A carrot treat before Lotka raced out to her paddock for a good romp
Lotka, the talented race mare who earned more than $700,000 in 20 starts, rang in her 30th birthday last week at Our Mims Retirement Haven with a mad-dash gallop followed by a hearty roll.
The age-defying beauty is not exactly demure at her advanced age, reports Jeanne Mirabito, owner of the nonprofit Thoroughbred charity.
“We began the day with a hearty breakfast of grain, but all attempts of grooming and pampering were immediately thwarted with kicks and attempted bites!” Mirabito says in a press release.
There must have been something in the air on her big b-day, March 27, because the other retired broodmares and lone gentleman, Elmhurst, frolicked in their pasture, kicking, rearing and “acting wild.”
Lotka retired at Our Mims in August 2008.
“I could not find a place for Lotka. So I asked my boss if I could have several additional hours a week to cover her costs and Lotka became my own horse! I was flabbergasted that I, me, little ol’ Jeanne, owned such a great mare,” Mirabito says. “Eventually I found someone to sponsor her, and after that Our Mims was able to fully sponsor her.”
Before her retirement, she had 10 wins, 4 places and 1 show in a 20-race career.
Most notable wins include the Grade 1 Acorn Stakes, the Grade 2 Black Helen Handicap, and the Grade 3 Columbiana Handicap, according to the press release.
She also won the second Queen Elizabeth Challenge Cup Stakes at Keeneland, a victory celebrated on the 25th anniversary of that win, when she made a personal appearance at the track for the morning program Breakfast With The Works.
Our Mims Retirement Haven became a certified nonprofit in 2006, and has been featured by photographer Barbara Livingston, in her book, “More Old Friends.”
The retirement facility’s mission is to “restore health and spirit in aged mares,” and it accepts donations through eBay auctions and its online shop.
Happy Happy Belated Birthday Lotka !!! Thank you Jeanne for doing what you do for these wonderful older ladies and their man friend.
I love mares. All my mares are fun and cheeky. It is nice there is a place for the old girls to go and live a good life.
BOY I LOVED THIS WONDERFUL STORY…. I ADORE THE OLDER MARES.. SHE IS SO DESERVING AS ARE THEY ALL. THANKYOU FOR WRITING THIS.. JUST LOVELY! MADE MY MORNING
I visited this caring ,loving sanctuary in Oct. 2012. Jeanne was a lovely hostess to me as well as her adorable granddaughter!!! These girls and the fella are in horse happy heaven. They love their “Stud Muffins”. These “women of a certain” age are very well cared for and hope more people visit and contribute. Happy Birthday Lotka!!!
Thank you, Susan!
Lotka certainly is a handfull. Someone should probably tell her to act her age, but, it isn’t going to be me!