The 12th annual Secretariat Festival will be held as a virtual event Oct. 10 and 11 owing to restrictions and recommendations brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
“We cannot replicate the in-person fellowship that our fans have enjoyed at our Festival events in the past,” said Kate Chenery Tweedy, daughter of Secretariat's late owner Penny Chenery. “But as we started contemplating a virtual format, we realized that it would present some opportunities that we have been able to harness and present to Secretariat fans all over the world. Now and in the future, we remain committed to bringing fans together annually to celebrate the life and legacy of Secretariat.”
Among the other featured guests are jockeys Ron Turcotte, Steve Cauthen, Pat Day, Mike Manganello and Laffit Pincay Jr.; Mark Cirardi, producer of the Secretariat movie; and jockey turned actor Otto Thorwarth. Kenny Rice and Laffit Pincay III and Kenny Rice will serve as moderators.
The Fan Forum virtual events require pre-registration and will be conducted via Zoom. Virtual tours, presented for Secretariat fans, will be free and featured on the Secretariat Festival Facebook page: Claiborne Farm, the historic farm where Secretariat stood during his stallion career and is now buried; Ron Turcotte's hometown of Grand Falls, New Brunswick, Canada, showcasing the Secretariat monument and bridge named for the famed rider; the newly refurbished National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame; the fan favorite Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Center; and the Kentucky Derby Museum, which features one of the largest collections of Secretariat artifacts.
There will also be an online auction benefitting the Secretariat Foundation, which is open now through Oct. 11.
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