Penny and Red
The Life of Secretariat’s Owner
Penny & Red is the story of Penny Chenery and her horse Secretariat, whose stunning Triple Crown record has never been matched.
From her parents’ climb out of poverty to her emergence as the ‘First Lady of Racing,’ Penny Chenery’s life was fueled by her love of horses. Forever paired with the great racehorse Secretariat, Penny’s story exemplifies the rise and sacrifices of women of her generation. The woman who emerges from this surprisingly candid documentary is no Disney princess. Yet Penny’s unstinting reflection on her life of caged ambition, suddenly liberated by a horse of transcendent power, still gives off a shimmer of grace.
Released 2013
“A stunningly honest account of Penny’s life — a vivid reflection of the many mirrors of her past, all of it made the more poignant and powerful by her unsparing self-reflection. In words and pictures, it has the uncracked ring of truth.”
Bill Nack, author, Secretariat: The Making of a Champion
“The historic value of the film was first-rate. Penny was refreshing and enlightening in her candor. The racing highlight was the Belmont Stakes, with Penny superimposed against the race footage. This was excellent filmmaking, and it is obvious that John Tweedy is gifted at his craft. I highly recommend this film.”
Steve Haskin, The Blood Horse
“An entertaining, eloquently tantalizing summation of one woman’s journey through a modern era, during which much of her life was lived in a fishbowl of celebrity, now coming to terms with the world others did not see.”
Jay Hovdey, The Daily Racing Form
