HJ13: Celebrating the 40th birthday of Secretariat on March 30, 2010.


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 13
Celebrating the 40th birthday of Secretariat on March 30, 2010.

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Agreed to by the House of Delegates, January 15, 2010
Agreed to by the Senate, January 21, 2010

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WHEREAS, March 30, 2010, marks the 40th birthday of Secretariat, the winner of the 1973 Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing and Caroline County's most famous racehorse; and

WHEREAS, Secretariat, bred from renowned sire Bold Ruler and broodmare Somethingroyal, was born at the Chenery family farm, The Meadow, located in Caroline County which in 2009 became the new home of the Official State Fair of Virginia and The Meadow Event Park; and

WHEREAS, Secretariat is honored at the equestrian center and horse museum at the Meadow Event Park; it is also the new residence of Secretariat?s great grandson, Rainaway; and

WHEREAS, Secretariat was owned by Helen B. ?Penny? Chenery, trained by Lucien Laurin, and ridden primarily by his most famous jockey Ron Turcotte, along with apprentice jockey Paul Feliciano and veteran jockey Eddie Maple; and

WHEREAS, Secretariat raced under the Meadow Stable's blue and white checkered colors and his grooms were Eddie Sweat and Louis Tillman; and

WHEREAS, a giant chestnut horse with three white socks and a star with a narrow blaze, Secretariat stood 16 hands 2 inches tall and weighed 1,175 pounds in his racing prime; and

WHEREAS, striking, frolicsome, with a legendary appetite, Secretariat was very comfortable around humans and showed a notable sense of humor?his favorite pranks were nudging a neighboring horse or stopping abruptly and swinging his head around to throw his rider; and

WHEREAS, in 1973, as a three-year old, Secretariat became the first horse in 25 years to win the Triple Crown, sweeping the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes and capturing the imagination of race fans worldwide; and

WHEREAS, Secretariat set new race records in two of the three events by running 1:59 2/5 in the Kentucky Derby and 2:24 in the Belmont Stakes, records that still stand today; and

WHEREAS, affectionately nicknamed ?Big Red? after the famous horse Man O?War, Secretariat appeared on the covers of Time, Newsweek, and Sports Illustrated and on the front pages of newspapers across the nation; and

WHEREAS, Secretariat brightened the spirits of Americans who had grown weary of the country?s entrenchment in the Watergate hearings and the Vietnam War: ?This red horse with blue and white blinkers and silks seemed to epitomize an American hero?; and

WHEREAS, in 2010 Caroline County, the State Fair of Virginia, and enthusiastic race fans will host a glorious celebration of Secretariat's 40th birthday for all Virginians and visitors to enjoy; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly and the citizens of Virginia recognize the 40th birthday of Secretariat on March 30, 2010; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to representatives of Caroline County, the State Fair of Virginia, the Virginia Thoroughbred Association, and their steadfast supporters as an expression of the General Assembly?s appreciation of the glorious achievements of Secretariat and his prominent role in the long tradition of equine husbandry and horse racing in the Commonwealth.

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 13
Offered January 13, 2010
Prefiled December 17, 2009
Celebrating the 40th birthday of Secretariat on March 30, 2010.
Patron-- Peace

WHEREAS, March 30, 2010, marks the 40th birthday of Secretariat, the winner of the 1973 Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing and Caroline County's most famous racehorse; and

WHEREAS, Secretariat, bred from renowned sire Bold Ruler and broodmare Somethingroyal, was born at the Chenery family farm, The Meadow, located in Caroline County that in 2009 became the new site of the State Fair of Virginia and the Meadow Event Park; and

WHEREAS, Secretariat is honored at the equestrian center and horse museum at the Meadow Event Park, which is also the new residence of Secretariat’s great grandson, Rainaway; and

WHEREAS, Secretariat was owned by Helen B. “Penny” Chenery, trained by Lucien Laurin, and ridden primarily by his most famous jockey Ron Turcotte, along with apprentice jockey Paul Feliciano and veteran jockey Eddie Maple; and

WHEREAS, Secretariat raced under the Meadow Stable's blue and white checkered colors and his grooms were Eddie Sweat and Louis Tillman; and

WHEREAS, a giant chestnut horse with three white socks and a star with a narrow blaze, Secretariat stood 16 hands 2 inches tall and weighed 1,175 pounds in his racing prime; and

WHEREAS, striking, frolicsome, with a legendary appetite, Secretariat was very comfortable around humans and showed a notable sense of humor—his favorite pranks were nudging a neighboring horse or stopping abruptly and swinging his head around to throw his rider; and

WHEREAS, as a three-year old, Secretariat became the first horse in 25 years to win the Triple Crown in 1973, sweeping the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes and capturing the imagination of race fans worldwide; and

WHEREAS, Secretariat set new race records in two of the three events by running 1:59 2/5 in the Kentucky Derby and 2:24 in the Belmont Stakes, records that still stand today; and

WHEREAS, affectionately nicknamed “Big Red” after the famous horse Man O’War, Secretariat appeared on the covers of Time, Newsweek, and Sports Illustrated and on the front pages of newspapers across the nation; and

WHEREAS, Secretariat brightened the spirits of Americans who had grown weary of the country’s entrenchment in the Watergate hearings and the Vietnam War: “This red horse with blue and white blinkers and silks seemed to epitomize an American hero”; and

WHEREAS, Caroline County, the State Fair of Virginia, and enthusiastic race fans will host a glorious celebration in 2010 of Secretariat's 40th birthday for all Virginians and visitors to enjoy; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly and the citizens of Virginia recognize the 40th birthday of Secretariat on March 30, 2010; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to representatives of Caroline County, the State Fair of Virginia, the Virginia Thoroughbred Association, and their steadfast supporters as an expression of the General Assembly’s appreciation of the glorious achievements of Secretariat and his prominent role in the long tradition of equine husbandry and horse racing in the Commonwealth.