What 'Secretariat' Got Right — and Where It Took Liberties:

4 May, 2025 Siobhan Marie Day 0 Comments 2 categories

Directed by Randall Wallace, and Written by Mike Rich, and Sheldon Turner, and Produced by Mark Ciardi, and Gordon Gray, Starring: Diane Lane, John Malkovich, Dylan Walsh, James Cromwell, Kevin Connolly, Scott Glenn, with Cinematography by Dean Semler, and Edited by John Wright, and Music by Nick Glennie-Smith, with Production companies: Walt Disney Pictures, and Mayhem Pictures, and Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

The 2010 Disney film Secretariat tells the inspiring story of a legendary racehorse and the tenacious woman behind him, Penny Chenery. But how closely does the film stick to the real-life events it dramatizes?

Penny Chenery and her most famous horse, Secretariat. Paul Schafer/BloodHorse photo

A scene from the Kentucky Derby race at Churchill Downs in "Secretariat" (2010) Photo Credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

This blog post explores the major events and themes of the film and examines where Hollywood stayed true to history and where it took dramatic license. The story of Secretariat‘s Triple Crown win is well-known, but many viewers don’t realize how much nuance was left on the editing floor.

How Hollywood brought history to life…or didn't.

Kentucky Derby – May 5, 1973 Secretatriat went off as a 3-to-2 betting favorite, a touch better than Sham who went off at 5-to-2. While Sham ran near the front for much of the race, Secretariat methodically hunted every horse down, running each successive quarter mile faster than the previous meaning he was still accelerating near the end of the race. Ultimately, Big Red as he was known, won by a touch more than two lengths in a still-standing Derby record of 1:59.4. Preakness Stakes – May 19, 1973 It was more of the same for Secretariat in Baltimore as jockey Ron Turcotte allowed the rest of the field to go out and then picked his way through to win by two-and-a-half lengths over Sham, again. This race was not without controversy, however, as there were timing discrepancies. The infield teletimer had been damaged so its time of 1:55 was called into question and the Pimlico Race Course timer showed it at 1:54.4 and the Daily Racing Form at 1:53.4. It was not until 2012 when the Maryland Racing Commission was asked by Secretariat’s owner, Penny Chenery, to conduct a forensic review of all footage and determine the time. It was deemed to be 1:53 which set a new Preakness Stakes record (39 years after the race was run and 23 years after Secretariat had died). Belmont Stakes – June 9, 1973 Secretariat pulled away from Sham (who later was diagnosed with an leg injury) near the end of the backstretch and just kept pulling away. The track announcer referred to him as a “tremendous machine” along the way and even had trouble estimating the margin of victory; announcing it at 25 lengths, but official reviews put it at 31 lengths (over 250 feet). And the time! The time of this race was 2:24 flat, which obliterated the world record for a mile-and-a-half dirt track by 2.6 seconds.

Randall Wallace directing John Malkovich and Diane Lane in "Secretariat" (2010) Photo Credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Sunday News - Secretariat! Sweeps Triple Crown With A Record Smashing Belmont (1973)

Penny Chenery’s Business Decisions

In the film, Penny Chenery is portrayed as a determined yet sympathetic figure who defies expectations to run her family’s stables. In reality, she was even more formidable. She took over Meadow Stable in a time when very few women ran racing operations and made bold business moves, including rejecting conservative offers in favor of syndicating Secretariat herself. Her intelligence and instincts were the foundation of Secretariat’s rise.

Diane Lane as Penny Chenery in "Secretariat" (2010) Photo Credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

The Meadow Event Park (also called "The Meadow") is an event center in Doswell, Virginia. Previously called the Meadow Stables, the park hosts the annual State Fair of Virginia. On March 14, 2013, the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation bought the State Fair of Virginia and the Meadow Event Park from Universal Fairs LLC of Cordova, Tennessee.[1] The Meadow Event Park also hosts other events.[citation needed] The historic structures of the Thoroughbred farm remain on the 331-acre (1.34 km2) site. The park was the birthplace of famous Thoroughbred racing horse Secretariat, 1973 Triple Crown champion.[2] The original barns that housed Secretariat, Riva Ridge, and earlier Meadow Stable champions have been preserved including the foaling shed where Secretariat was born on March 30, 1970. Meadow Hall showcases the Meadow Champions Galleries, the Triple Crown Room and the Museum of the Virginia Horse. Each spring, fans from all over the country flock to The Meadow for the annual Secretariat Birthday Celebration.[citation needed] In the fall, the State Fair features a Salute to Secretariat. The history of The Meadow dates back to 1805, when Dr. Charles D. Morris purchased 4,000 acres (16 km2) of land which served as his family's home for the next 100 years. The farm was sold out of the family in the early 1900s until Christopher Chenery, a Morris descendant, bought it back in 1936. His daughter, Penny Chenery, continued his work, achieving success with Riva Ridge and Secretariat. In 1972, Riva Ridge won the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes and placed fourth in the Preakness. In 1973, Secretariat became the first horse in twenty-five years to win the Triple Crown and the only champion to break all three track records, which still stand fifty years later. The Meadow was sold by the Chenery family in 1979, and most of the property was divided into smaller parcels. The rest of the farm changed owners several times. The venue has been owned by the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation since March 14, 2013. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as The Meadow Historic District in 2015.[3] The Meadow's history includes the African American grooms that are mentioned in the National Park Service application.[citation needed] Meadow Farms and Secretariat are also recognized by an official roadside historic marker from the State of Virginia.

Penny Chenery (Jan. 27, 1922 - Sept. 16, 2017) with her two great Meadow Stable champions - Secretariat and Riva Ridge. Like "Big Red", she was one-of-a-kind.

Horse Racing: Belmont Stakes: Secretariat owner Helen "Penny" Chenery Tweedy victorious with trophy after winning race and Triple Crown at Belmont Park. Elmont, NY 6/9/1973 Photo by Neil Leifer /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images

New York Times - February 27, 1973 announcing the syndication of Secretariat for a record $6.08 million.

Secretariat’s Syndication

While the movie captures the tension around Secretariat’s syndication, the process was far more complex. Penny Chenery and her partner, Ogden Phipps, devised a deal worth over $6 million. The film simplifies this into a single boardroom moment, skipping the financial finesse and legal risk she actually undertook.

Drew Roy and Diane Lane in "Secretariat" (2010) Photo Credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Diane Lane and James Cromwell in "Secretariat" (2010) Photo Credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Ogden Phipps, chairman of the Jockey Club, sits in his box at the Saratoga racetrack. Photo by Jerry Cooke/Corbis via Getty Images

Longtime Colorado resident Penny Chenery who owned the Triple Crown winner Secretariat relaxes at her apartment, Tuesday Sept. 21, 2010, in Boulder. Diane Lane will portrays Chenery in a new movie call Secretariat, that in open October 8th. RJ Sangosti/ The Denver Post Photo By RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post via Getty Images

The Belmont Stakes Portrayal

The movie’s crowning sequence is Secretariat’s win at the 1973 Belmont Stakes, shown in slow-motion with dramatic music. Remarkably, the actual race was every bit as incredible: Secretariat won by 31 lengths in a time that still stands today. The film didn’t need to exaggerate here — real history did all the work.

Secretariat and jockey Ron Turcotte winning the Belmont Stakes and the Triple Crown in a record-breaking time of 2:24, finishing 31 lengths ahead of the competiton, on June 9, 1973. Bettmann/Getty Images

What’s Left Out?

The film omits much of the behind-the-scenes tension within the racing industry, family disputes, and the political nature of the racing elite. Secretariat was designed to be inspirational, which meant softening or omitting some of the grittier realities.