretariat's birthplace at The Meadow Event Park, formerly known as Meadow Stable. It will strive to continue to tell the story of the legendary Triple Crown champion, the family who owned him, and the fabled farm that produced him. The SHC operates under the auspices of the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, which owns The Meadow Event Park.

PRESERVATION

Our immediate goal is to preserve the original 1930s-era barns that are on the National Register of Historic Places and Virginia Landmarks Register. This is where Secretariat was born, raised and first trained.

The Meadow - where the legend was born and lives on! We currently have self-led tours available Monday - Friday from 10am-4pm.

Donations are welcome.

Your support and contributions will help us preserve the historic barns and protect the heritage of this legendary land. For further information, please contact Marlene Pierson-Jolliffe, president of the Secretariat Heritage Center, at [email protected]

13191 Dawn Blvd., Doswell, VA 23047, US

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We're on an 8 year, 50 state road trip... and beyond

Touring Claiborne Farm, The Resting Place Of Secretariat In Paris, Kentucky

May 29, 2019 By Shae Pepper 8 Comments

The final stop on my horse tour of Kentucky is where the life of a race horse begins and, for some of the greats, ends – Claiborne Farm.

Claiborne Farm is about 30 minutes outside of Lexington, KY and is home to some of the greatest horses for breeding and the resting place of Secretariat, arguably the greatest race horse of all time.

Entrance of Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky

Claiborne Farm covers over 3,000 acres, but it started with only 1,300 acres over 100 years ago. It now has 11 active stallions and 35 barns. This year, provided the last holdout (as of my visit on May 20, 2019) was born and stood up, Claiborne Farm will have had 151 standing foals.

Speaking of foals… let’s talk about the real action at Claiborne. The breeding shed is still original from the 1920’s. Six out of 13 Triple Crown winners were conceived in that shed. Horse racing still requires breeding to happen (mostly) the old-fashioned way. This means no artificial insemination – it’s all natural – but unless you have 4 people who help you in the bedroom and run tests on the semen for sperm count (and more), that’s about it for the old-fashioned way.

Racing stallions aren’t just fast on the race course it seems; four mares were bred the morning I toured in approximately 22 minutes.

We got to meet some of the studs at Claiborne Farm. They each had a personality as big as their… uh… faces.

First up was Runhappy – the 2015 Breeders Cup Sprint Winner. He has an estimated value of $11,000,000. Beautiful and sweet, we were able to pet him and get pictures.

When a horse stays in the same stall for their entire tenure at Claiborne Farm, their name plate remains on the stall and the newest resident’s name plate goes at the top. Runhappy has some big horse shoes to fill, having his name on the stall that housed Secretariat and Bold Ruler during their time at Claiborne.

Here is the name plate for the stable currently housing Orb, but previously housing Round Table – the World’s Largest Money Winner.

We then visited some of the other stallions in the barn. Some were just for viewing and some for feeding peppermints. Race horses, as with other horses I’ve heard, love peppermints.

It was then time for the current star of the farm – War Front. He’s the sire of War of Will who was a part of the 145th Kentucky Derby controversy and winner of the 2019 Preakness Stakes. War Front was gorgeous, sleek and soft. He was friendly enough not only for pets, but for hugs!

Everyone was smelling him. I’m not sure what we’re supposed to smell; not being a horse person, he smelled to me like… clean horse. But, when in Rome (roam!?), sniff the horse.

A side note: if you – like me – are concerned about the size of the stalls, the stallions are only in there before and after breeding. They spend 16+ hours a day out in the paddock.

At the end of the stallion portion of the tour, we came to my favorite horse of the day – Blame.

He was so cute with his peppermint routine. He LOVES peppermint. Rather than crunching it up, he savors it by biting his peppermint in half and placing part of it under his front lip. Then he slurps up some water and sloshes it around while he sucks on his treat. He then stares at you with his tongue out while he enjoys every moment of his tour time.

Our tour was finally coming to a close, but there was still one place to see, a place that’s one of the main reasons people make the trip to Claiborne Farm. To see the resting place of Secretariat who won the Triple Crown when he was 3 and won the Belmont Stakes that year by 31 lengths.

Secretariat is buried in one of the cemeteries close to the offices. Horses are normally cremated and only their head, heart and hooves (which are said to represent the body, heart and soul) are buried.

There are five horses buried whole in the cemetery that holds Secretariat which is incredibly rare, although it became a more common practice at Claiborne in the 1980s.

Secretariat, Mr. Prospector, Round Table, Nijinsky and Swale are all buried whole. Even more rare than being buried whole, Secretariat and Man O’ War were both embalmed as well.

The grave of Secretariat at Claiborne Farm, Kentucky

Swale is remembered for being very young. He’d won the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes in his third year. He had a normal training run and was being hot-walked (cooled down) to head to his bath and he sat down, laid down and died of a heart attack in just two minutes.

This was a bittersweet end to the Claiborne Farm tour. We had an excellent tour guide in Kevin. He was funny and informative. The cost for the tour was $20 per person, so I went alone keeping our budget in mind. It was costly, but if you’re a horse person – or become interested in the whole industry of horse racing like I did while in Kentucky – it’s worth the visit.

Claiborne Farm, 703 Winchester Rd, Paris, KY 40361

Reader Interactions

June 9, 2020 at 10:58 am

My friend and I are coming to Lexington end of June. Will we be able to tour Claiborne Farm and see grave of Secretariat ? We are seniors.

February 17, 2023 at 1:21 pm

My husband and I are bringing our 14 year old granddaughter, a horse lover, to Kentucky and Tennessee in June. We plan on visiting Clairborn Farms . Is the breeding tour appropriate for a 14 year old, and should we have a “discuss ” beforehand?

February 19, 2023 at 4:10 pm

I’m not sure about what the “breeding tour” is – if you’re taking the tour I did then I’d think it’s fine since I assume they know where babies come from. We didn’t watch anything happen on our tour just heard about it. It’s worth remembering that it’s discussed as a natural process not insemination and obviously the idea of consent isn’t something in the animal kingdom. Horses are brought in and expected to breed and people pay for the chance at getting a foal from the process. There may be a bawdy joke or two but I don’t remember it being a particularly saucy part of the tour.

March 17, 2023 at 12:44 pm

My cousin, an attorney, was with me when we went to the Breeding Stable at Ashford. He saw the price sheet for stud service and replied “And to think, I’ve been doing it for free all these years.” To which I replied, “Yeah, but nobody wants another lawyer.”

July 31, 2023 at 10:08 am

We were at Claiborne in 1985 and had the absolute privilege to meet Big Red himself. It still thrills us to see the pix of us with Secretariat and touching him and talking to him. Can anyone tell me who the handler was at that time? He was a tall man with grey hair who couldn’t have been nicer to us.

July 31, 2023 at 10:14 am

We had the absolute privilege and delight to meet Secretariat at Claiborne Farm in 1985. It still thrills us to see our photos of the two of us standing next to Big Red and touching and talking to him. Can anyone please tell us the name of his handler from that time?

January 28, 2024 at 3:21 am

Hi Lorraine. How lucky you were to get quality time with The Great One, as I think of him!!

I think you’re asking who Secretariat’s primary Groom was. The name & image I’ve seen most often in photos over the years with Secretariat is groom Bobby Anderson. But I imagine there were other grooms who also attended to Big Red during his nearly 16 years at Claiborne.

Hope the below is helpful in your identifying the groom who you’re remembering: a link to an article containing several photos of Bobby Anderson. https://www.thoroughbredracing.com/articles/5969/close-and-personal-court-king-secretariat-recalling-one-acolytes-pilgrimage/

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Secretariat’s Legend Rolls on Like, Well, a Tremendous Machine

Fifty years after Secretariat clinched the Triple Crown with a runaway win in the Belmont Stakes, fans still long to connect with his story.

A man and a woman took a selfie with a statue of a statue Secretariat in the background.

By Melissa Hoppert

It was a performance for the ages, growing more mythic as time goes on. Having won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes in record fashion, Secretariat rocketed out of the starting gate on June 9, 1973 — his best start yet — and never let up. He moved “liked a tremendous machine,” as the announcer Chic Anderson put it, and crushed his competition by a whopping 31 lengths to win the Belmont Stakes on an uncomfortably warm but utterly joyous afternoon at Belmont Park.

Like his lead in the Belmont, his legend has swelled even though his youngest current fans had not even been born when he was crowned the ninth Triple Crown champion and the first in 25 years. Nine of the best 3-year-olds in the country will face off Saturday during the 50th anniversary celebration of Secretariat’s Triple Crown feat, but none will even come close to achieving the superstar status of the big red horse.

“I was amazed with that horse all along,” said his jockey, Ron Turcotte, who at 81 is the lone survivor of Secretariat’s inner circle, which included the owner Penny Chenery, the trainer Lucien Laurin and the groom Eddie Sweat. “He was doing things that we’ve never seen before that we’ll probably never see again.”

In the Derby, Secretariat broke a step slow, but Turcotte, unworried, let the colt find his legs and run his race. At the top of the stretch, Turcotte asked for more, and Secretariat zipped past his rival Sham to win by two and a half lengths in 1 minute 59⅖ seconds. He ran each quarter-mile faster than the one before, unheard-of in horse racing.

In the Preakness, Turcotte made a bold decision to launch a spectacular move on the first turn. After taking the lead, Secretariat was never challenged, and he won by two and a half lengths. Sham again settled for second. Secretariat’s final time was recorded as 1:55, a second slower than the Preakness record. But clockers recorded faster times, and by Monday, the stewards voted to change the official time to their clocker’s mark of 1:54⅖, still short of the record. It wasn’t until 2012, after Chenery hired companies to conduct a forensic review of the race using technology that hadn’t existed in 1973, that the Maryland Racing Commission agreed to change the official time to 1:53, establishing the record at last .

