A new calendar honoring Secretariat features his renowned daughter Weekend Surprise and her descendants. The Secretariat’s Legacy calendar is the continuation of a series originally celebrating the last living sons and daughters of Secretariat (‘Secretariat’s Living Legends’), but, with only one son and one daughter left, it was time to make a transition.
While the theme has changed, the goal is the same – to celebrate Secretariat through his descendants and raise much-needed funds for equine charities. For the second straight year, the beneficiaries are Bright Futures Farm, Old Friends and Victory Alliance Ranch.
The calendar series launched in 2018 has raised more than $22,000 for charities through 2021. “Racing fans, especially Secretariat fans, have loved the Living Legends calendars, and I hope they will enjoy this new take on Secretariat’s legacy through his important descendants,” says writer-photographer Patricia McQueen, whose creative project is part of her research work on Secretariat as a sire, which includes her Children of Secretariat series on TRC.
The 2022 calendar is all about Weekend Surprise, and she is featured on the cover and in the January spread. Secretariat’s stakes-winning daughter was 1992 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year, and her important descendants included in the calendar are:
- Summer Squall, her son who won the 1990 Preakness Stakes;
- A P Indy, her 1992 Horse of the Year son who went on to elite status as a sire;
- Charismatic, the 1999 Horse of the Year by Summer Squall;
- Mineshaft, the 2003 Horse of the Year by A P Indy;
- Rags to Riches, A P Indy’s champion daughter who won the 2007 Belmont Stakes;
- Bernardini, the 2006 champion 3-year-old colt by A P. Indy;
- Honor Code, A P Indy’s final champion, a member of his last crop;
- Tapit, A P. Indy’s grandson, who is a legendary sire himself;
- California Chrome, a 2-time Horse of the Year and great grandson of A P Indy;
- Justify, the 2018 Triple Crown winner and great-great grandson of A P Indy (and Storm Cat).
As in previous calendars, the Tony Leonard Collection continues to generously support the series with a beautiful photo of Secretariat after the Preakness Stakes with Ron Turcotte aboard. Turcotte has kindly agreed to autograph a limited number of calendars to help raise even more funds.
As noted, all profits from the sale of the calendar are allocated to three worthy organizations: Bright Futures Farm, an equine rescue and sanctuary accredited by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance; Old Friends, another TAA-accredited organization; and Victory Alliance Ranch, an equine rescue and sanctuary supporting veterans and special needs children.
The calendars are available for $25 each at SecretariatsLegacy.com. Free shipping within the U.S. is included. Everyone who orders a 2022 Secretariat’s Legacy calendar will also receive a free 4-page tribute to the ‘Last Secretariats’, who have all been included in the Living Legends series; only 33-year-old Border Run and 32-year-old Trusted Company remain.