Zenyatta award from Chenery 2/5

Zenyatta will be the recipient of the inaugural Secretariat Vox Populi Award (Voice of the People), which will be presented at Santa Anita Park on Feb. 5 by Secretariat owner Penny Chenery.

Penny Chenery

Chenery, who is the subject of Disney’s movie “Secretariat,” which is being released on Blu-ray Jan. 25, announced today that she is creating the new annual award to recognize a horse whose popularity and racing excellence best resounded with the American public and gained recognition for the sport during the past year. It’s the first award of its kind in horse racing.

Zenyatta was undefeated in her first 19 races before narrowly losing in her final race at the Breeders’ Cup last October. The horse owned by Ann and Jerry Moss was named the 2010 Eclipse Horse of the Year Award this week and is considered one of the most popular horses ever to have raced. Chenery will present the custom-made Vox Populi trophy to the Mosses during the ceremony at Santa Anita.

“Achievement can be measured in many ways,” Chenery said, “and fans occasionally feel a disconnect when the horses who most impacted the public are not recognized through thetraditional equine awards. The industry is long overdue in annually acknowledging the star horse who brings the most excitement and attention to the sport. It is my hope that the Secretariat Vox Populi Award will achieve that purpose.”

Although Chenery selected this year’s recipient, plans are in place for a committee of both distinguished racing personalities and industry representatives to choose the winner each year going forward in conjunction with a national online vote.

— By Scott Hettrick