Then came the Belmont, his pièce de résistance. If Anderson’s call of the race was the pinnacle of his lyrical craft, then a picture credited to the track photographer Bob Coglianese was its visual counterpart. It shows Secretariat head on, hooves hovering above the track in full flight, as Turcotte looks over his left shoulder at the timer that would register Secretariat as running the Belmont in 2:24, two seconds faster than any horse before or after. A blue-and-white checked pole — the color of Chenery’s silks — marks the margin of victory, almost unbelievable in scope. “I still had a lot of horse when I passed the wire,” Turcotte said. “He wasn’t even sweating.”

Adam Coglianese, who took over as official track photographer when his father retired, said of the photograph: “That stride is exactly what we would look for today. It’s basically dumb luck. When you shoot one frame, like they did back then, you can’t plan what you’re going to get.”

A recent account questioned whether Bob Coglianese, who was the New York Racing Association’s track photographer for over 50 years, had taken the picture at all. Adam Coglianese disputed any claim to the contrary but acknowledged that he knew little of the particulars of the black-and-white shot, including whether it had even been developed that night.

“He was very cautious about everything we did,” Adam Coglianese said of his father. “I don’t think people understand what goes into preparing for a Triple Crown. For weeks going into American Pharoah’s race, I was drawing a map of where each of my 20 photographers would stand.”

Whether Bob Coglianese, who died last year at 88, or someone else on his team shot the image only seems to add to the horse’s legend, which extended far beyond the racetrack.

Star Status, in Retirement and Death

In Paris, Ky., off Secretariat Way, sits Claiborne Farm, one of America’s most storied breeding operations. Its black-and-yellow breeding shed, built in 1910, has produced 22 winners of the Derby, 20 of the Preakness, 22 of the Belmont and six of the 13 Triple Crown champions, including Secretariat.

A corner stall in the stallion barn still bears Secretariat’s name and that of his sire, Bold Ruler, among those of other elites who have inhabited the space. Father and son are buried behind the office in a graveyard that is a who’s who of thoroughbred royalty.

On most days, Secretariat’s modest gravestone is draped with mementos from fans, who mark every birthday and anniversary with roses — some red, some painted blue. They also leave pennies, a nod to Chenery, an unlikely heroine who took over her father’s farm early in Secretariat’s career and saved it with the horse’s Triple Crown run and the $6.08 million syndication of his breeding rights, a record at the time.

“He kind of was like a rallying cry for America,” the Claiborne president, Walker Hancock, said, invoking the era of Richard Nixon, the Watergate scandal and the end of the Vietnam War. “He kind of brought everyone together after everyone was so divided.”

Secretariat’s popularity — he graced the covers of Time, Newsweek and Sports Illustrated and was the subject of a Disney movie — reinvigorated the farm from the day he arrived on Nov. 12, 1973, when several hundred people greeted him at Blue Grass Airport in Lexington. Thousands more flocked to Claiborne each year. So many showed up that a privacy fence had to be erected alongside the road.

“They thought they could just walk over and pet a stallion,” Joe Peel, the stallion manager, said with a chuckle.

The tours have continued since Secretariat’s death on Oct. 4, 1989, at age 19 from laminitis, a painful hoof disease. Dr. Thomas Swerczek of the University of Kentucky performed Secretariat’s necropsy and estimated his heart to be about 21 to 22 pounds, or nearly two and a half times larger than the average thoroughbred’s.

As with the photograph, there is no proof, as the necropsy was performed hastily and without proper equipment and documentation, according to an interview in 2020 . But Swerczek stood by his assertion until he died last year at 82.

Outlasting the Field, and Time

The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., has not had a traveling exhibit in over two decades. It took Secretariat’s milestone to get the museum back on the road.

The exhibit, titled “A Tremendous Machine” after Anderson’s call of the race, has followed Secretariat’s Triple Crown path, traveling to Louisville, Baltimore and now Elmont, N.Y. Its final stop will be at Colonial Downs in September because Secretariat was born in Virginia, at Chenery’s Meadow Farm.

Along the way, organizers have been collecting stories and photographs from visitors. Some saw Secretariat race; others visited him at the farm. Some owned his descendants. Several have locks of his hair. One man, who was stationed overseas while in the Army in 1973, recalled listening to the Belmont on the radio and crying tears of joy.

“It just makes people feel so good,” said Cate Masterson, the director of the museum, which will host a larger Secretariat exhibit this summer. “It’s a trip down memory lane.”

In Paris, Secretariat’s adopted hometown, a new three-story mural gives the appearance of Turcotte and Secretariat charging down Main Street. A park and a statue are planned beneath.

Lyra Miller, who operates a bed-and-breakfast on her horse farm, hosts visitors who return yearly to visit Secretariat’s grave. She also owns a diner on Main Street named Lil’s Coffee Shop.

The week of the Derby, she chatted with regulars, one of whom was a 96-year-old veterinarian, Dr. Robert Copelan, who treated Secretariat during his Triple Crown quest. The feat was fresh on people’s minds even 50 years later. One by one, they pondered the legends: the records, the earth-shattering performance, the woman in charge, the champion’s heart.

“It’s crazy, isn’t it?” Miller said. “People talk about him as if he’s still alive. In a way, he still is.”

Melissa Hoppert , a deputy editor for live coverage, joined The Times in 2006. She helped create the horse racing blog The Rail and has directed coverage of the N.F.L. and college sports. More about Melissa Hoppert

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History, Natural History & the Arts

Secretariat’s Triple Crown at 50

March 9, 2023 by Editorial Staff 3 Comments

Secretariat, also known as Big Red (a nickname shared with Man O’War), was the ninth winner of Triple Crown, setting and still holding record fastest time in all three races – the Kentucky Derby, the Belmont Stakes and the Preakness Stakes. He spent much of his career in New York State, and was notably beaten at Saratoga Race Course in 1973, but the only three races he ever lost were in New York State.

At his first race on July 4, 1972, at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, NY , Secretariat was the favorite but was bumped hard at the start and finished fourth. In later races Secretariat hung back at the start and came back on later in the race to win by big margins, which has been attributed to the bumping he received in his first race. When Secretariat returned on July 15, again as the favorite, he broke badly but passed the field on the turn to win by six lengths.

Secretariat’s commanding win on July 31 in an allowance race at Saratoga Race Course, inspired veteran New York sportswriter Charles Hutton to later write:

“You carry an ideal around in your head, and boy, I thought, ‘This is it.’ I never saw perfection before. I absolutely could not fault him in any way. And neither could the rest of them and that was the amazing thing about it. The body and the head and the eye and the general attitude. It was just incredible. I couldn’t believe my eyes, frankly.”

At the Sanford Stakes in Saratoga that August, Secretariat faced Linda’s Chief, the only horse ever to be favored against Secretariat, winning by three lengths. Ten days later in the Hopeful Stakes, Secretariat passed eight horses within 1 ⁄ 4 mile to take the lead and then win by five lengths. His time of 1:16 1 ⁄ 5 for 6 + 1 ⁄ 2 furlongs was only 3 ⁄ 5 of a second off the Saratoga.

At Belmont Park in Hempstead, Nassau County, NY, on September 16th he won the Belmont Futurity by a length and a half and then won the Champagne Stakes at Belmont on October 14 by two lengths, but was later disqualified for interfering with another horse, Stop the Music, who was declared the winner.

Secretariat then won the Laurel Futurity in Laurel, Maryland on October 28 by eight lengths over Stop the Music on a sloppy track (just 1 ⁄ 5 of a second off the track record). His last race that season was in the Garden State Futurity at the now defunct Garden State Park Racetrack in Cherry Hill, New Jersey on November 18th, winning by 3 1 ⁄ 2 lengths.

Secretariat wintered in Florida and did not race until March 17, 1973, when he won the Bay Shore Stakes at Aqueduct as the heavy favorite after encountering traffic. In the Gotham Stakes on April 7th Secretariat won by three lengths, matching the track record.

In his last race before the Kentucky Derby, the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, he finished third in a loss attributed to a large abscess in his mouth, which made him sensitive to the bit.

On May 5, 1973 in the Kentucky Derby, in front of the largest crowd in the history of North American racing, Secretariat broke last from post position (10), cut to the rail and moved as they entered the stretch beating Sham by 2 1 ⁄ 2 lengths with a still standing track record.

Then at the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland held on two weeks later. Secretariat won by 2 1 ⁄ 2 lengths ahead of Sham, again in front of a record crowd, and at a record time. For the first time in history that the top three finishers in the Derby and Preakness were the same (Secretariat, Sham, and Our Native) as was the distance between each of the horses.

While preparing for the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park Secretariat had become a national celebrity, appearing on the covers of Time , Newsweek and Sports Illustrated . In the race watched by 15 million people on television (more than half of all TV viewers at the time), he won by 31 lengths, breaking the track record, the Triple Crown margin-of-victory record, and the record for the fastest 1 1/2 mile race on a dirt track a 2:24 (you can watch it here ). Bettors holding 5,427 winning parimutuel tickets on Secretariat never redeemed them, instead keeping them as souvenirs (they would have paid $2.20 on a $2 bet).

Secretariat just missed the Arlington Park (outside Chicago) track record on June 30th in the Arlington Invitational.And went to Saratoga to face older horses for the first time.

