Saddled with History: Panini America Adds Secretariat's Saddle to 2012 Golden Age

December 04, 2012

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Late last week, Panini America Brand Manager Mike Payne sent the following missive to me via email, shedding some light on the historic inclusion of rare Secretariat memorabilia (as well as on-card autographs from the people who likely knew the horse best) that will most certainly be an integral part of the upcoming 2012 Golden Age Baseball. I hope you find it to be as fascinating as I did.
In 1999, ESPN presented its SportsCentury Top 50 Athletes of the 20^th Century list. Coming in at No. 35 was a four-legged runner: Secretariat, the 1973 Triple Crown thoroughbred and considered by many to be the greatest race horse in history. He was the only non-human to appear on ESPN’s list.

So dominant was Secretariat during that 1973 season that his winning times in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes still remain race records today — 39 years after the running and 23 years after the champion’s passing.
In 2012 Golden Age Baseball, Panini America will bring collectors closer to the legend than anyone ever has before by including cards containing pieces of a Secretariat workout saddle that came from the stable of legendary trainer Lucien Lauren and was passed on to one of Lauren’s stable hands as a gift from the trainer.
As far as gifts go, this one was huge. It was used by Secretariat in workouts during his two-year racing career, so it got a lot of use. It’s a significant piece of history, with few – if any – Secretariat saddles ever emerging from private ownership.
2012 Golden Age also will feature another first related to Secretariat: Autographs of Penny Chenery, the horse’s owner during his phenomenal 1973 campaign. Chenery was portrayed by actress Diane Lane in the 2010 film “Secretariat.” Chenery, known as “The First Lady of Racing,” has never signed for a trading card release but draws long lines at the rare personal appearances she makes.
In addition to the Secretariat saddle and Chenery’s on-card signatures, Golden Age features on-card autographs of the jockey aboard Secretariat during his amazing 1973 season – Ron Turcotte.
Golden Age arrives December 19 and carries a $3 SRP for each six-card pack.
To get your ready for the release, we’ve provided checklists below detailing the set’s Historic Signatures, Historic Cut Signatures and Museum Age Memorabilia inserts. Take a look, and stay tuned to The Knight’s Lance for additional sneak peeks.