A towering bronze sculpture of 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat was unveiled Oct. 12 at Keeneland as part of the 11thSecretariat Festival in Lexington.
Designed by artist Jocelyn Russell, the statue captures Secretariat winning the 1973 Kentucky Derby under jockey Ron Turcotte.
Temporarily displayed outside the track’s sales pavilion, the statue will be moved to its permanent location at Old Frankfort Pike and Alexandria Drive in Lexington following the festival, which concludes Oct. 13 at 5:30 p.m. ET.
Russell, whose other works include sculptures at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans and a statue of Korean War horse Sergeant Reckless at the Kentucky Horse Park, is among a group of festival dignitaries including Kate Chenery Tweedy, daughter of Secretariat’s owner, Penny Chenery; Triple Crown jockeys Steve Cauthen and Jean Cruguet; Kentucky Derby-winning riders Chris McCarron and Mike Manganello; BloodHorse senior contributor and author Steve Haskin; and jockey Otto Thorwarth, who acted in the 2010 movie “Secretariat,” filmed in part at Keeneland.
The festival also features tours of Lane’s End Farm, Spendthrift Farm, Calumet Farm, and Claiborne Farm, where Secretariat was a longtime stallion and was buried upon his death in 1989.
The Secretariat Festival remains committed to bringing fans together annually to celebrate the life and legacy of Secretariat. Over the years, the event has evolved to emphasize fan favorites and adapted after the passing of Penny Chenery, Jim Gaffney, Charlie Davis and Bill Nack — all who contributed to the Secretariat legacy and had been a focal points of the event. One thing that has not changed is the organizers’ commitment to celebrate the legendary 1973 Triple Crown winner as well as provide fans with a unique opportunity to experience equine-related activities and access to the sport of horse racing.
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