At Saratoga, known as “the graveyard of champions,” Big Red lost the Whitney Stakes to Onion, a four-year-old gelding who had recently set the track record at 6 1 ⁄ 2 furlongs. The loss is sometimes attributed to a viral infection, which caused a low-grade fever and diarrhea. On September 15, Secretariat was at Belmont for the inaugural Marlboro Cup and set a world record on dirt for the distance.

Big Red lost the Woodward Stakes at Belmont, but won the Man o’ War Stakes there nine days later on the turf. Then at Woodbine in Toronto, Secretariat won the Canadian International Stakes, his last race. Following the race Secretariat was brought to Aqueduct and paraded in front of before the crowd for his last public appearance. He had won 16 of his 21 races (he took second three times and was once third).

In the fall of 1989, Secretariat became afflicted with the painful and debilitating hoof condition laminitis. Rather then let him suffer, he was euthanized on October 4 at the age of 19 and buried whole at Claiborne Farm in Kentucky (traditionally only the head, heart, and hooves of a winning race horse are buried).

Secretariat, who was named to associate the horse with the secretariat of the League of Nations (the predecessor of the United Nations), was inducted into Saratoga’s National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1974. Also at the Hall of Fame is a life-size statue of Secretariat that stood in the center of the walking ring at Belmont Park from 1974 to 1988 (it was replaced at Belmont by a replica).

Photo: Secretariat by Marshall P. Hawkins.

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March 9, 2023 at 8:37 PM

Horses and horseracing was different 50 years ago.

Today horseracing is a corrupt industry where horses are fatally injured in almost every race on every major course. Doping, dangerous pain-numbing drugs and horrific injuries where the leg is literally hanging on by a tendon are regular occurrences. Deaths are common in young horses as well as older ones. Most of this is completely hidden from the public.

Horses themselves are overbred, because they can always be dumped at kill markets. They are bred today for thinner legs (compare racehorses 50 years ago to racehorses today) but the worst thing is they start to train far too young, at age two and three, well before their bones are strong enough.

Horseracing is an unredeemable travesty today that needs to end. If ANY sport involving humans maimed andkilled as many participants as horseracing does, it would have been investigated and shut down. Horses have no voice but an excellent group, Horseracingwrongs, speaks up for them. Right now they are working hard to make people aware of the 230M subsidies that the public will pay for racing. Instead of paying this subsidy, we should all be paying attention:

https://horseracingwrongs.org/end-ny-horseracing-subsidies/

If you love horses, educate yourself about this.

March 9, 2023 at 8:41 PM

The Untold Story of Secretariat, from the Vet who Discovered His Secret

https://issuu.com/equestriandirectory.ensomedia/docs/ked-2020/s/10168613

March 11, 2023 at 11:23 AM

I am pleased to learn in the New York Almanack about the National Sporting Library & Museum’s new exhibit celebrating Secretariat’s Triple Crown victory, fifty years ago this June. It seems hard to believe that it has been a half-century since the big handsome colt, with the gleaming chestnut coat and sporting the blue and white checked blinkers of Meadow Farm in the Old Dominion, ended a 25-year Triple Crown drought. ‘Big Red’ played an important role in some of my fondest childhood memories, and those fifty years which have elapsed provide a fine measuring-stick of my own existence. Seeing Secretariat run always provided a thrill, but none greater than his “moving like a tremendous machine,” leading the field in the stretch by an unimaginable number of open lengths with jockey Ron Turcotte looking back over his shoulder, at New York’s jam-packed Belmont Park. I look forward to visiting the National Sporting Library & Museum to see the Secretariat exhibit, and also the marvelous collection of paintings and sculpture of equine athletes there. I am glad the legendary artist Richard Stone Reeves’ rendering is part of the Secretariat exhibit, as he was a native New Yorker introduced to horse-sport as a young man, and, before he served in China under General Claire Chennault during World War II, spent more formative years “on the hill” at Syracuse University. I certainly appreciate the dedication of the staff at National Sporting Library & Museum, and their commitment to a grateful posterity.

Fifty Years Later, Secretariat’s Triple Crown Run Still Seems Unbeatable

Author: Pat Forde

Sometime after 4:30 p.m. on the afternoon of May 5, 1973, groom Eddie Sweat unlatched the front of Stall 21 in Barn 42 at Churchill Downs. Out came Secretariat.

The strapping chestnut colt likely already knew it was a race day. He had been fed less than his usual prodigious quantity of oats—Big Red had a Ruthian appetite—and the hay bundle tied up outside the stall door for snacking had been taken away. Secretariat was walked a few times around the Barn 42 shed row under the nervous gaze of trainer Lucien Laurin, then led away from the barn area to the backstretch of the Louisville, Ky., landmark. More than 130,000 people created a hum of boozy revelry that emanated faintly from the other side of the world’s most famous racetrack.

About 45 minutes before post time, Secretariat and the other 12 contenders for the 99th Kentucky Derby were turned over to lead ponies for the walk around the first turn toward the fabled Twin Spires. Cheers went up at the sight of the horses, and anticipation swelled in the ancient grandstand. Saddled in the paddock and jockeys now onboard, the 13 thoroughbreds returned to the track to the strains of “My Old Kentucky Home” and turned left, jogging toward the starting gate.

The gates sprang open at 5:37, and history was written in real time.

What followed was less than two minutes of unmatched brilliance, which spawned five weeks of awe-inspiring dominance, which birthed half a century of idolatry. An animal became a sports star became an American hero became an enduring icon of untouchable greatness. He was a magazine cover boy, then the subject of books and movies, then ultimately a cultural touchstone.

Secretarist comes down the stretch to win the Kentucky Derby

Neil Leifer/Sports Illustrated

A new display in the Kentucky Derby Museum hails Secretariat as “America’s horse.” At Wagner’s Pharmacy and Diner, across the street from Churchill, Secretariat shirts, hats, coffee mugs, wine glasses and shot glasses are popular sellers— but his ongoing presence goes well beyond local Louisville commerce. ESPN reported in 2020 that there are 263 streets in the United States named after Secretariat. He has inspired statues and murals and the uniform design of the University of Kentucky football and basketball teams. A park bearing his name will open this year in Paris, Ky., near where he spent his post-racing life at Claiborne Farm.

To borrow a phrase William Faulkner wrote for Sports Illustrated from the 1955 Kentucky Derby, Secretariat transformed into the apotheosis of the horse. One can argue it has been downhill ever since for the American thoroughbred.

Fifty years after his Triple Crown, Secretariat still holds the record for the fastest Derby ever run: 1:59 2/5 seconds. He still holds the record for the fastest Preakness run: 1:53 flat (adjusted after a teletimer error originally clocked him in 1:55 2/5). He still holds the record for the fastest Belmont: 2:24 flat.

“One horse holding all three records is insane,” veteran racing journalist Dick Jerardi says. “That can’t happen, but it did. In those five weeks, he ran faster than any horse ever has.”

In direct defiance of a sporting cliché, Secretariat’s records were not made to be broken. They were made to be unassailable. In Derby annals, the only other winner to break two minutes was Monarchos in 2001, on a track surface Jerardi described as “souped-up to the gills that day.” Only in the Preakness has any horse come within half a second of Big Red’s records. In the Belmont, where Secretariat authored the greatest performance in the history of the sport, no other horse has broken 2:26.

Secretariat’s records have provided horse racing such a popular benchmark of excellence that the tracks hosting the Triple Crown probably would like to see them stand forever. “Only if it’s a great horse that broke it,” says Jennie Rees of the Kentucky Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, noting that Monarchos did not distinguish himself after his 1:59.97 Derby time in 2001, when the track resembled the Bonneville Salt Flats. In terms of managing the speed of the dirt surface, Churchill probably will do whatever it can to avoid producing a fluke Derby record.

(It should be noted that Secretariat’s records in those races are not world records—a 3-year-old horse is not as physically mature as older horses, who tend to hold the fastest marks at longer distances. But they are the standard in the three most famous American races.)

Scientific and medical knowledge have dramatically advanced athletic training—and, subsequently, performance—for humans in recent decades. The amount of information available about thoroughbreds is similarly advanced, but the Triple Crown performance envelope has not been pushed in 50 years.

The time-honored tradition of timed events is that someone or something inevitably comes along that is faster. In human athletic competition, that doesn’t take long.

The oldest swimming world records at Olympic distances are from 2008 for men (Michael Phelps in the 400-meter individual medley) and ’16 for women (Katie Ledecky in the 800 freestyle). The world records in every swimming event from 1973 are laughably slow compared to today’s standards. If a swimming event can be compared to the Derby in terms of a demand on speed and staying power, it’s the 200 individual medley; the world records in the 200 IM have been broken 26 times by the men and 20 times by the women since ’73.

Jockey Ron Turcotte, who seemingly couldn’t believe it either, looks at the infield teletimer in the home stretch of the 1973 Belmont Stakes—a race Secretariat won by 31 lengths.

Jockey Turcotte, who seemingly couldn’t believe it either, looks at the infield teletimer in the home stretch of the 1973 Belmont Stakes—a race Secretariat won by 31 lengths.

In women’s track and field, the oldest record is in the 800 meters from 1983 by Jarmila Kratochvilova—and to say there is controversy attached to that mark from a period of widespread performance-enhancing drug use is an understatement. In men’s track, the oldest timed record is from ’96: Daniel Komen in the 3,000 meters.

The Indianapolis 500 qualifying speed record dates to 1996, when Arie Luyendyk went 236.986 miles per hour. In ’73, the fastest qualifier was Johnny Rutherford at 198.413. By ’84, even the slowest Indy qualifiers were going faster than 200 mph.

Humans are continually figuring out ways to build a faster race car. They have not built a faster race horse. Secretariat very likely would be just as dominant in 2023 as he was in 1973.

