Collector’s Edition 2018 Calendar Celebrates Secretariat’s Last Living Sons and Daughters

Secretariat fans everywhere have given rave reviews to a 2018 calendar featuring the last living sons and daughters of legendary 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat. Released just after Christmas, the fund-raising calendar has been very successful in its mission to raise money for its beneficiaries, despite the late launch for a calendar, and has already gone to a second printing.

This group of ‘living legends’ is headlined by the ageless General Poppy, who officially turned 35 years old on January 1. The others included in this collection are:

-Stakes winner Fast Market (32), who started more times (144) than any other Secretariat.
-Torbay (31), a full brother to two-time Pacific Classic winner Tinners Way.
-Stakes-placed Border Run (30), a full brother to Terlingua and Pancho Villa.
-Albany’s Secret (30), a mare who was rescued after being abandoned and is now a pampered star.
-The $1.15 million yearling Innkeeper (30), the only stallion in the group.
-Time Alert (29), who with his last race on May 1, 1999, became the very last Secretariat starter.
-The last-crop Secretariat’s Fire (28), who is likely the last Secretariat mare to produce a foal.
-Secret of the Sea (28), one of the final Secretariat foals born in the spring of 1990.

“I call them ‘living legends’ because they are treasured as the last direct connections to their illustrious sire,” said writer/photographer Patricia McQueen, who created the calendar as a fundraiser and to share these horses with Secretariat fans everywhere. “All the current owners have taken wonderful care of them, as evidenced by their advanced age. Some have had one owner for their entire post-racing lives; others found their forever homes fairly late in life.”

All profits from the sale of the calendar are allocated to three worthy organizations, each of which has been taking excellent care of one of these legends. They are Pennsylvania’s Bright Futures Farm, an equine rescue and sanctuary accredited by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance; Alabama’s Victory Alliance Ranch, an equine rescue and sanctuary supporting veterans and special needs children; and Virginia Tech’s MARE Center, an equine research and teaching facility.

“I have seen first-hand how hard these organizations work for the welfare of all horses,” said McQueen. “It has been so much fun visiting with these special elderly Secretariats and learning their stories; this is my way of giving a little back. I’d like to encourage everyone interested in Secretariat, and in supporting these organizations and the horses that depend on them, to join me by purchasing a calendar even as we move past January.”

She also asks anyone who knows of other living sons and daughters of Secretariat to reach out to her so she can honor even more of these horses of distinction. The early publicity on the calendar turned up just one more ‘living legend’ – she hopes more will still surface.

The collector’s edition calendars are available for $25 each through the Bright Futures website at secretariatlegends.brightfuturesfarm.org.