Meet the Louisville man Penny Chenery trusted with marketing Secretariat's legacy

On Saturday, May 5, 1973, Leonard Lusky, a 12-year-old Louisville kid, was strolling through the aisle of a local pet shop when suddenly the ambient sounds of chirping parakeets and gurgling fishtanks were interrupted by a rousing radio broadcast from the Kentucky Derby blaring across the store intercom.

"I can remember it like it was yesterday," Lusky told the Courier Journal 50 years after Secretariat won the 99th Kentucky Derby. "There was already a lot of buzz about Secretariat coming into the race. He was the reigning Horse of the Year as a 2-year-old, and now here he was busting through the finish line at 1:59 2/5, a new (and still standing) course record."

Many decades into the future, the boy in the pet shop would become a business partner and a close personal friend of Penny Chenery, the owner of Secretariat. But in 1973, Lusky was just a tiny part of the thunderous Secretariat-mania that swept the country.

"I was in a local mall on June 9, 1973, and everyone wanted to watch Secretariat race the Belmont, the final leg of the Triple Crown," said Lusky. "I stopped in a Radio Shack and watched the race on a very small four-inch television."

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Secretariat's 1973 televised Triple Crown victory, and especially his phenomenal finish, 31 lengths ahead of the field in the Belmont, created Thoroughbred racing's first television star and turned the horse known affectionately as "Big Red" because of his reddish brown color, into a national sensation.

Not only did "Big Red" become the first racehorse in 25 years to win the Triple Crown, but the exquisite equine athlete who appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated, Time and Newsweek magazines in the same week, captured the hearts of Americans at a time when the Vietnam War, the Watergate scandal and inflation loomed large over the country.

For Lusky, Secretariat's win furthered a fascination with horse racing. By the time he went to high school, Lusky admits he occasionally cut class at Atherton High School to enjoy afternoon horse racing at Churchill Downs. He went on to study Zoology and Biology at the University of Hawaii, but many years later, his passion for animals and horses, in particular, would take an interesting twist and lead him to Secretariat.

How a bobblehead cemented Leonard Lusky's career marketing Secretariat

While working on a coffee table book to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the Kentucky Derby, Lusky met Secretariat owner Chenery, who by this time was widely known as the "First Lady" of horse racing.

"We really hit it off. I am not sure what it was exactly. I guess she liked quirky people," Lusky recalled. "So, I felt comfortable calling her and asking for a meeting to discuss a big void I noticed in the marketing of Secretariat."

Lusky, who is the president of Moonlight Press, began working with Chenery on marketing projects in the early 2000s. Their first endeavors included creating a website devoted to the iconic racehorse, Secretariat.com. They also produced a Secretariat bobblehead to raise funds for a bronze monument Chenery hoped to place at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington.

"She told me she thought bobbleheads were 'ghastly' but she let me go ahead and produce 1,000 of them," Lusky said. "We put them online at $73 each and we immediately sold out. That's what began our working relationship."

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What Penny Chenery taught Leonard Lusky about honoring Secretariat's legacy

Arguably the greatest racehorse of all time, Secretariat broke several records in his 16 month racing career. As for his popularity, The William Morris Agency booked his appearances the way it would an A-List movie star. Chenery believed Secretariat was America's horse and should be shared with his fans.

Lusky learned early on what his employer felt was important about securing and promoting the legacy of Secretariat. First and foremost, is the idea that the sport of horse racing should be accessible to everyone.

"Penny was a 'fans owner' and that was very important to her all the way up until her death [in 2017]. She was signing autographs two weeks before she died," Lusky remembers. "We would go to venues and she would sign for hours on end and really there were times when she couldn't lift her arm the next day it was so sore from all the signing."

Besides creating events for Secretariat fans, Lusky and Chenery worked as a team to ensure Secretariat's legacy was used to promote the sport of horse racing. They established The Secretariat Foundation and raised funds for charities important to Chenery including the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, The Permanently Disabled Jockey Fund and Old Friends Equine Farm.

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"Just like that bobblehead, she didn't always like my ideas, at least at first, but she trusted me," said Lusky. "As an example, after each Kentucky Derby, she would call the owner to congratulate them on the win and welcome them to the exclusive club of Kentucky Derby winners. She'd also pass along my name as someone who could help them navigate marketing a Kentucky Derby winner."

Why did Penny Chenery choose Disney to tell the story of Secretariat?

Secretariat was a media darling and many filmmakers were interested in telling his story. When Disney approached Chenery to make the 2010 feature film "Secretariat," starring actress Diane Lane and John Malkovich, it was the fifth movie pitch the horse owner had received.

And the one accepted.

"I think what Penny liked about the Disney pitch was the fact it wasn't just about a horse race. It was the story of the people who believed in this incredible horse," said Lusky, who served as a technical advisor on the movie. "That film changed everything because it introduced a new generation to Secretariat and Penny was very proud of that."

Besides introducing "Big Red" to people who were not even alive when he won the Triple Crown, Lusky said the Disney film, along with more recent Triple Crown winners, American Pharoah (2015), and Justify (2018), helped reignite interest in Secretariat in the years leading up to 2023, the 50th anniversary of his Triple Crown victory.

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Keeping Secretariat's legacy alive and on track remains Lusky's mission

He may have won the Triple Crown a half-century ago, but even today, Secretariat remains one of the most famous racehorses in history. According to Lusky, women make up the largest percentage of the "Big Red" fan base, which he believes is the result of the 2010 Disney film.

In April, a 3,500-pound bronze monument, "Secretariat Racing Into History," by renowned equine artist Jocelyn Russell, was unveiled in Secretariast's home state of Virginia. Hundreds of people showed up for the event for a first glimpse at the 21 feet long and 11.5 feet tall monument celebrating the life of Secretariat, who died in 1989 and is buried at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky. Fans regularly make appointments to visit his grave by calling 859-987-2330.

And yes, a limited edition of Lusky's original Secretariat bobblehead is once again available at Secretariat.com, along with information about special events and ongoing promotions celebrating the life of the sensational thoroughbred who united the nation's imagination in 1973.

"I feel incredibly fortunate to have been part of a team representing a legendary horse that is so beloved," Lusky told the Courier Journal. "Penny Chenery had a great vision of what is important about the sport of horse racing and I am doing my part to continue that legacy."

Reach features reporter Kirby Adams at kadams@courier-journal.com.

How is the 50th anniversary of Secretariat's Triple Crown victory being celebrated?

For the past two years, Lusky has contributed to projects highlighting the 50th anniversary of Secretariat's 1973 Triple Crown victory, many of which are highlighted on Secretariat.com.

"Secretariat Racing Into History," the large monument dedicated to Secretariat in Virginia earlier this month, will be traveling to Louisville to be a part of the celebrations of the 149th Kentucky Derby. Numerous other notable celebrations of the life and legacy of Secretariat have also been planned leading up to the 2023 Kentucky Derby. While additional events dedicated to celebrating Secretariat's legacy will be announced in the coming weeks, here are two events to keep in mind:

The Kentucky Derby Museum, 704 Central Ave., will open a new exhibit highlighting the extraordinary racehorse and the team that made Secretariat's Triple Crown victory possible. The exhibit is scheduled to open on April 21. You can find more details at derbymuseum.org.

Champions Day at Churchill Downs Racetrack, 700 Central Ave., will be held Wednesday, May 3. This special day, held the week of the Kentucky Derby, is an entire day of horse racing and special events devoted to commemorating the 50th anniversary of Secretariat. Gates open at 11:30 a.m. For more information visit churchilldowns.com.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Secretariat racing legacy: How Louisville man markets horses history