Ashland in Hanover County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Secretariat: America's Super Horse and Virginia's Pride
Photographed by Evan Dwyer, October 12, 2025
1. Secretariat: America's Super Horse and Virginia's Pride Marker
Secretariat was born March 30, 1970 at The Meadow in Carolina County, Virginia. The stable was founded in 1936 by Christopher T. Chenery, formerly of Ashland, and later managed by his daughter Penny Chenery.
Secretariat's 1973 Triple Crown records have never been broken, as of 2023.
He was named Horse of the Year in 1972 and 1973, Champion 3-Year-Old Colt and Champion Turf Horse 1973 and inducted into the National Racing Hall of Fame in 1974.
He was featured on the covers of Time, Newsweek and Sports Illustrated and named #35 on ESPN's list of the 100 Greatest North American Athletes of the 20th Century.
Secretariat's flawless anatomy equipped him with both speed and stamina, along with a racing stride of over 25 feet and an enormous engine of a heart that was found to weigh 22 pounds.
His descendants have dominated racing for decades, including two Triple Crown winners - American Pharoah in 2015 and Justify in 2018.
March 30, 2024 - On this day, Secretariat's Birthday, The Secretariat Racing Into History monument by sculptor Jocelyn Russell was dedicated here in Ashland at the Reynolds Family Plaza at Randolph-Macon College. His bronze hooves are planted in sand collected from each racetrack of the Triple Crown and from the original training track
this page online
Erected 2024.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Sports. A significant historical year for this entry is 1973.
Location. 37° 45.55′ N, 77° 28.853′ W. Marker is in Ashland, Virginia, in Hanover County. It is at the intersection of England Street (Virginia Route 54) and North Railroad Avenue, on the right when traveling west on England Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Ashland VA 23005, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Virginia’s Piedmont, in Central Virginia, and in the Richmond Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Randolph-Macon College (within shouting distance of this marker); Railroad Company Sees Potential For A Town Among The Slash Pines (within shouting distance of this marker); Porters: the Unsung Heroes of Rail Travel (within shouting distance of this marker); Ashland (within shouting distance of this marker); Downtown Business Growth Fuels Ashland Expansion (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Bringing up the Rear (about 400 feet away); Railroad Lays Track from Richmond to Washington (about 500 feet away); Electric Train Generates Electricity for Ashland (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ashland.
Photographed by Evan Dwyer, October 12, 2025
2. Secretariat: America's Super Horse and Virginia's Pride Marker
As well as the donor's tablet for the statue.
Photographed by Evan Dwyer, October 12, 2025
3. Secretariat Racing Into History Sculpture
Secretariat: America's Super Horse and Virginia's Pride Marker is on the brick wall beyond the sculpture.
Photographed by Kevin Vincent, March 29, 2026
4. Statue of Secretariat with Marker behind statue
Credits. This page was last revised on April 2, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 12, 2025, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 92 times since then and 51 times this year. Last updated on March 29, 2026, by Kevin Vincent of Arlington, Virginia. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 12, 2025, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. 4. submitted on March 29, 2026, by Kevin Vincent of Arlington, Virginia. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