Bill Finley wrote last year in the Thoroughbred Daily News about continuing advancements in standardbred times (pacers and trotters), while thoroughbred top-end performance stopped improving around Secretariat’s time: “Based on times for the Kentucky Derby, the Thoroughbred breed did evolve and get faster in the early 1900s. Between 1896, the first year the race was run at 1 1/4 miles, and 1910, the average Derby time was 2:09.8. Over the next 14 years, from 1910 through 1923, the average winning time fell to 2:06.1. By 1962, the record for the Derby had fallen to 2:00.4, the time turned in by Decidedly. Every Derby since 2002 has been run in a slower time. Northern Dancer’s time of 2:00 in 1964 has been eclipsed just twice, by Secretariat and by Monarchos in 2001. If there is a way to produce faster species, no one has figured that out.”

A possible reason why: Winning times aren’t considered vital to assessing the quality (and, ultimately, the monetary worth) of a thoroughbred. Given the differences in racing surface and the day-to-day variables involved in track makeup (namely weather), comparing times is difficult.

Stopwatches aren’t that important on race day. As the old racetrack saying goes, “Time only matters when you’re in jail.”

“While thoroughbred breeders and owners note race times and historical time records, they are not valued above other parameters,” says James MacLeod, professor of veterinary science at the Gluck Equine Research Center at the University of Kentucky. “Look at individual stallion advertisements or the catalog page of a thoroughbred sold at auction. They will list the number of races won by a horse, total money earned and prestigious races won, but only rarely the best time at a given distance. … Owners and trainers of thoroughbreds certainly want to win races, but I have not personally seen evidence that they are highly motivated to set new track records regarding race times.”

MacLeod added that jockeys routinely ease off on a thoroughbred when a race is in hand instead of pushing the horse all the way to the finish line in pursuit of a faster time. With standardbreds, which race at the uniform distance of one mile, times are a “primary performance metric,” MacLeod notes.

Adds MacLeod’s colleague at the Gluck Center, professor Ernest Bailey: “Even though thoroughbred records have fallen at a diminishing rate during the past 60 years, scientists still measured considerable genetic variation for performance in thoroughbred horses. Some suggest that a physical limit is being reached for thoroughbred performance but that the general population may be improving. By that token, Standardbreds may have more room for improvement. Standardbreds are a younger breed.”

Beyond theories about physical limitations, there is no doubt thoroughbreds are trained and campaigned differently today than in Secretariat’s day. With the amount of money to be made in the breeding industry and the increased fragility of the breed, careers are shorter and trainers are more cautious. Top horses are much more lightly raced, and thus far less seasoned, by the time the Triple Crown rolls around in the spring of their 3-year-old season.

Penny Chenery was Secretariat’s owner after taking over her father’s thoroughbred farm.

Jerry Cooke/Sports Illustrated

The Kentucky Derby was Secretariat’s 13th career race. In the 2023 Derby field of 20 horses, none has raced more than eight times. Secretariat raced nine times as a 2-year-old—he lost his debut on the Fourth of July in 1972, then came back just 11 days later and scored his first win. In the current Derby field, Japanese import Derma Sotogake was the most experienced entering this year, with six races as a 2-year-old.

“If a trainer now ran a horse nine times as a 2-year-old, he’d be fired,” Jerardi says.

A trainer currently in the upper echelon of the sport echoes that sentiment.

“You don’t see [Secretariat’s 2-year-old campaign] anymore,” says Brad Cox, winner of the 2021 Derby by disqualification with Mandaloun. “I think that may have something to do with the breed. If you have a colt you want to win the Kentucky Derby with, why are you running 4 1/2 furlongs in April [at age 2]?”

Several racing insiders interviewed for this story mentioned Flightline, the shooting star of 2022, as perhaps the only horse of the 21st century with talent comparable to Secretariat. But he was a classic example of today’s more conservative approach to training and racing, with just six career races before being retired to stud. Injuries kept him from racing at age 2, and even as a 3-year-old he did not make his debut until late April—far too late to qualify for the Kentucky Derby or be entered in any Triple Crown races. He raced just three times at age 3 and three more at age 4, going undefeated but also largely unnoticed by the general public.

Flightline’s stallion value was estimated by the Daily Racing Form to be $184 million, which is a very good reason he was sent into retirement at the top of his game after dominating the Breeders’ Cup Classic last fall. Secretariat was controversially retired after his 3-year-old campaign because of his value, with his breeding rights sold to a syndicate of buyers for $6 million—a quaint figure today, but a record at the time.

That $6 million price tag added to the pressure on the shoulders of Laurin when he brought Secretariat to Louisville 50 years ago. Revisionist history says that Big Red was a super horse all along, but there were heavy doubts hovering over him during the lead-up to the Kentucky Derby.

For the National Horse of the Year at age 2, the Secretariat hype train slammed to a halt after his shocking third-place finish in the Wood Memorial, his final prep race before the Derby. He was upset by stablemate Angle Light, who finished first, but also by second-place Sham. That was the more significant development, because Sham was an accomplished horse in his own right—and his trainer, Pancho Martin, had been openly feuding with Laurin.

A race in June 1973 at Arlington Park was one of the few post–Triple Crown races Secretariat took part in.

Heinz Kluetmeier/Sports Illustrated

With Martin trash-talking Laurin for days leading up to the race, Sham became the hot horse in Louisville with the racing press and handicappers. On Derby day, The (Louisville) Courier-Journal listed the picks of 24 national writers—and only two of them picked Secretariat. Eleven picked Sham, with the rest interspersed among other horses. Newsweek’s Pete Axthelm, who would go on to write a cover story for the magazine lionizing Secretariat in June , did not have the colt among his top four Derby picks.

The entire assemblage of 13 Derby horses was disparaged by Jimmy Jones, the trainer of the last Triple Crown winner, in 1948: “Citation would beat any horse in this field 10 straight times pulling a buggy,” he said two days before the race.

After beginning his 3-year-old season touted as the horse to end the 25-year Triple Crown drought since Citation, Secretariat now faced a laundry list of concerns: prominent gambler Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder said the horse was nursing a sore knee; he was suspected of being genetically incapable of going the 1 1/4-mile distance as a son of sire Bold Ruler; or he was simply “over the top,” a racing term for being past his peak.

But the general public remained behind Big Red, who was sent off in a betting entry with stablemate Angle Light as the 3–2 favorites. Sham was the second choice at 5–2. After the starting gate opened at 5:37 p.m. on May 5, 1973, Secretariat began the fastest Kentucky Derby ever by breaking last.

Starting slowly was not unusual for Secretariat, and jockey Ron Turcotte wisely did not force the issue in the early stages. “I just dropped my hand on him and let him run his own race,” Turcotte said. He was still well in arrears of leader Shecky Greene after half a mile, then, in the words of race announcer Chick Anderson, “Secretariat has made a sudden move and is now sixth.”

On the far turn, where many winning Derby moves have been launched, Sham took the lead from Shecky Greene. But the chestnut with the blue-and-white checkerboard blinkers was making a powerful drive behind Sham. “Secretariat is fourth on the outside and is now third,” Anderson called, his voice picking up urgency. “And he’s moving at the leaders as they head into the stretch.”

There is no noise in horse racing like the first Saturday in May in Louisville when the Kentucky Derby leaders hit the home stretch. And this particular running was playing out according to the pre-race script: Sham and Secretariat leading the pack, heading toward what appeared to be a tense battle to the wire.

Fifty years ago, Gary Yunt looked down from the Churchill press box at the developing duel. Now 76, he has attended 57 Kentucky Derbies, working many of those as a member of the Churchill Downs notes team. Yunt is a barn-area fixture during morning training hours, bustling from one trainer to the next to jot down workout times on a yellow legal pad, a bush hat pulled down to the top of his glasses and racing coursing through his veins.

In 1973, the Louisville Waggener High School graduate was working for the Lexington Herald-Leader . He had served in the Marine Corps from ’68 to ’72 but managed to make it back home on leave for most of those Derbies. The exception: He listened to the ’71 race on Armed Forces Radio while at Camp Courtney in Okinawa, Japan. Yunt also did a tour of duty in Vietnam before going back to journalism.

Yunt was a Sham man. He liked his horse’s position coming into the stretch, but he saw what was coming behind Sham. He heard Anderson’s call: “Secretariat is in the center of the race track and driving!” And then he felt it.

“I’ve done 57 Derbies,” Yunt says. “That was the only time I felt the building shake.”

The roars kept building as Secretariat unleashed an astonishing closing kick, turning the duel with Sham into a rout. “It’s Secretariat moving away!” Anderson called. “He has it by 2 1/2 [lengths].”

Secretariat, here with groom Eddie Sweat, in 1973.

Groom Sweat was one of the constants through Secretariat’s Triple Crown run.

Legendary New York Times writer Red Smith declared in the next day’s paper, “In 98 years Churchill Downs had never seen such a rush.” He was right. Secretariat covered the final quarter mile in 23 seconds—the fastest Derby run ended with the fastest final quarter in the history of the race. Inconceivably, Big Red ran every quarter mile faster than the previous one: from 25 1/5 seconds to 24, then 23 4⁄5, then 23 2⁄5, and finally 23 flat.

“That does not happen—ever,” Jerardi says. “All horses are decelerating at the end of a 1 1/4-mile race. He was accelerating.”

With doubts trampled and super horse status again conferred, Secretariat turned in two more epic performances that spring. His breathtaking charge on the first turn at the Preakness led to him again putting away Sham by a comfortable margin. And then the Belmont became the stuff of myth and legend, a 31-length victory that even Hollywood failed to sufficiently dramatize in the 2010 movie Secretariat .

