Zenyatta

Queen of Racing

Z's Diary

Diary Post #427

Mrs. Penny Chenery, her daughter, Kate, and Chris McCarron at the February 5, 2011 Vox Populi Celebration held at Santa Anita Park! Photo by John Shirreffs

HAPPY 90TH BIRTHDAY, MRS. CHENERY!

Good Morning,

What a lovely way to start the day…wishing Mrs. Penny Chenery ALL THE VERY BEST on her 90th BIRTHDAY! From my entire TEAM and all of BARN 55, we would like to send her the warmest wishes and a big HIGH HOOF on her special day!

I was very blessed to meet Mrs. Chenery when she came to Hollywood Park in October, 2010. She was there to present the Trophy for the Ladies’ Secret–G1. For this meet, Oak Tree was held at Hollywood Park. In this race, I was competing to remain undefeated and for my 19th victory in a row. It was quite a day! Mrs. Chenery wanted to come and see ME in the paddock and be there for the event. She commented to the press that “SHE WANTED TO SEE ME DANCE”! She later told them, “I WAS IN HER PRESENCE AND SHE WAS IN COMPLETE COMMAND”. (Blush, Blush)

When I WON…the fans went WILD! This victory now highlighted my career record at 19-0! I remember these moments…all of them…so vividly. During the Winners’ Circle ceremonies, Mrs. Chenery was absolutely lovely. She posed for countless photos and joined in many interviews with THE MOSS’ and MY JOHN. Her comments about ME, my racing career, and my impact on the sport were glowing!

Can you imagine how PROUD I felt! These gracious remarks about ME coming from the woman who bred, raised, and raced the CHAMPION, SECRETARIAT! What a complete honor!

During the next several months, Mrs. Chenery created the Vox Populi Award to honor the HORSE in our industry who did so much during the year to captivate the fans! She personally selected ME to be the first honoree. This season, a committee of professionals in our industry along with the fans voting determined the winner. Rapid Redux was honored and presented with this year’s AWARD!

For all of your years of total devotion and dedication to our SPORT, the Thoroughbred Industry, and the entire breed of THROUGHBRED HORSES, Mrs. Chenry, we truly want to THANK YOU, HONOR YOU, and WISH YOU GREAT JOY on your special DAY! From the bottom of our hearts and souls…WE ADORE YOU!

HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

With Love,
Hugs to All~(Happy Weekend Everyone! Enjoy RACING!)
Z

Reader Interactions

497 Comments

    • / Reply

      Wow, I can’t believe the author left out such famous and important descendents of Gone West as Elusive Quality who sired Smarty Jones and Quality Road. And a special three year old who is on the Derby trail named Discreet Dancer; he broke a track record at Gulfstream at the age of two.

  3. / Reply

    Happy 90th Birthday Mrs Penny,You are an inspiration to all of us.
    Congratulations to you Zenyatta for being the FIRST horse chosen to receive the Vox Populi Award!!!! High Hoofs, to both of you!!
    Love you!!!

  6. / Reply

    A Penny from Heaven 90 cents worth. We are so lucky she took the path she did.

    Thanks for everything you have done for horse racing and I wish you manty more.

    • / Reply

      I’ll be there with a couple of friends and will keep my eyes open for you and any other Z-sters :) Looks like it is going to be a great day!

    • / Reply

      JAG/Judy (my name too!)

      If you are going on Sunday, too, Chantal is riding Utopian for the Moss’ and John in the 7th and they have Mank (gosh WHO named that horse????) going on Sunday as well. Since I live so far away from your beautiful California, have a great time for me, okay? I’ll be watching courtesy of HRTV.

      I wish my state would approve pari-mutual/online betting……….just can’t get it passed here because of “religious” reasons. But we have the lottery???? Go figure!

      Happy Birthday, Mrs. Chenery! Thank you for everything you have done for the sport of horse racing!

      Have a safe and comfortable weekend, Our Queen………must be starting to be a tad uncomfortable with that little one dancing in your tummy!

      Have a great weekend all! I so love coming here “visiting” with everyone!

      • / Reply

        Judy, no I won’t be going on Sunday :-( I watch on HRTV and/or stream on Cal Racing :-) You should come out some time! We have the most fun at the various tracks!! :o)
        Judy Ann (do you have a middle name?)

  8. / Reply

    Happy Birthday Mrs Chenery and best wishes for many more birthdays. I will never forget the day I saw Secretariat come thundering out of the mist and rain at Woodbine, I was freezing and wet but the wait to see him was worth it even tho Ron Turcotte wasn’t riding. Thank you Mrs Chenery for sharing him and thanks to Kate for giving us “Secretariat’s Meadow” Zenny, you have again shown how gracious and loving you are, honoring Mrs Chenery in this way, thank you to YOU and all you connections. Only a few days now before the official foal watch begins, I wish I could be there watching. Have a lovely weekend with Tasty and stay warm and toasty. Many hugs and loads of kisses.

