Penny Chenery, often called the “First Lady of Racing,” forever changed the landscape of American horse racing through her remarkable partnership with the legendary racehorse Secretariat. Born in 1922, Chenery inherited her father’s Meadow Stable in Virginia at a time when women were rarely seen in the sport’s leadership roles. When her father’s health declined, she stepped in to manage the struggling stable—an act that would ultimately lead to one of the most iconic stories in sports history. I