Anderson famously declared while calling the Belmont that Secretariat was “moving like a tremendous machine.” In truth, the animal was the perfect racing machine.

He was big—16.2 hands high (a hand is four inches, and a horse is measured to the top of its shoulder), weighing more than 1,150 pounds in April 1973. He was so broad at the chest that he had a custom-made saddle girth that measured 75 inches. His conformation (overall bone and muscle structure) was impeccable. He had a “sloped croup” in the hind quarters, a desirable physical trait in race horses that helps unlock the power in the hind legs. His stride measured nearly 25 feet.

And upon his death in 1989, the final physiological secret to Secretariat was revealed in a necropsy performed by Thomas Swerczek, veterinary researcher at the University of Kentucky. Swerczek, who had done countless equine necropsies in his career, removed Secretariat’s heart and was stunned. He said the organ was roughly twice as large as the average thoroughbred heart.

It was the aha postscript to America’s favorite horse story, one that continues to resonate today.

The number 21 is stenciled on the white wall of Barn 42 at Churchill Downs in green paint. There is nothing remarkable about the stall—no marker denoting it as the temporary home of the most venerated thoroughbred of them all, no sign saying, “Secretariat Slept Here.” It seems like a rare missed promotional angle for the track.

When Secretariat walked out of there on the afternoon of May 5, 1973, he was on his way to profoundly impact American sports and culture. The echo of his thundering hooves still reverberates here, some 50 years later.

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Secretariat Festival

Paris, ky festival celebrating 1973 triple crown winner secretariat and the local bluegrass heritage., bourbon county secretariat festival, september 16 – 18, 2016, free admission.

Don’t miss this spectacular celebrat ion – it’s great fun for the entire family!

SECRETARIAT FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Ninth Annual Renewal Draws Racing Celebrities and Showcases Bluegrass Farm Country

The Bourbon County Secretariat Festival, which celebrates the life and legacy of the 1973 Triple Crown champion, is set for Sept. 16-18 in Paris, Ky. For its ninth renewal this year, the Festival is moving its epicenter to Main Street in Paris’ historic downtown with excursions to nearby farms and will again draw Thoroughbred racing royalty home to the Bluegrass to meet with fans as well as showcase the region’s culture and character.

Admission to the Festival is free, although a few premier events do require a pre-purchased ticket, and a number of convenient auxiliary parking locations will be designated for Festivalgoers in the downtown area. That listing and a schedule of events follows:

Thursday, Sept. 15 The “Third Thursday” Concert at the Bourbon County Courthouse features live entertainment from “The Mercy Men,” beginning at 5 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 16 The Paris Artwalk officially kicks off the Secretariat Festival on Friday at 5 p.m. with more than 30 shops and venues along Main Street participating in this popular civic event, which showcases more than 100 local and regional artists.

In the heart of downtown, Oasis Event Hall, 610 Main St., serves as the Secretariat Festival Headquarters and information center, where visitors will find the Secretariat.com Store and official Festival merchandise. This historic location is also the backdrop for the Secretariat Archive Silent Auction and all celebrity signings throughout the weekend.

At 8 p.m., Oasis also hosts the Barrel Mane-ia Auction Party . The Festival’s signature Friday evening event features the live auction of original Kentucky oak barrels hand-painted by regional artists reflecting the unique equine culture of the area. The character of the exposed brick and wooden floor interior provides the ideal setting to preview these creatively embellished whiskey barrels, each with its own individual theme, artist and medium. This evening of live entertainment and Kentucky-style fun will also offer a cash bar featuring Festival sponsor Blanton’s Bourbon, the original single-barrel bourbon.

Saturday, Sept. 17 The Festival hits full stride with fans and families who travel from far and wide across the country to gather together to celebrate Secretariat’s legacy. Visitors to the Festival’s Main Street corridor can expect a thrilling buzz of excitement with a variety of attractions for all ages.

The Festival’s Horse Farm Tours start at 9:30 a.m. and continue throughout the day to offer guests an insider’s view into Kentucky’s Thoroughbred breeding industry. For those who wish to explore the roots of Secretariat, Claiborne Farm tours provide visitors a behind-the-scenes look at the prominent Thoroughbred breeding operation, now in its fourth generation of ownership by the Hancock Family, where Secretariat was conceived and rests in his hallowed grave site.

Also featured are two tours of Adena Springs , the esteemed Bourbon County farm that is home to an impressive roster of distinguished stallions including four Breeders’ Cup Classic champions and the 2013 Secretariat Vox Populi Award winner, Mucho Macho Man. Horse farm tickets can be purchased in advance at Secretariat.com and at the Oasis Secretariat Store while quantities last.

A new Festival addition this year has all the marks of evolving into a longtime Festival tradition. The Secretariat Big Red Beer Garden is the exclusive source for Secretariat Festival Big Red Amber Ale. Brewed and bottled in Paris, Ky., by the popular Rooster Brew, 609 Main St. directly across from Oasis Events, this new craft brew created specifically for the Festival pays tribute to Secretariat and his larger-than-life legacy with a big flavored Bluegrass-born beer. This limitedbatch ale is offered in sure-to-be collectible run for drinking or displaying, and the beer garden is a must-stop to raise a toast to the chestnut champ. Contact Rooster Brew for more information.

The Festival’s Legends Tribute Appearances offer guests a rare opportunity to meet with racing giants and hear their stories firsthand through truly memorable visits and discussions.

The lineup for this year starts with The Wise Dan Legends Tribute . Guests can meet the beloved equine athlete and his devoted trainer Charles Lopresti on Saturday at the Bourbon County Fairgrounds, only minutes from downtown. Free visits with Wise Dan will be held from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. with a complimentary shuttle bus service running between Main Street and the Fairgrounds. This modern day chestnut champion, who fittingly descends from Secretariat on both sides of his pedigree, was the poster boy for durability, perseverance and success in a career that spanned 31 starts over five years and culminated with 23 victories on both dirt and turf.

The second Legends Tribute of the day spotlights Sham and his Hall of Fame jockey Laffit Pincay Jr. Most Big Red fans are familiar with Secretariat’s brilliant rival Sham who finished second to the Meadow Stable champ in both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, unofficially breaking the previous track record in both races. Secretariat Festival fans will have the chance to learn much more about this brave and talented horse when his Hall of Fame jockey Laffit Pincay Jr. joins Phil Dandrea, author of Sham: Great was Second Best , in an in-depth discussion of this noble competitor. All guests are welcome to attend this free discussion and book signing at Oasis Events from 2:45 to 4 p.m.

The Secretariat Archive Silent Auction continues throughout Saturday, 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., at Oasis Events. The ultimate destination for racing memorabilia and sports collectors, the silent auction features a variety of authentic racing artifacts from the Secretariat and Claiborne Farm archival collections. This year’s auction offers original halters and horseshoes from some of the industry’s most popular stallions as well as a unique assortment of Secretariat and racing-related memorabilia and artwork.

Additionally, history will come alive with a special display of the authentic 1973 Preakness winner’s garland that Secretariat wore following his victory in the second jewel of the Triple Crown. This museum-quality piece is an original artifact from the collection of Secretariat’s owner Mrs. Penny Chenery, and Festival guests will have the opportunity to view it before it is offered for sale in October to benefit the equine charity R.A.C.E. Fund.

The Secretariat Festival Saturday Signings feature celebrity appearances and autograph sessions to rival the First Saturday in May. This marquee event, boasting members of the Meadow Stable team, Hall of Fame jockeys, and other racing luminaries, has become a dream destination for autograph seekers of all ages. Celebrities confirmed to date include Secretariat’s Hall of Fame jockey Ron Turcotte, exercise rider Charlie Davis, author and journalist Bill Nack, and Kentucky Derby winning jockeys Laffit Pincay Jr., Jean Cruguet, Pat Day, Mike Manganello, and Jacinto Vasquez. Others may be added to the schedule, and an updated list of confirmed guests and signing times at the Oasis will be announced in early September.

A variety of children’s activities will be offered along Main Street, including face painting, inflatables, Euro aerial bungee as well as unique interactive exhibits such as Horse of a Different Color and the “Pony Express” Equicizer , one of the Festival’s most popular attractions. For youngsters and adults alike, the Equicizer’s mechanical horses, used by professional jockeys across the globe in training to refine their technique, allow burgeoning riders and equestrians of all ages to ride like a pro. Receive personal instruction, pointers and tips from some of Thoroughbred racing’s finest, including the Festival’s visiting celebrity jockeys. This familyfriendly activity is scheduled from noon until 4 p.m. at Hope Park on Main Street.

The Barrel Head Craftsmen Furnishing Gallery , sponsored by Lexington Furniture, is a unique assortment of decorative furnishings creatively derived from original and authentic oak whiskey barrels representing some of the world’s finest distilleries as well as the most talented Bluegrassborn craftsmen. Guests can take a little bit of Bourbon County home with them from this diverse selection of rustic to refined offerings. Located at 423 Main St., directly across from the tented vendors.

“Twice the Heart” AngioScreenings , sponsored by Bourbon Community Hospital, offer affordable, quick and easy private screenings to determine risk for heart attack and stroke. Screenings take place at 530 Main St. between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.

The Secretariat “Horsepower” Festival Parade , sponsored by Dan Cummins Chevrolet Buick, showcases the Paris community at its heart — down charming Main Street. Featuring marching bands, dancers, floats, new Corvettes and vintage autos, as well as a variety of equine breeds and entertainment, including the Kentucky Mounted Patrol and Renegade Cowgirl Drill Team. And parade-goers are invited to get in on the fun, dressing in 1970s apparel or as Meadow Stable look-alikes with prizes awarded for the best Penny and other members of the Secretariat team. The parade starts at 5 p.m. at the 10th Street intersection and runs to the Courthouse.

