Mirabito and Our Mims formed a strong bond that inspired the film. Photo by Sue Rosenbach
When Jeanne Mirabito was a teenager, she placed a “cosmic claim” on 1977 Eclipse Award Champion 3-year-old filly Our Mims, a beautiful racehorse who danced across the teen’s television screen.
With innocent confidence, she declared, “One day I’m going to own her!”
And 21 years later, that’s pretty much what happened.
After marriage and relocation had taken her to Kentucky, Mirabito got a job on a horse farm, which was eerily just a few pastures away from where the older, very difficult mare spent some very unglamorous retirement years sharing a pasture with cows.
One day, while walking out to a back pasture with a colleague, the fiery mare of Mirabito’s teenage dreams leapt out of nowhere and made a mad beeline for her, kicking so fiercely the young woman had to duck to miss a flying hoof that struck a fencepost behind her.
As the mare wheeled and sped off, Mirabito exclaimed, “Who was that?!” and soon a story of love and commitment to retired broodmares, like Our Mims, took Mirabito on a path that led to the creation of Our Mims Retirement Haven in Paris, Ky., and soon, a movie!
Seasoned actress and filmmaker Victoria Racimo conceived and directed the film about a race mare who gets her due.
Palomino Entertainment Group now immortalizes Our Mims the race mare, and the “magical” 100-acre farm that Mirabito sweated blood to create for unwanted broodmares, in the feature film One Day: Its theatrical release comes this week.
Directed by seasoned actress and filmmaker Victoria Racimo, whose credits include starring opposite Charlton Heston in “The Mountain Men,” and work with Steven Spielberg on scenes in “Lincoln,” the film depicts the powerful feel of the 42-acre property where Mirabito founded the charity.
After spending long hours at a stretch filming the beauty of the mares roaming freely, or just sitting quietly on a hay pile absorbing the power of the place, Racimo says her original plan to create a 10-minute trailer for the Haven’s website was scrapped in favor of a film that traces the deeper story of Our Mims. From her glorious days on the track, to her downfall, and ultimately to a good life on land, she says, is casting its own spell.
“There was something so special about the farm and the land. There’s a magic that Our Mims has on that farmland,” Racimo says. “It’s bigger than the Hollywood story of a girl finding the horse of her dreams. It’s about finding your passion, and with that passion, discovering you can change something and contribute to the world.”
Racimo, left, starred with Charlton Heston in the Mountain Men. Horses, she says, have always been close to her heart.
One woman’s passion to restore dignity to a racemare, she adds, has created a place that feels almost holy.
“One day I was out filming and all these horses were out, walking around me, loose. Suddenly something clicked with me, and as I was holding the camera, filming and panning the scene, horses were going over my right shoulder, or coming right toward me, and I suddenly was in a circle of horses,” Racimo says. “That shot is one of the first in the film.”
Narrating the spectacular footage of horses in the golden late-afternoon light, Emmy nominated actor Josh Charles (“The Good Wife,” “Sports Night,” “Dead Poets Society”) weaves the overarching story of Our Mims with gravitas. And interviews with Eclipse Award winning photographer Barbara Livingston, Hall of Fame Jockey Jorge Velasquez and award-winning journalist Steve Haskin provides first-hand accounts, as they witnessed of the great horse.
“We approached Josh Charles of the Good Wife because he’s a great animal lover and he immediately said, ‘I’m on board, sign me up.’ With his voiceover, it’s just so good,” Racimo says. “We also had over an hour interview with Barbara Livingston, and we were able to interview Jorge Velasquez, who rode her, in his home, where he displays his win photo of Our Mims.”
One Day premiers at the Equus Run Vineyards in Midway, Ky., on Oct. 9. A reception begins at 6 p.m., and the screening starts at 7:15 p.m. Tickets are $50 for adults, $25 for children 17 and under. Proceeds from the screening will be donated to Our Mims Retirement Haven. Seats are limited. To purchase tickets, please write to Victoria Racimo at Racimo@palominogroup.net.
Bow I REALLY CAN NOT WAIT !!! Will the DVD be Closed – captioned or Subtitled for the Hearing Impaired?? 🐎
Meant WOW.. not Bow.. Typo!! lol
I didn’t know our moms personally but I have spent many hours with Jeanne and her beloved horses and I have never in my life seen so much love and devotion between them …… I can’t wait too see the movie I got to meet Victoria personally and she is also a wonderful lady
Cannot wait to purchase the DVD. Love our Mims and the dedication of Jeanne to these wonderful horses. I’m so bummed I can’t come to premier. Susan, on another subject. I don’t understand why I’m not getting your blog via my e mail anymore! I guess I’ll sign up again. I’m trying to remember to just go to website but sometimes I forget. Glad I did today!
Great to read! Will be wonderful to see it portrayed on the screen.
so glad to here there will be a DVD so we will all be able to see it.
Great story, great cause, great everything! Congrats to all connections 🙂
Victoria – I cannot wait to see the passion, inspiration, and fortitude portrayed in this film. You are special to me heart and I know you will leave me stunned!!
Thank you Susan!! Jeanne, you and Our Mims will always be my inspiration! I do keep going on and so much has to do with my passion to help save the OTTB’s anyway I can. My plan is another calendar for next year..
Best of luck Jeanne! This film has already won and Academy Award in my heart!! Can’t wait to see it!
So looking forward to this wonderful film! At least I will get the DVD.
This is just BEYOND amazing. I wonder if it will be available here in Canada? I sure hope so
Leslie, we plan to have DVDs available after the Premiere. Stay runed on our fb oage. Official:One Day Film – Our Mims
PS – sorry for typos. ALL PROCEEDS FROM THE SALE OF DVDs GO TO HELPING OUR MIMS HAVEN
Awesome. I will have to order one 🙂 THANK YOU so much for letting me know
Victoria is a GENUIS.
Her dedication to our mares and our cause is remarkable. Her loving spirit is obvious.
I am honored and humbled to have been able to make this film about two very special Ladies who inspire and change many lives for the better. I hope many people see ONE DAY and go away retaining an uplifted spirit and joyfulness. Every life matters, human and animal, and one can, if one chooses to, make a difference. Thank you Jeanne for being you. And thank you Susan for a truly beauiful article.
She has done a wonderful thing for broodmares. I am glad I can support Our Mims. Many people forget, all racehorses great or not so great, come from a good mare.
I remember Our Mims racing. This is such a wonderful story, and am so glad to know Mims is with friends. I know that horses are not happy when they are the only horse in a cow herd. I gave a horse to someone who was going to look after him and keep him for a riding horse. but no one showed up to ride him, only to feed him, and he was in a small herd of cattle. He jumped the fence, went across the road where there were other horses; did it three times. Later he was given to a boy that lived behind his field, and he was happy being ridden and with another horse. Later boy’s family were to move from Virginia to Kentucky but were going to give the horse (Jake) away; boy demanded to take Jake with them or he would not go, he was 14 yrs old. So Jake went to KY and lived happily ever after.
Thank you, Susan!!!!!
It is my greatest hope that the story of the Great Our Mims will inspire others to find their passion, to follow their hearts to make the world a better place.
Jeanne: I love that sentiment. Now I hope this movie hits big so I can see it!!!