Secretariat Foundation announces 2009 grants

On the eve of the 141st running of the Belmont S. (G1), the legacy of the

race's most illustrious winner continues to shine throughout the equine

community. Helen "Penny" Chenery, owner of 1973 Triple Crown champion

Secretariat and president of the Secretariat Foundation, is pleased to announce

the Foundation's recipients of charitable grants for 2009.

Most of this year's grants, with a sum of $27,000, are aimed toward Chenery's

continued focus on the plight of unwanted Thoroughbred racehorses and the

ongoing battle against laminitis, the disease that claimed the lives of both

Secretariat and 2006 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Barbaro as well as thousands of

other horses worldwide.

"More than 35 years after the thrill of Secretariat's Triple Crown, I am so

honored that his memory lives on through the beneficiaries of the Secretariat

Foundation," Chenery said. "I am especially grateful to his fans and supporters

who have made it possible for us to contribute to these projects."

The 2009 Secretariat Foundation grant recipients are:

Additionally, the Foundation has awarded a $5,000 grant to the Dawn of a New

Library project in Dawn, Virginia, where many Meadow Farm employees have lived

and raised their families during their service to the Chenery family. The new

5,000-square-foot facility will house a greatly expanded collection of books,

reference and research materials, state-of-the-art computer lab, and a meeting

room available to all community patrons.

"Penn Veterinary Medicine is deeply grateful to Mrs. Penny Chenery, the

'first lady' of Thoroughbred racing and her continued, generous support of our

work in the field of laminitis research," said University of Pennsylvania

Veterinary School Dean Dr. Joan C. Hendricks. "It is this type of on-going

generosity that allows us to do the very important but painstaking work to

uncover the secrets to curing and ultimately preventing laminitis and we thank

her profoundly for her help."

The Secretariat Foundation is a non-profit charitable organization created by

Chenery to assist the Thoroughbred industry in the areas of research,

rehabilitation, retirement and recognition. She named the foundation after her

champion to use his enduring appeal to bring greater awareness to the many

causes found within the equine-related community.

Secretariat Foundation revenue is raised through donations, signing

appearances, and the sales of memorabilia and officially licensed products on

Secretariat.com. For more information or inquiries, contact information@secretariat.com.