Immediately following the Parade, the Secretariat Festival, in partnership with Blanton’s Bourbon, is proud to host the Blanton’s Bourbon Tasting and Bill Nack Storytelling . This Bluegrass-inspired evening celebrates smooth bourbon, fine food and horse talk at the chic Bour-Bon Restaurant, 616 Main St. The evening starts at 6 p.m. with a bourbon connoisseur’s dream tasting of Blanton’s Bourbon led by bourbon expert and retired master distiller Dave Scheurich. At 7 p.m., enjoy a sumptuous Bluegrass-inspired menu of hearty hors d’oeuvres representing the flavorful history of the region’s cuisine. Then at 8 p.m., renowned sports journalist Bill Nack, author of the best-seller Secretariat: The Making of a Champion , which served as the inspiration for the hit Disney film Secretariat , leads a unique presentation providing an insider’s perspective to the champion’s life and legacy. Joining the acclaimed writer will be special guest Richard Laurin, grandson of Meadow Stable’s legendary trainer Lucien Lauren. Both of these distinguished Festival attendees will share their favorite stories and personal recollections of Secretariat and engage in a Q & A session with the audience. Live entertainment and cash bar will follow to cap off this memorable evening. Tickets for this event are available at Secretariat.com. Please Note: Tickets will now be $50 per person to make this memorable event affordable and accessible to more Festival-goers. This reduction is in keeping with the Festival’s community mindedness and accommodation for all horse racing fans.

Sunday, Sept.18 Beginning at 9 a.m., the Festival will offer satellite experiences starting from the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, where Secretariat’s Triple Crown trophies and life-sized bronze sculpture are located.

The Old Friends/Darley Stud Tour combines the experiences of the non-profit equine retirement facility Old Friends, where visitors can see Secretariat’s most accomplished living son Tinners Way as well as Kentucky Derby winners Silver Charm and War Emblem, with the illustrious Darley Stud, home to many acclaimed stallions including Bernardini, Medaglia D’oro, and Kentucky Derby winners Animal Kingdom and Street Sense. The double-tour will depart by motor coach from the Kentucky Horse Park at 9:15 a.m. on Sunday and will return to the Kentucky Horse Park at approximately 1:15 p.m. Tickets for the tour are available at Secretariat.com.

The Ashford Stud Tour is the grand finale of the Secretariat Festival with a rare and very special opportunity for ticketed guests to visit Ashford Stud, home of 2015 Triple Crown and Secretariat Vox Populi Award winner American Pharoah. This tour is sold out; however, a pair of tickets for this highly sought-after opportunity will be offered in the Festival silent auction.

Tickets for the Festival’s premier events can be purchased at Secretariat.com; look for the 2016 Festival information under the Fan Club tab and Upcoming Events page.

Most Festival venues will be on Main Street between 6th and 7th streets. Festival parking is available along High and Pleasant streets, which both run one block parallel to Main Street, as well as at several other designated locations, including:

Paris Municipal Lot on High Street, between 6th and 7th streets
First Christian Church on High Street, between 8th and 10th streets
Central Baptist Church on High Street, between 8th and 10th streets
City Lot at the intersection of 8th and Main streets, running to High Street.

Festival updates can be found on the Secretariat Festival’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter feeds.

Dedication of Secretariat Park — November 11, 2023

On November 11, 1973 the most famous racehorse of the day was led off the van and began another stage in his career. This racehorse was the Triple Crown Winner, Secretariat. Fifty years to the exact date of his arrival in Bourbon County, the small town of Paris, Kentucky will celebrate all that was and still is Big Red!

Secretariat Park will be dedicated at Noon on November 11, 2023, in the center of historic downtown Main Street. The park is the crowning jewel for this community’s efforts in raising the $500,000 needed, and in just over a year. Not only generous donations from local private citizens, horse farms and industry, but from all over the USA, this park was built with love for a horse that seems to have transcended all time… all spearheaded by the dedicated and passionate members of the Secretariat Park Foundation. Visit here to learn more.

Secretariat Park is designed to celebrate the “life of the legend.” The largest mural of Secretariat in the world looms over the grounds. Painted by renowned equine artist, Jaime Corum, it depicts “the big red machine” breaking through the red brick wall, racing to the finish line. Storytelling pillars rise from the ground to tell the life story of Secretariat, a limestone wall of honor stands in the back of the park, benches, light posts, and pavers have been named in honor of donors… but the unforgettable attraction is a life size bronze statue of Secretariat. This statue created by the famous equine sculptor, Jocelyn Russell, depicts Big Red, as the people in Paris knew him, in his paddock at Claiborne Farm. Created from a photo taken by equine photographer, Tony Leonard.

Secretariat lived the remainder of his life standing stud at Claiborne, and to this day over 10,000 visitors a year still come to visit his grave. Now they have a place to make memories with their family and friends, in a small park, on an historic Main Street in a small town that loves Secretariat.

In addition to the opening of Secretariat Park, several community events are planned around this historic event, including the Legends of Bourbon County Festival! LEARN MORE

Make your plans today to visit us for this incredible event!

Contact the Paris Bourbon County Tourism office if you have any questions.

Paris Bourbon County Tourism Commission 806 Main Street Paris, Kentucky 40361 859-987-8744 [email protected]

Secretariat's Meadow

Secretariat’s meadow tour…next stop, the stallion barns.

As we continue our “virtual tram tour” of the historic grounds of The Meadow, Secretariat’s birthplace, we’re moving from the Cove to the Stallion Barns. These are the original barns built by Chris Chenery, founder of Meadow Stable.

There is the L-shaped Stallion Barn, where Chenery’s office was located, and the West Stallion Barn. Perhaps symbolically, the Stallion Barns overlook the tranquil Cove, where the mares and their foals grazed. Chenery could gaze out at his “empire built on broodmares” and the stallions could also see the fruit of their labors.

Painted white with blue trim, the barns stand as sturdy examples of 1930s agricultural architecture. The SFVA, which owns The Meadow, has carefully restored and preserved these structures.

If those walls could talk! Fortunately, the former grooms of Meadow Stable have talked with us a great deal and shared their experiences in taking care of some of the most famous Thoroughbreds of all time. One of those grooms is Howard Gregory. He was “the stud man” in charge of the stallions.

He had been working at the Meadow training track across Rt. 30 for several years when farm manager Howard Gentry offered him the stallion job. “He told me I had a good hand on a horse and no fear, ” Howard Gregory said.

He would need to rely heavily on those qualities. Gregory assumed the responsibility for six stallions, each of which had his own paddock. Breeding time was around 2:00 pm each day in the breeding shed. Often there were four or five mares waiting for the attention of a stallion.

We won’t go into detail about the breeding shed, except to say that little romance is involved when two expensive and valuable horses are mated. No artifical insemination is allowed for Thoroughbreds. Breeding can be a dangerous process for horses and handlers, as Gregory discovered.

“I had three horses die in there,” he said. One was Third Brother, a full brother to Hill Prince, Chenery’s first major champion and Horse of the Year in 1950. “He just dropped dead after breeding the mare,” Gregory said of Third Brother.

Another stallion fell over dead in the breeding shed, nearly crushing Howard Gregory and Howard Gentry against the wall. A rank stallion named Tillman was so ill-tempered that he would charge at any groom who dared enter his paddock. Only the stud man, Howard Gregory, could handle him.

“I did not know what I was getting into!” he said in reflecting on his job. However, not all of his charges were difficult. He was especially fond of First Landing, The Meadow’s second big champion. First Landing was a favorite for the Kentucky Derby in 1959 and had a distinguished career as a four-year-old handicap horse. in 1961, he became the first homebred stallion to stand at The Meadow.

Virginians had roundly criticized Chenery for not standing his Horse of the Year Hill Prince at The Meadow. Rather the stallion had been sent to Claiborne Farm in Kentucky, just as Secretariat would be two decades later. Chenery explained that since many Kentucky mares would be visiting Hill Prince, he as a Virginia Gentleman must see that their convenience came first.

By the time First Landing was ready to take up his new duties in the breeding shed, Chenery had more confidence in his farm’s reputation to stand him at The Meadow. To accommodate the bevy of mares seeking his affection, a new barn was built. The grooms instantly dubbed it “First Landing’s Motel.”

Howard Gregory praised his favorite stallion’s disposition. “He was very, very mannerable, ” he said. “When I would take him around to breed, you’d never hear him squeal or make a whimper or nothing.”

Though he did not win the Kentucky Derby in 1959, First Landing more than redeemed himself. He sired The Meadow’s first Derby winner. Not Secretariat. A bay colt named Riva Ridge, whose victories in 1972 would save The Meadow from the auction block.

These are just a few of the stories about the Stallions Barns. If you come to one of our public tours, you may be lucky enough to find Howard Gregory and some of the other Meadow grooms at the barns, talking with visitors.

And you can talk with these men “who had a good hand on a horse” and a hand in the success of some of racing’s greatest champions.

First Landing with Howard Gregory

The “Secretariat’s Meadow Tours” are sponsored by the SFVA. Private group tours are available for groups of 30 or more at $10 per person. Tours are also offered to the general public on certain dates. The next public tours are on July 23 and September 10, 2011. For more information about the tours, see www.secretariatsmeadow.com Tours are narrated by Leeanne Meadows Ladin, co-author of “Secretariat’s Meadow – The Land, The Family, The Legend.” Proceeds from the tours benefit the future Museum of the Virginia Horse to be built at The Meadow.

