WHEREAS, the greatest racehorse of all time and America’s equine hero is Virginia’s own Secretariat, a Triple Crown Champion whose lasting legacy is known to millions of Americans across the country to this day; and

WHEREAS, born on March 30, 1970, at Meadow Farm in Caroline County near Doswell, Virginia, Secretariat was a mighty 1,200 pounds and more than 16 hands when he became champion; and

WHEREAS, a skilled and dedicated team contributed to making the Virginia-born Secretariat a legend including Penny Chenery Tweedy, Meadow Farm owner and operator; Lucien Laurin, veteran trainer; Ron Turcotte, jockey; Eddie Sweat, groom; and, Jim Gaffney and Charlie Davis, his exercise riders; and

WHEREAS, this year is the 50^th anniversary of Secretariat’s record-setting Triple Crown of 1973, marking consecutive wins at the Kentucky Derby in Louisville, the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore, and the Belmont Stakes in New York; and

WHEREAS, Secretariat is recognized as the standard of excellence for thoroughbred racing, and renowned sculptor Jocelyn Russell memorialized “Big Red” in a 21 foot long, 11½ feet tall, 3,500 pound larger than life bronze monument to capture his magnificence; and

WHEREAS, Kate Tweedy, daughter of Penny Chenery Tweedy, has a firsthand account of Secretariat’s spectacular career, and she is one of the founding members of Secretariat for Virginia, a committee of the Ashland Museum, whose mission is to support the funding and placement of the “Secretariat Racing into History” bronze monument in Virginia; and

WHEREAS, fifty years after racing into history, “Big Red” is returning to Virginia, the champion’s birthplace, to reside permanently on the campus of Randolph-Macon College in Ashland; and

WHEREAS, one horse, Secretariat, impacted the lives of the many people who worked together – breeder, groom, veterinarian, farrier, trainer, jockey, and many others – to support his unrivaled success; and

WHEREAS, citizens of the Commonwealth express their gratitude to the many contributors who made Secretariat’s homecoming possible and are encouraged to visit the legendary champion’s bronze monument in Ashland and learn more about Secretariat’s story as a horse and champion for all time;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize August 11, 2023, as SECRETARIAT HOMECOMING DAY in our COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of our citizens.