- Penny Chenery
Infobox Person
name = Penny Chenery
caption =
birth_date = 1922
birth_place =Virginia , U.S.
death_date =
death_place =
occupation = Racehorse ownerHelen "Penny" Chenery (born ) is an American sportswoman, known as the "First Lady of Racing", who owned Secretariat, the 1973 winner of the
United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing .A native of
Virginia , Penny Chenery was the owner ofMeadow Stable , aThoroughbred racing operation andhorse breeding business in Doswell, founded by her fatherChristopher Chenery . In 1972 Meadow Stable won theKentucky Derby andBelmont Stakes with the future Hall of Fame coltRiva Ridge . The following year, Secretariat captured the imagination of the North American public and racing fans worldwide when he became the first Triple Crown winner in twenty-five years.From 1976 to 1984, Penny Chenery served as president of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association. In 1983 she became the first woman elected a member of
The Jockey Club and has also served as a member of the judges' panel for the Dogwood Dominion Award.In 2003,
Arlington Park established the annual "Penny Chenery Distinguished Woman in Racing Award". Since 1973, and the massive publicity surrounding her and her "superhorse". Penny Chenery has been an activegoodwill ambassador for the sport and, in 2006, theNational Thoroughbred Racing Association honored her with the Eclipse Award of Merit for a lifetime of outstanding achievement in Thoroughbred racing.A long-time resident of
Westchester County, New York , Penny Chenery has resided since the 2000s near her daughter inBoulder, Colorado .References
* [http://www.secretariat.com/spotlightpenny1.htm Penny Chenery at the official Secretariat website]
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