Leeanne Meadows Ladin

2 thoughts on “ Secretariat’s Meadow Tour…Next Stop, The Stallion Barns ”

Ah I’m so really enjoy the posts about the history, I can’t learn enough! Its fascinating.

Secriteriat’s record at all three of the trilpe crown race tracks still stands to this day. He won all three races in record time, and won the Belmont stakes by 31 lengths. His margarine(sp?) of victory at the Belmont has NEVER been approached since then. Nor, I think, will it ever be. He was without a doubt, the greatest race horse of all time. If you think differently, you’re fooling yourself.

Moscow’s best free city tour

I love Moscow – this charming metropolis, its people, its history and its unique cityscape. I would like to share my passion for this city with you. It is my job to show you the most exciting corners of this fascinating metropolis. That’s why, as a travel specialist and your private tour guide Moscow in Russia, I organize a guided free city tour Moscow – so that everyone, regardless of their budget, would be able to enjoy the insider’s view of Moscow.

You get to see what only Moscow residents know and what other tourist guides keep from you. I am a licensed travel specialist in Russia and would like you to enjoy all facets of the capital of the largest country in the world, without demanding any money from you. I’ll show you the city on my free Moscow walking tour for 1.5-hours on foot.

Everything you need to know:

My tours take place daily by arrangement, I am the only English-speaking licensed tourist guide Moscow, who offers a free city tour.
My 1.5-hour free tours Moscow do not cost you a cent, I also offer other great paid tours as well.
I am an experienced local, I make the tours informative, but at the same time relaxed and not off the plane.

Free Tours Moscow – Daily

My free tours Moscow city starts on Slavonic Square (Kitay-Gorod Metro Station), passes the world-famous St. Basil’s Cathedral, which was built by Ivan the Terrible on the south side of Red Square in the 16th century and where the tsars were once crowned. Then it goes across the Red Square at the Lenin Mausoleum, the luxury department store GUM and with a view of the Kremlin towards the historical museum. Of course, you will also learn more about the stories that once happened behind the thick walls of the Kremlin – from the Tsars and Napoleon to Stalin. Then we continue through the idyllic Alexander Garden.

An advance booking is required!

Practical information:

Time: by arrangement, daily Duration: 1.5 hours Price: Free Language: English

«First acquaintance with Moscow» – a 2.5-hour city tour in the center of Moscow

This Moscow city tour starts on the Theater Square, past Lubyanka Square and the KGB-building, then through Kitay Gorod district and Varvarka Street, past the world-famous St. Basil’s Cathedral. Then it goes across Zarjadje Park, over Red Square at the Lenin Mausoleum, the GUM-department store and towards the Historical Museum. We walk through the Alexander Garden.

Time: by arrangement, daily Duration: 2.5 hours Price: 17 $ Students and children: 6 $ Language: English

A 3.5-hour car/bus tour of Moscow.

This is the best tour of Moscow city as all the important sights are visited. I am your Moscow city guide who will walk you through the city explaining the charming history of the city. This tour begins with picking you up from the hotel. 3 breaks are offered for photographing.

First, we will visit the most famous riverside streets and bridges in the center of the city with the most beautiful views of the Kremlin and the Moskva River (e.g. the Kremlin embankment and the Great Stone Bridge).

The first photo break is made at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. We then pass by the district with numerous museums, Prechistinka Street and the district with numerous medical areas.

We again stop at the Novodevichy Convent, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the other bank of the Moskva River to click pictures.

Then we visit “Sparrow Hills” where you can enjoy a bird’s eye view of the city of Moscow from the observation deck. Then there are the skyscrapers of Moscow-City, the Kutuzov avenue, the New Arbat, Tverskaya Street, the world-famous Bolshoi Theater, the KGB building and Varvarka Street. Here there are ample spots to click pictures.

We then drive past the Kremlin again and finally reach Red Square. We take a short tour of Red Square and say goodbye in the Alexander Garden.

Time: by arrangement, daily Duration: 3.5 hours Price for a group: 170-200 $ (depending on the number of travelers) Language: English

Metro tour – daily

Palaces for ordinary people – that was what Stalin promised to the people when the construction of the Moscow Metro began between the World Wars. The communist dictator hadn’t promised too much. No other underground system in the world can boast such spectacular architecture – chandeliers, decorations, stucco, paintings on the walls – each station is individually designed. No wonder that Moscow residents love their metro. I will guide you through the bustle of one of the busiest subways in the world and show you the most beautiful stations Moscow city has.

Time: by arrangement, daily Duration: 2 hours Price: 21 $ Students and children: 17 $ Language: English Included in the price: Metro tickets / the guided tour

Tour of Communist Moscow – every day

After the Communist October Revolution in 1918, Moscow became the capital of the Soviet Empire and was the center of socialist orbit for more than 70 years. This left its mark on Moscow, even if the USSR disintegrated more than a quarter of a century ago. The city streets are full of remnants of the communist regime and the Cold War. This is a walking tour where I will show you the most exciting places in Soviet Moscow: from the notorious KGB headquarters, also known as Lubyanka to the Karl Marx Monument to small hidden remains from the time of hammer and sickle. You will also learn about Stalin’s Great Terror political campaign and the system of the GULAG and how the USSR, the communist Russian republic, became modern Russia.

Time: by arrangement, daily Duration: 2 hours Price: 21 $ Students and children: 17 $ Language: English Included in the price: the guided tour

Alternative Moscow Tour – daily

Explore the unseen Moscow with your Moscow private guide and discover a range of sights during this alternative walking tour. Away from the main tourist spots (in the central district of Kitay-Gorod), just a short walk from Red Square and St. Basil’s Cathedral, you suddenly find yourself in one of the trendiest districts of Moscow. This place not only has trendy cafes and green squares, but here you can see the most beautiful spray works (according to Albrecht Dürer), hangout-places of the youth and hipsters, as well as learn what Moscow looked like in the 19th century. Here you will also learn exciting and even bloody stories about famous gangsters, eccentric business people and legends like the wandering preacher Rasputin, who is known in Russia either as the “holy devil” or the mad monk. To learn a little more about Moscow’s culture, this is the tour for you. On my alternative tour, you will get to know Moscow away from the tourist hotspots. This tour is of 2 hours duration and you will experience the following on the tour:

St. John’s Hill, a quiet oasis right in the center, where time has stopped as it did in pre-Communist times
Khokhlovka Art Center, where Russian hipsters and street artists hang out
Samoskvorechye District where you can see beautiful streets and hear stories from old Moscow

Time: by arrangement, daily Duration: 2 hours Price: 21 $ Students and children: 17 $ Language: English Included in the price: the guided tour / tram ticket

Kremlin tour – daily (closed on Thursday)

With its 20 towers and high walls, the Kremlin rises imposingly over Red Square. This world-famous fortress with its area of 28 hectares is home to over 800 years of Russian history. Described as the eighth wonder of the world, this historic fortress complex is the principal symbol of Russia that sits on the banks of the Moscow River. Today the Kremlin still harbors numerous secrets and has palaces and cathedrals, surrounded by Kremlin Wall. The current wall was constructed between the 15 th and 16 th centuries, but the original wall was made of wood around the year 1147. The Kremlin Wall became an important symbol of Moscow’s importance in the Russian Empire. This top tourist destination attracts millions of people every year and there are various sights to see. With my Kremlin tour, you will see the oldest square in the city in the heart of the Kremlin, the once largest cannon in the world and the scene of numerous dramas – from Ivan the Terrible and Napoleon to Stalin. You cannot miss this unique experience.

An advance booking and prepayment for tickets are required.

Time: by arrangement, daily (closed on Thursday) Duration: 2 hours Price on request Students and children: on request Language: English Included in the price: Kremlin tickets / the guided tour

Moscow pub crawl – Friday / Saturday

Experience the real nightlife of Moscow with my Moscow Pub Crawl and enjoy 4 pubs/bars plus 4 welcome shot drinks. Move from one bar to another and get to know travelers from around the world as well as the locals. Play fun adventure games and contests in addition to getting perks in the bars. Between the bars, move from one place to another on foot. The routes are organized as such that you will walk no more than 10 minutes between the bars. Visit the most exciting events, parties, concerts, and dance in the bars. Moscow Pub Crawl is a tour that you will never forget.

This tour runs every Friday and Saturday evening at 8 PM and you need to bring along your passport or an ID card, comfortable shoes, and wear smart casual clothes.

An advance booking and a small prepayment are required!

Time: by arrangement, daily Duration: 4 hours Price on request Language: English Included in the price: the guided tour, 4 shot drinks

1.5-hour boat trip on the Moskva River.

Taking a boat tour in Moscow on the Moskva River is a very pleasant experience. It allows you to know the city from a totally different perspective and admire the beautiful bridges. In this 1.5-hour river trip, you will sail past many beautiful sites in Moscow, so you can take the best photos to commemorate this day. The ship makes several stops on the way. The trip starts from the Ustinskiy Bridge near Sarjadje Park and ends at the Kiev train station.

On this Boat Trip, you can see sights such as: the former Imperial Education House, Sarjadje Park, the “flowing”, “floating” bridge, the most beautiful view of the Kremlin, the Great Stone Bridge, the legendary House on the Quay, the Christ the Savior Cathedral , the monument to Peter the Great on the ship, the central sports arena Luzhniki, the Sparrow Hills, 240 meters high Lomonosov University, the numerous architecturally spectacular skyscrapers of Moscow-City, the Novodevichy Convent, the building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs etc.

