A Chenery Tells the Real Secretariat Story

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Although much has been written about Triple Crown winner Secretariat, a new book by a member of the Chenery family who bred and raced him will offer a different perspective of the champion.

“Secretariat’s Meadow—The Land, The Family, The Legend” is the story of how author Kate Chenery Tweedy’s mother, Penny, and grandfather, Christopher T. Chenery, came to breed and race the most popular horse of modern times. Three years in the making, the book, co-authored with Virginia writer Leeanne Meadows Ladin, tells not only Secretariat’s story but the saga of his Virginia birthplace and the Chenery family.

“Secretariat’s Meadow” will arrive in bookstores in September, just before the Oct. 8 release of the Disney movie “Secretariat.” The movie is based on Penny Chenery’s life story and on turf writer Bill Nack’s book “Secretariat—The Making of a Champion.”

Penny Chenery wrote the foreword to “Secretariat’s Meadow” and shared more than 200 photos from her private collection for the 160-page pictorial history. Chapters describe Chris Chenery’s climb from rags to riches; the early champions of Meadow Stable such as Hill Prince and Cicada; how Derby winner Riva Ridge saved The Meadow from auction; the forgotten stories of the African-American grooms who helped raise Secretariat, and much more. Kate Tweedy’s childhood recollections of The Meadow, her access to family papers, and her eyewitness account of the 1973 Triple Crown races add a personal dimension to the popular story.

For more information about the book, visit www.secretariatsmeadow.com