Today Marks the 40th Anniversary

of the foaling of 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat, who died in 1989.

There is a movie in the works about him, or, more accurately, about his owner Penny Chenery/

Article:

March 30 marks 40 years since the birth of 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat at Christopher T. Chenery’s The Meadow near Doswell, Va. It’s a date well worth remembering by any racing fan but especially by those who were around during Secretariat’s racing days and more so by those lucky enough to see the strikingly handsome chestnut colt with three white stockings in action.

Secretariat’s magnetism was evident soon after the colt’s birth. Chenery’s daughter, Penny, was so overwhelmed after getting her first look at the son of Bold Ruler that all she could say was “Wow.” That wasn’t the last time that word was used to express admiration or astonishment in Secretariat.

The first hint of Secretariat’s greatness came at Saratoga in 1972. “Nothing so revitalizes our interest in racing as the emergence of real good ones among the 2-year-olds at Saratoga,” wrote The Blood-Horse editor Kent Hollingsworth, focusing on Secretariat and the filly La Prevoyante. “Meadow Stable’s Bold Ruler colt, Secretariat, with smashing triumphs in the Sanford and Hopeful, has demonstrated a lick not seen since Damascus approached the last turn trailing by about 13 lengths and came out of it six lengths on top to win the 1967 Travers by 22 lengths in track-record time.”

Another article:

Bake and ice a cake, chill the champagne and get some helium in those balloons. Today's the 40th anniversary of the birth of Secretariat.

On March 30, 1970, the great Thoroughbred racehorse was foaled at The Meadow Stables in Caroline County. For people of a certain age, memories of his performances on the track can still raise goose bumps.

Secretariat was a handsome, heavily muscled chestnut with distinctive markings -- three white feet and a white blaze. His owner, Penny Chenery Tweedy, took to calling him "Sexy," for he had the camera presence of a movie star.

And brother, could he run.

In 1972, as a 2-year-old, Big Red won five races in succession, including three major stakes, and was voted horse of the year, overshadowing his accomplished stablemate Riva Ridge, winner of the '72 Kentucky Derby and Belmont

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Some 300 people flocked to the state fairgrounds which was once the Meadow in celebration of Secretariat's birthday:

That magic continues for people such as Vera Conwicke, 70, of Endicott, N.Y., and Dollie Newhouse, 35, of Florence, S.C.

Each made a pilgrimage to what is now known as The Meadow Event Park, where they had lunch and heard a program featuring Kate Tweedy and Lou Ann Ladin, co-authors of a soon to-be-released book, "Secretariat's Meadow." Tweedy, who lives in Colorado, is the granddaughter of Christopher Chenery, who founded the stables at The Meadow, and daughter of Penny Chenery, now 88, who was running the farm when Secretariat was born.

Newhouse wasn't born when Secretariat was making racetrack history, but she said she has heard about him from her horserace-loving family for as long as she can remember.

Conwicke remembers the races -- "the gorgeous horse and the beautiful blond lady in a white dress" -- but she didn't really become a fan until she read the book "Secretariat" by William Nack. She brought a copy with her in hopes of getting an autograph, but Nack didn't make an appearance.