Time: by arrangement, daily Duration: 1.5 hours Price on request Language: English

A military tour – riding on tanks in Stupino (Moscow region)

Russian Military is one of the largest military forces in the world formed in 1992. With my Military Tour experience what it likes to be in the Russian military, shooting guns, ride the Tank T-34 and various models of German tanks from the Second World War, as well as armored personnel carriers and vehicles. You will also shoot from the AK-47 and another combat weapon.

The tour will begin with your private tour guide Moscow in a Soviet army van accompanied with some tasty snacks and tea for a tasty start. Upon arriving, you will have to put on the army safety clothing and climb the Russian armored vehicles. The tour will take you on the noisy, smoky tank, driving through mud roads. All participants will get the chance to drive the tank which is coordinated by the Russian military.

Time: by arrangement, daily Price on request Language: English

Alexander Popov

Welcome to Russia! My name is Alexander, I was born in Moscow and I'm a passionate tour guide. I want to share my passion for Russia and my hometown with you. On my website you will find useful information to make your individual trip to Russia as interesting as possible.

Gorky Park and Sparrow Hills: Green Lungs, place to relax and meet

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IMAGES

Remembering Secretariat, the best ever
The Coltons Point Times: Secretariat Movie Must See for American Pride
Watch Secretariat
Secretariat, The Unforgettable Heart Of A Champion
SECRETARIAT (2010)
“Racing into History”

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Aerial shots

COMMENTS

Meadow Event Park
Secretariat's foaling shed where he was born on March 30, 1970. Though it was moved from its original location on the north side, it is the same structure and is listed on the state and national historic registers. Secretariat's training barn where he stayed when he was in training at the Meadow training track in the fall of 1971.
Guided Tour Program Starting at The Meadow, Birthplace of Secretariat
We can even arrange for a "photo op" with Rainaway, Secretariat's great-grandson who lives on the property. The basic tour takes about an hour and advance registration is required. The general public tours are slated for March 27, May 7 and July 23. The public tour cost is $10 per person, $5 for children under 12, with a 40-guest minimum.
Secretariat
In 2023, "Secretariat Racing Into History" embarked on a grand tour covering 5,000 miles to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Secretariat's Triple Crown. The tour commenced in Ashland, acknowledging the equine athlete's birthplace, and even returned to serve as the grand marshal of the annual Ashland Old Time Christmas Parade.
Traveling and Onsite Exhibitions to Celebrate 50th Anniversary of
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - To commemorate the 50 th anniversary of Secretariat's historic 1973 Triple Crown sweep, the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame will present traveling and onsite exhibitions honoring the accomplishments and enduring legacy of the famed Meadow Stable colt from May through October. The exhibitions are underwritten by Churchill Downs, Inc., the Maryland Jockey ...
Monument to mark Secretariat's Triple Crown 50th
March 6, 2023. ⎯ Edited Press Release. Secretariat, in the form of a 3,500-pound bronze monument, is racing to his home state of Virginia to kick off the national 50th anniversary celebration of his record-setting Triple Crown of 1973. At 21 feet long and 11.5 feet tall, this is the largest monument of Secretariat in existence.
Ashland, Virginia to Kick off 50th Anniversary of Secretariat's Triple
Ashland has the honor of being the first venue of the multi-state Secretariat 50th anniversary tour due to longstanding ties to the Chenery family. Secretariat's breeder Christopher Chenery grew up here, attended Randolph-Macon College, and founded nearby Meadow Stable where Secretariat was born in 1970. Penny Chenery took over the farm for ...
Secretariat Heritage Center
The Secretariat Heritage Center is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to preserving Secretariat's birthplace at The Meadow Event Park, formerly known as Meadow Stable. It will strive to continue to tell the story of the legendary Triple Crown champion, the family who owned him, and the fabled farm that produced him. The SHC operates ...
Info on Tours of The Meadow
The Meadow Event Park no longer offers guided tours of Secretariat's birthplace. However, visitors may walk the grounds during weekdays and see the historic barns and educational signage. Read more at www.meadoweventpark.com. Directions: Take Exit 98 (Doswell exit) off I-95 and follow Rt. 30 east.
'A Tremendous Machine': Traveling Exhibit Celebrates 50th Anniversary
The traveling version of A Tremendous Machine will feature Secretariat's 1973 Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes, and Triple Crown trophies. A video component of the exhibition ...
SECRETARIAT DAY IN ASHLAND MARCH 30
The saddlecloth shows the number two for Secretariat's post position in the 1973 Belmont, his most memorable race. The 3,800-pound artwork garnered national publicity last summer during its 5,000-mile tour celebrating the 50 th anniversary of Secretariat's Triple Crown. The Secretariat For Virginia Committee with the non-profit Ashland ...
Touring Claiborne Farm, The Resting Place Of Secretariat In Paris
Plaque inside the visitor center at Claiborne Farm in Paris, KY. Claiborne Farm covers over 3,000 acres, but it started with only 1,300 acres over 100 years ago. It now has 11 active stallions and 35 barns. This year, provided the last holdout (as of my visit on May 20, 2019) was born and stood up, Claiborne Farm will have had 151 standing foals.
Secretariat on Twitter: "The Secretariat 50th Anniversary Tour will
The Secretariat 50th Anniversary Tour will kick off with the launch of the Secretariat Reserve Bourbon Whiskey at the Ragged Branch distillery in Charlottesville, VA.
Secretariat's Legend Rolls on Like, Well, a Tremendous Machine
Published June 10, 2023 Updated June 12, 2023. It was a performance for the ages, growing more mythic as time goes on. Having won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes in record fashion ...
Secretariat's Triple Crown at 50
2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the racehorse Secretariat (March 30, 1970 - October 4, 1989) winning the Triple Crown in 1973, a feat that had not been achieved since it was won by Citation in 1948.. Secretariat, also known as Big Red (a nickname shared with Man O'War), was the ninth winner of Triple Crown, setting and still holding record fastest time in all three races - the ...
Kentucky Derby: 50 years later. Secretariat's records still hold
Fifty years after his Triple Crown, Secretariat still holds the record for the fastest Derby ever run: 1:59 2/5 seconds. He still holds the record for the fastest Preakness run: 1:53 flat ...
Secretariat Festival
The double-tour will depart by motor coach from the Kentucky Horse Park at 9:15 a.m. on Sunday and will return to the Kentucky Horse Park at approximately 1:15 p.m. Tickets for the tour are available at Secretariat.com. The Ashford Stud Tour is the grand finale of the Secretariat Festival with a rare and very special opportunity for ticketed ...
Dedication of Secretariat Park
Secretariat Park will be dedicated at Noon on November 11, 2023, in the center of historic downtown Main Street. The park is the crowning jewel for this community's efforts in raising the $500,000 needed, and in just over a year. Not only generous donations from local private citizens, horse farms and industry, but from all over the USA, this ...
Secretariat's Meadow Tour…Next Stop, The Stallion Barns
Posted on July 8, 2011. As we continue our "virtual tram tour" of the historic grounds of The Meadow, Secretariat's birthplace, we're moving from the Cove to the Stallion Barns. These are the original barns built by Chris Chenery, founder of Meadow Stable. There is the L-shaped Stallion Barn, where Chenery's office was located, and ...
Secretariat
The actual footage of Secretariat's record breaking win during the third and final race of the 1973 Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes.
Moscow's best free city tour
Free Tours Moscow - Daily. Practical information: «First acquaintance with Moscow» - a 2.5-hour city tour in the center of Moscow. Practical information: A 3.5-hour car/bus tour of Moscow. Practical information: Metro tour - daily. Practical information: Tour of Communist Moscow - every day.
Moscow
🎧 Wear headphones for the best experience.In this video, we will walk through the beautiful streets of old Moscow, as well as visit some new districs.Moscow...
Moscow City Tour, City Sightseeing, Nightlife Tour, Travel Guide
If you are looking for customised Moscow Sightseeing Tour at the best prices, get in touch with us for an exhilarating holiday to Russia. Grand Russia offers Moscow City Tour & Travel packages at affordable prices with best city travel guide. Enquire now for the best City Sightseeing & Nightlife Tour in Moscow. Call +7 905 772 00 73.
Hot Evening Life in Russia Moscow Walk Сity Tour ...
Today, we will once again walk through one of the most festive streets in Moscow—Malaya Bronnaya, part of the dazzling Moscow city centre. Whether you're tak...

Traveling and Onsite Exhibitions to Celebrate 50th Anniversary of Secretariat’s Triple Crown Win

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The Meadow - where the legend was born and lives on! We currently have self-led tours available Monday - Friday from 10am-4pm.

Touring Claiborne Farm, The Resting Place Of Secretariat In Paris, Kentucky

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Secretariat’s Legend Rolls on Like, Well, a Tremendous Machine

Star Status, in Retirement and Death

Outlasting the Field, and Time

Secretariat’s Triple Crown at 50

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Fifty Years Later, Secretariat’s Triple Crown Run Still Seems Unbeatable

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Dedication of Secretariat Park — November 11, 2023

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Moscow’s best free city tour

Everything you need to know:

Free Tours Moscow – Daily

Practical information:

«First acquaintance with Moscow» – a 2.5-hour city tour in the center of Moscow

A 3.5-hour car/bus tour of Moscow.

Metro tour – daily

Tour of Communist Moscow – every day

Alternative Moscow Tour – daily

Kremlin tour – daily (closed on Thursday)

Moscow pub crawl – Friday / Saturday

1.5-hour boat trip on the Moskva River.

A military tour – riding on tanks in Stupino (Moscow region)

Alexander Popov

Gorky Park and Sparrow Hills: Green Lungs, place to relax and meet

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