  11. / Reply

    Dearest Zenyatta,

    I can’t think of a more pefect pair—You and Mrs. Chenery! Please send Birthday wishes her way for me! She is the epitome of what racing means to the horses and the fans! I wish her many more wonderful years ahead.

    Hope you are having a beautiful Friday in Kentucky, dearest Z. Kisses to you and Tasty!

    Love,
    Stel

  12. / Reply

    Lovely tribute.

    And of course, Zenyatta’s foal wil be a descendant of the great Secretariat.

    Let’s not forget Ms. Chenery’s other great horse, Riva Ridge. He won two legs of the Triple Crown. Sadly, he was completely overlooked by the movie.

  13. / Reply

    I have met Ms. Chenery a few times. She has always been very gracious and accommodating to Secretariat’s fans. Sounds like some other folks, doesn’t it???

    Hope you and Tasty are doing fine today despite the dreary weather. At least it isn’t raining! Hugs and kisses to you both!!

    Love You, Big Mare

  14. / Reply

    Dear Zenny
    Saw a very very very very lovely Inside
    Information on Penny Chenery this morning.
    It was on her art work, life with Secretariat as
    The back drop. Very lovely piece.

    Wonderful post about her, one of the very
    First women owner’s in racing. In the HRTV
    Show someone asked if she ever rode Secretariat.
    She said absolutely not, he was a professional athlete
    And syndicated for 6 million dollars. Then she said
    What if he bucked me off, ran off and hurt himself.
    It was so cute.

    Hope you are having a great day, your baby is
    Growing and moving around!!!! Hi to Tasty, too.

    • / Reply

      You are so right–loved Z’s post and yours.
      Mrs. Chenery is an example of a life well lived.
      Happy 90th to one of my heroes.!

  15. / Reply

    Wishing you every happiness and blessing on your birthday, Ms. Chenery. You gave me the greatest birthday gift of my life when Secretariat won the Triple Crown on my birthday. I wish I could give you anything near the wonderful gift I received from you that day. Happy Birthday.

  16. / Reply

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY MRS. CHENERY, what a treasure you are and the joy you have brought to horse racing along withe our beloved ZENYATTA. MS Z, your postings all this week have truly been inspiring, you are such a deep thinker. I want to shout out CONGRATS to Rachel and her new colt. ZENNY we are all awaiting your bundle of joy and you will make a wonderful Mom.

  17. / Reply

    Happy Birthday Mrs. Chenery! What a wise and wonderful lady who has cared her entire life for horses. She is truly an inspiration as are you Z!! Have a great weekend!!!

    • / Reply

      I thought about it a little more and I don’t mean to step on Trina’s toes but Penny sure does deserve something. I took a shot at it with this quick little number.

      One penny, two penny, three penny, lore,
      Riva and Red smashed through that door.
      ‘Morvich’ won the year you were born,
      90 have passed and we have sworn.
      To help the game and the ones that we love.
      To put the horse high above.
      Racing royalty you hooked up with Zenny,
      They hollered and screamed,
      Happy Birthday Ms Penny!!!

        • The more the merrier, right?
          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
          Another Birthday Poem for Penny Chenery
          January 27, 2012
          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
          Happy birthday, Mrs. Chenery!
          Thank you for all you’ve done for horseracing,
          Including embracing
          The greatness of Z,
          Awarding her the Vox Populi
          And anointing her “Racing Royalty”
          Alongside that other Thoroughbred
          Of highest renown,
          Your very own Big Red,
          Who famously outsped
          All comers for the Triple Crown
          And crossed the wire
          On fire,
          Thirty-one lengths ahead!
          Here’s to you, Mrs. Chenery,
          And to the boldly courageous,
          Yet unfailingly gracious,
          Life you have led!
          HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND MANY MORE!

        • Wow! What a wonderful poem, Trina! thanks for all your creativity, too. Beautiful way to express so many of our feelings!

  19. / Reply

    Happy Happy 90th Birthday Mrs. Chenery!!
    Have a Great Day Everyone.
    Heading to Santa Anita tomorrow. The weather is Awesome in Southern CA.
    Always thinking of you Precious Zenny.
    Love YOU OOOXXX

  21. / Reply

    I was at Santa Anita last year when Mrs. Chenery presented Zenyatta’s team with the first Vox Populi Award – can’t believe it’s been almost a year, wow. Happy Birthday Mrs. Chenery, Secretariat’s mom, and thank you for everything you’ve done for the precious horses we all love so much.

