A groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday, Feb. 7 makes it official—the “Secretariat Racing Into History” monument will be installed on the corner of England Street and Railroad Avenue in downtown Ashland, commemorating the Triple Crown winner who was raised in nearby Doswell, Va. This is the first such monument in the state of Virginia.

The site, soon-to-be known as the Reynolds Family Plaza, is the southwestern corner of Randolph-Macon’s campus, and has been leased to the Town of Ashland for the purpose of hosting the monument. President Robert R. Lindgren participated in the groundbreaking ceremony with other officials and dignitaries, including Steve Trivett, Mayor of Ashland, Kate Chenery Tweedy, the Chair of Secretariat for Virginia, Ann Martin, the President of the Ashland Museum, and Jocelyn Russell, the monument’s sculptor.

“There are so many ties to Ashland, and it’s so appropriate that we’d be here. I love this community,” said Tweedy, whose grandfather and mother were Secretariat’s breeders and owners. “I just think of what Mom would think, and what Grandad would think, and I know they would be overwhelmingly gratified.”

“Like Secretariat himself, the monument is supersized, and we’re sure it’ll have a supersized impact on tourism in Ashland, Hanover, and the region,” remarked Mayor Trivett.

Considered the greatest racehorse of all time, Secretariat still holds the fastest time in each of the three Triple Crown races: the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes. Sand from each of those three racetracks, as well as sand from his home farm, The Meadow, will be included in the mold of the monument.

March 30, 2024—Secretariat’s birthday—will officially be Secretariat Day in Ashland with a dedication ceremony for the monument at 2 p.m. and a full day of festivities.