Sporting films frequently distort facts. Filmmakers in Hollywood often alter reality to improve narrative appeal.
The film “Rudy” misrepresented events; Notre Dame coach Dan Devine did not object to Daniel Ruettiger, a member of the practice squad, participating in a game. Instead, the concept originated with Devine himself.
Furthermore, the film “Secretariat” inaccurately portrayed the individual responsible for rescuing Meadow Stable and its racing endeavors from economic collapse. The hero was not Secretariat.
The true savior was Riva Ridge.
Penny Chenery, owner of Meadow Stable, recounted in a 2012 Thoroughbred Times piece (Chenery passed away in 2017) that “Riva Ridge emerged during a period of financial hardship for the stable.” She explained, “My father [Christopher T. Chenery] was unwell, and my siblings wished to liquidate the farm. They asserted that I was the sole person deriving pleasure from the horses and desired to sell the property to invest in their own pursuits. However, I stood firm, vowing not to sell the horses during my father’s lifetime. Subsequently, Riva Ridge appeared and achieved championship status [in 1971], altering the situation entirely. Their pressure to sell ceased.”
She continued, “Later, considerable attention was given to the coin toss that brought us Secretariat, yet without Riva Ridge, Secretariat would have belonged to a different owner, and the course of history could have been entirely different. The world might have missed out on one of its most exceptional racehorses.”
Furthermore, the film conveniently omitted a horse that merited at minimum a significant secondary role.
“I found the movie disappointing because certain elements in it were simply not accurate to real life,” Chenery commented. “However, I merely thought to myself, ‘Such is the nature of Hollywood.’ They couldn’t present two protagonists.”
Riva Ridge’s absence from the “Secretariat” film, in certain respects, mirrored his actual career. He competed during the 1970s, an era unparalleled in the history of the sport for its abundance of gifted horses, and he stood as one of that decade’s most prominent figures. His talent was sufficient to secure 17 victories from 30 starts, encompassing two segments of the Triple Crown, thereby becoming the twelfth horse in racing to achieve millionaire status and gaining induction into the Racing Hall of Fame.
Although he, like all his contemporaries, might have been overshadowed by Secretariat, those closest to him, particularly Penny Chenery, held immense admiration for Meadow Stable’s “alternate” champion of the 1970s.
Ron Turcotte, who regularly rode both Secretariat and Riva Ridge, stated in the Thoroughbred Times article, “I had the privilege of riding exceptional horses such as Tom Rolfe, Damascus, and Northern Dancer, and Riva Ridge was their equal.”
Nevertheless, despite his flawless track record, many primarily recall him as Secretariat’s stable companion.
A prime illustration of this occurred in the inaugural Marlboro Cup in 1973, an event specifically designed to highlight Secretariat. That day, Riva Ridge performed powerfully enough to surpass virtually any other horse globally, with a single exception. At the conclusion, Secretariat triumphed by 3 ½ lengths, setting a world record time, ahead of Riva Ridge and five other top contenders in the sport.
Eddie Maple, who rode Riva Ridge instead of Turcotte in the $250,000 race, remarked to Thoroughbred Times, “Riva Ridge prepared magnificently for [the Marlboro Cup] and achieved a speed capable of establishing a world record. Yet, he still did not win. That indeed reveals a significant narrative. Regrettably, the second-place finisher in a major competition is often forgotten.”
Riva Ridge, bred by his owner and sired by First Landing, secured victory much more frequently than second place throughout his three-year racing career.
His inaugural race on June 9, 1971, at Belmont Park, stands as one of the rare less-than-stellar performances in his distinguished career. Starting at 2-1 odds under trainer Lucien Laurin, he experienced interference at the race’s outset and failed to perform, ending in seventh place, trailing by 16 lengths with jockey Chuck Baltazar.
After blinkers were applied, Riva Ridge recovered with straightforward victories in maiden and allowance races, but then underperformed as a 1.30-to-1 favorite in his initial stakes appearance, the Great American, where he faced congestion early and finished eighth, behind Chevron Flight.
Subsequently, Turcotte was enlisted to ride Riva Ridge in the Flash Stakes at Saratoga. Riva Ridge initially attempted to veer outwards at the start, but Turcotte adeptly directed him to the inside, securing a 2 ½-length win.
Following this triumph, Turcotte informed Laurin that Riva Ridge exhibited an apprehension about running closely alongside other horses, a issue that needed addressing to unleash the young, gifted colt’s full potential.
Turcotte recounted, “The day after the Flash Stakes, I visited Lucien’s barn and stated that Riva Ridge possessed the potential to be the finest two-year-old I had ever ridden. He merely chuckled. But for that to occur, I explained that I needed a month to train him and accustom him to racing in close proximity to other horses. Lucien was entirely unreceptive. He declared that he had already scheduled other races for him at Saratoga and was unwilling to forego them. It was then that I told him, ‘Lucien, your choice is a champion or a claimer. It’s your call.’ It was direct, but he considered it for a moment and granted me the month to work with him.”
Turcotte subsequently began training Riva Ridge intensively, having him work alongside two other horses from Laurin’s stable, ridden by Charlie Davis and Tommy Feliciano.
