CHARRED OAKS INN GUESTS CHECK OUT NEW SECRETARIAT MONUMENT

Charred Oaks Inn guests, and avid racehorse enthusiasts, in town for this year's Fall Race meet at one of Kentucky's legendary racetracks, Keeneland, took time to check out the new Secretariat monument today. The meet, in its second week, played host to the annual Secretariat Festival this weekend.

This annual event celebrates the beloved Triple Crown winner and this year the festival was marked by the unveiling of the Secretariat Bronze Monument created by sculptor, Jocelyn Russell of Friday Harbor, Washington. Russell specializes in sculpting wildlife and other animals.

The memorial to the 1973 Triple Crown winner, considered by many the greatest racehorse ever in the United States, will be the largest of five known Secretariat monuments: two at the Kentucky Horse Park, one at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, one at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, New York, and the other in Grand Falls, New Brunswick, Canada, home of Secretariat’s jockey, Ron Turcotte.

Secretariat shares the recognition as one of the greatest North American racehorses with two other champions: Man o’ War and Citation. Man o’ War never ran in the Kentucky Derby and Citation won the 1948 Triple Crown races and was the last to do so until Secretariat in 1973, but “Big Red” was the only horse to win all three Triple Crown races and set the track record at all three places.

This newest memorial will be slightly more than 11/2 times the size of Secretariat when he lived.

Secretariat, posed in full stride winning the Kentucky Derby as starter No. 1A with Turcotte on board, was delivered to Keeneland early this week for the official unveiling yesterday.

The monument will be on display through Sunday at Keeneland. Its permanent home will on the Lexington-Frankfort Scenic Corridor at the intersection of Old Frankfort Pike and Alexandria Drive.

Keeneland's Fall race meet will continue through October 26th with no racing on Mondays and Tuesdays. Gates open at 11AM and post time is 1:05PM Keeneland is located seven miles from Charred Oaks Inn. Charred Oaks Inn, a Select Registry B&B, is open year round. Reservations can be made online 24/7 on our secure website at https://www.charredoaksinn.com or by calling or texting 513-739-6156.