Some stories begin in the winner's circle. Others begin years later, around a kitchen table.
In 1993, I was commissioned by Penny Chenery to create an original watercolor of Secretariat for a commemorative notecard celebrating the twentieth anniversary of his historic Triple Crown victory at Belmont Park in 1973.
The painting depicted Secretariat during his final work at Woodbine racetrack in Canada, which is why he is portrayed without racing silks. During that same period, I also painted several of Penny's beloved Jack Russell Terriers and created a pastel portrait of Secretariat that was later offered through Sotheby's inaugural online auction.
Several years later, while visiting Penny at her home in Lexington, Kentucky, we sat together at her kitchen table preparing notecard sets for an upcoming event. As we talked, I noticed the pin she had worn throughout Secretariat's legendary racing career was no longer with her. She explained that somewhere over the years, it had been lost.
I offered to create a new piece—a sculptural portrait of Secretariat in solid 18-karat gold. The resulting brooch would eventually become the Secretariat Gold Pin, one of the most meaningful pieces to emerge from my studio. Penny immediately embraced the idea.
The finished brooch was presented to her during the opening celebration of the newly renovated Kentucky Derby Museum in Louisville. The photograph shown here captures the moment she opened the box and received the completed pin—a deeply personal tribute to one of racing's greatest champions and the remarkable woman who believed in him.
The photograph shown here captures the moment she opened the box and received the completed pin—a deeply personal tribute to one of racing's greatest champions and the remarkable woman who believed in him.
Like many pieces created in my studio, the Secretariat Pin began not as jewelry, but as fine art.Â
Through a process that begins with original artwork and evolves into wearable sculpture, each piece reflects my lifelong journey—from canvas to gold.
From Canvas to Gold
The Secretariat Gold Pin remains one of the most personal commissions of my career—a piece born from friendship, memory, and the enduring legacy of an extraordinary horse. For those who share that legacy, the sculptural pin and related works may be explored in the Secretariat Collection.