ONE OF A KIND PENNY

THERE ARE TWO INDELIBLE MOMENTS that reflect the es-sence of Helen “Penny” Chenery. They occurred mere yards from one another, yet 42 years apart. In the box seats at Belmont Park, there was Penny (Tweedy then) in 1973 after her Secretariat had won the Belmont Stakes (G1) in record time by 31 lengths and by extension the Triple Crown, thrusting her arms above her head in exultation, giving a double-handed wave to those fortunate enough to be assembled in the grandstand below, witnesses to history. And then in 2015 she sat in a nearby box with Patrice Wolfson, the owner of 1978 Triple Crown winner Affirmed, watching American Pharoah join the echelon of Triple Crown winners. Penny was delighted for the new member of the exclusive club because his emergence was good for racing. But when someone mentioned how fast American Pharoah had completed the 12-furlong course, Penny didn’t hesitate. “Not fast enough,” she shot back.