Charlie Davis remarked to Thoroughbred Times, “One can judge a book by its exterior, yet truly understanding its contents is impossible. We unveiled the true nature of Riva Ridge that August. The advancement that horse demonstrated was remarkably impressive and brought immense gratification to all of us. He continued to exert maximum effort but also acquired a degree of composure.”
The extensive effort dedicated to helping Riva Ridge achieve calmness culminated in successive victories in the Belmont Futurity, Champagne, Pimlico-Laurel Futurity, and Garden State Stakes, establishing Riva Ridge as the premier two-year-old male of 1971.
As the favored contender in the winter books for the Kentucky Derby, Riva Ridge triumphed in the Hibiscus Stakes at Hialeah Park in his initial outing as a three-year-old, yet subsequently underperformed on a muddy track in the Everglades Stakes, placing fourth.
Riva Ridge compensated for that disappointment with a convincing four-length win in the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland and entered the Kentucky Derby as a 3-2 favorite.
He secured the Derby victory by 3 ¼ lengths, marking what would become the initial triumph in a pair of consecutive wins for Meadow Stable in the esteemed race.
“When Riva Ridge won the Derby, I was ecstatic,” Chenery expressed. “My father was still living [he passed away in January 1973], and I had realized his aspirations and greatest ambition in racing by winning the Derby. I will forever be grateful to Riva Ridge for that achievement.”
As the Triple Crown series progressed to Pimlico for the Preakness, ominous weather approached, resulting in a muddy track for the second crucial race. Throughout his career, six of Riva Ridge’s thirteen defeats occurred on wet surfaces or turf.
Turcotte remarked, “That downpour distressed me. I had hoped they would withdraw him and instead enter Upper Case (who had previously won the Wood Memorial on a muddy track), but they stated they would forever lament it if Riva finished second to Upper Case. They did scratch Upper Case, but I was aware Riva Ridge would be incapable of managing those muddy conditions.”
Turcotte’s intuition proved accurate as Riva Ridge, a heavy 3-10 favorite, placed fourth, losing to the longshot Bee Bee Bee.
“He was simply not destined to achieve the Triple Crown,” Chenery commented.
Returning to a dry racing surface, Riva Ridge effortlessly achieved a seven-length win in the Belmont Stakes and subsequently triumphed by a neck in the Hollywood Derby.
His success at Hollywood Park marked Riva Ridge’s final win of 1972, and a subsequent series of five defeats, two of which saw him finish behind Key to the Mint, paved the way for Key to the Mint to be recognized as the year’s top three-year-old male.
While the Meadow Stable team may have felt considerable disappointment regarding Riva Ridge’s oversight by the Eclipse Award voters, they discovered substantial solace in Secretariat’s recognition as the 1972 Horse of the Year, despite being only a two-year-old.
During 1973, Riva Ridge secured victories in the Massachusetts Handicap, Brooklyn Handicap, and Stuyvesant Handicap, earning him the title of the year’s top handicap racer; however, his achievements were overshadowed in a year that was exclusively dominated by Secretariat.
Riva Ridge’s racing career concluded regrettably when he came in last in the 1973 Jockey Club Gold Cup, after which both he and Secretariat retired to commence their breeding careers at Claiborne Farm.
Chenery shared, “The moment I observed the Claiborne groom escorting them down the van ramp and placing their shanks on them, it impacted me profoundly. I understood that this was the conclusion. A journalist attempted to pose a question, but I was unable to speak. I was so overwhelmed with emotion that I simply departed.”
Chenery recounted that for the subsequent 45 minutes, she wandered the farm alone, with memories of the preceding two years swirling in her thoughts, completely exhausting her emotions.
“Eventually, I regained my composure and returned,” Chenery stated. “I desired solitude, yet I felt a commitment to the sport. I realized I couldn’t merely retreat to a corner and weep like a young schoolgirl.”
Chenery frequently visited both of her horses at Claiborne, and over time, her connection with Riva Ridge deepened considerably.
Chenery noted, “With the passage of time, I would call out to Secretariat, and he wouldn’t acknowledge me. I was simply one among countless individuals uttering his name daily. However, until his passing [in 1985], Riva Ridge would respond with alertness upon hearing me call him. This is why, when discussing the two horses, I assert that Secretariat belonged to the public, while Riva Ridge belonged to me. Secretariat had millions of admirers. He didn’t require my individual attention. But Riva Ridge had only me. He was my champion, and I understood that I held significance for him.”
Truly a hero. Ultimately, Riva Ridge was the one who preserved the renowned Meadow Stable.
Information: This narrative was initially released in December 2015 and has since been revised.
Intriguing Details
- A syndicate acquired Riva Ridge for $5.1 million. The previous year, Secretariat had been syndicated for a global record of $6.08 million.
- Riva Ridge gained entry into the Racing Hall of Fame in 1998.
- During the 1971 Garden State Stakes, Riva Ridge outran Numbered Account, the top two-year-old filly of 1971, and Key to the Mint, who would become his principal rival at age three.
- On September 20, 1972, the $28,000 Stymie Handicap at Belmont Park showcased the two most recent victors of the Kentucky Derby. Riva Ridge conceded 13 pounds to Canonero II and placed second to the 1971 Kentucky Derby and Preakness champion by five lengths. The winning Canonero established a course record of 1:46 1/5 for the mile and one-eighth in the Stymie. Secretariat subsequently broke this record with his time of 1:45 2/5 in the Marlboro Cup.