  22. / Reply

    Dear Zenyatta. What a wonderful post in celebration of Penny Chenery’s 90th birthday!! Thank John for his great picture!! I loved hearing your stories about spending time with such an icon of racing. You could tell how much she admired you from the comments she made. We were awfully proud of you too, Zenny, receiving such recognition from the First Lady of Racing!!! Every memory with you in it is priceless. Here is the reprint of the birthday wish I left on the Secretariat.com site. Everyone should check it out, there are some really special birthday posts from some remarkable individuals such as Ron Turcotte, Steve Cauthen and Diane Lane.

    Happy 90th Birthday, Ms. Chenery!! I live in beautiful Colorado and have long admired you! You are a remarkable lady who has been a figure of grace in the horseracing industry for years. You gave us both Riva Ridge and the amazing Secretariat and have kept their memories alive and well. As a young girl, I fell in love with these horses and with racing. It was the magic Triple Crown 70’s. I recently went and visited the Meadow. Standing in front of Secretariat’s birth shed, time rolled away. I could see mares grazing in the bottom land, youngsters on the training track and Big Red. What a feeling of joy!! Visiting Claiborne, I always pay my respects to your cherished champions. Creating the Vox Populi award to recognize horses that touch our hearts in such a special way is wonderful! We appreciate your choice of our beloved Zenyatta in 2010. Thank you for all that you have done! You demonstrate the power of dreams!! I so hope to meet you one day!! Continued blessings and much love!!

    You and Tasty have a fantastic Friday, Zenny. Sweet dreams. Hugs and kisses. XXXOOO

    • / Reply

      I think Penny developed the Vox Populi in case
      Zenny did not get HOY and Blame got it.
      What a kind and thoughtful person she is,
      And definately a woman of the 90’s back
      In the 70’s.

  23. / Reply

    Dear Ms. Chenery,
    On this your 90th birthday, I want to wish you continued health and happiness and many more years ahead doing the things you love with family and friends. I hold you in the highest regard and credit you with elevating the stature of women in the racing industry. A print of your beloved Secretariat and Zenyatta — Racing Royalty — adorns my home, complete with your signature. An authenticated photo of your beloved Big Red signed by Ronnie Turcott also hangs in my home. If Secretariat is Racing Royalty, you are the QUEEN MOTHER! God Bless you today and every day. YOU are the mostest! :)
    Your humble J

    • / Reply

      JAG – That is terrible, I hope it does not spread any further.

      Also, I just received by “Zenyatta at Home” book. It is fantastic!! Didn’t you say you were the one standing behind John when Zenny was playing with his hat?

        • You are just “Too Cute” girl!! What a blessing for all of you who were able to spend so much time with Zenny while she was racing!!

  25. / Reply

    Bookmark #9 – I love that Zenyatta is still very much front and center in the racing world even though she is retired. Her picture is everywhere!! I just received the Third Edition copy of the book Champions, published by the Daily Racing Form. It covers the lives, times and past performances of America’s greatest thoroughbreds from 1894-2010. And guess who was on the back cover, that’s right, our beautiful Zenny. Her picture is also at the start of every chapter and another appears as the last picture in the book along with her information. In addition, (and this is very fitting for Ms. Chenery’s birthday) the first thing you see when you open the book is the last photo portrait of Secretariat. It is so very beautiful and brought a tear to my eye. Here is the link so that everyone can check out the book.

    http://www.drf.com/champions

  26. / Reply

    Happy birthday, Mrs. Chenery! I think of you and Secretariat every time I drive by Meadow Farm! (How could I not?)

  27. / Reply

    MARTY R: Thank you so much for the link to Black Caviar’s race. Congrats to her. What a beautiful, beautiful girl! Love you so much Ms. Z!

  28. / Reply

    What a woman and what class. She is a true inspriation to women everwhere. She showed strength and determination and took on the boys and “showed them”! Happy, Happy Birthday to you Mrs. Chenery and many more. What memories you have given to racing. Big Red was such a magnificent boy. Zenyatta must have read about you and learned her lessons well, because she sure followed in your footsteps.
    Love hugs and kisses

  29. / Reply

    Ditto all the lovely sentiments for Mrs. Chenery on her 90th!
    It’s a great day in my neighborhood with gorgeous weather and nice temps. I wish the best to all out there.
    I’ll be celebrating my 63rd birthday on Monday, but I have jury duty….so that’s something different. Hurray for the the Aquarians out there!

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