Our Mims
Encyclopedia
Our Mims was a champion Thoroughbred
racing mare
and broodmare, and yet she came very close to dying abandoned in a field of cattle.
in Lexington, Kentucky
. She was by Herbager out of Sweet Tooth (by On-and-On). This made her a half sister to the brilliant colt Alydar
, whose rivalry with the 1978 Triple Crown
winner, Affirmed
is the stuff of horse racing legend. Our Mims was named after Melinda Markey, the daughter of Rear Admiral Gene Markey
, second husband of Calumet Farm
owner, Lucille Markey.
Alydar and Our Mims were both owned by Calumet and trained by John M. Veitch.
's Hialeah Park. She won it. Then it was on to the Fantasy Stakes
at Oaklawn Park
, the Coaching Club American Oaks
at Belmont Park
(at which, Melinda Bena [nee Markey] was present to accept the winner's trophy on behalf of Calumet Farm), the prestigious Alabama Stakes
at the Saratoga Race Course
, and the Delaware Handicap
at Delaware Park. All this earned her the Eclipse Award
for the champion three-year-old filly
, Calumet's first.
Our Mims was not the greatest racing mare the track had ever seen—in a few of her wins she barely made it—but she was one of the best. During her Three Year Old season in 1977, CBS
sportscaster, Jimmy the Greek commented that "the only horse that could beat 1977 Kentucky Derby
champion Seattle Slew
was Calumet Farm
's Our Mims."
At the end of her racing career of 18 starts, she'd had six wins, placed in six, and was third once. She earned $368,034.
, produced Play On and On who was the dam of several stakes winners, including Continuously, sent to England
and then on to California
to win a major race there. Her third foal was Mimbet, the dam of the 1997 Breeders' Cup Sprint
winner, Elmhurst.
At twenty-five-years of age, Our Mims needed every kind of care she could get. Jeanne gave it to her. Our Mims still behaved like a queen, and she was treated like a queen. No amount of mistreatment had changed that.
Our Mims lived in comfort until her death on December 9, 2003, at the age of twenty-nine. She is buried at Calumet's equine cemetery, the first horse buried in the cemetery who was not owned by the farm.
In tribute to her friend, Jeanne Mirabito created Our Mims Retirement Haven, a rescue farm specializing in the care of retired Thoroughbred broodmares, on her farm in Paris, KY. With the creed, "Specializing in restoring health and spirit in aged mares," OMRH's very first mare was Mims' half-sister, Sugar and Spice. With the help of Cheryl Bellucci acting as the Haven's Director of Fund Raising and Promotion, the Haven achieved nonprofit status as of March 8, 2007.
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
racing mare
Mare (horse)
A mare is an adult female horse or other equine.In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse age three and younger. However, in Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four years old; in harness racing a mare is a...
and broodmare, and yet she came very close to dying abandoned in a field of cattle.
A grand beginning
Our Mims was foaled on March 8, 1974, at Calumet FarmCalumet Farm
Calumet Farm is a Thoroughbred breeding and training farm established in 1924 in Lexington, Kentucky, United States by William Monroe Wright, founding owner of the Calumet Baking Powder Company. Calumet is located in the heart of Lexington's blue grass country, the finest horse breeding region in...
in Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
. She was by Herbager out of Sweet Tooth (by On-and-On). This made her a half sister to the brilliant colt Alydar
Alydar
Alydar was a chestnut colt and an American thoroughbred race horse who was most famous for finishing a close second to Affirmed in all three races of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, a feat not achieved before or repeated since.-Racing career:Trained by John M...
, whose rivalry with the 1978 Triple Crown
Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing consists of three races for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses. Winning all three of these Thoroughbred horse races is considered the greatest accomplishment of a Thoroughbred racehorse...
winner, Affirmed
Affirmed
Affirmed was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the eleventh and most recent winner of the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing...
is the stuff of horse racing legend. Our Mims was named after Melinda Markey, the daughter of Rear Admiral Gene Markey
Gene Markey
Eugene Willford "Gene" Markey was an American author, producer, screenwriter, and highly decorated naval officer.-Biography:...
, second husband of Calumet Farm
Calumet Farm
Calumet Farm is a Thoroughbred breeding and training farm established in 1924 in Lexington, Kentucky, United States by William Monroe Wright, founding owner of the Calumet Baking Powder Company. Calumet is located in the heart of Lexington's blue grass country, the finest horse breeding region in...
owner, Lucille Markey.
Alydar and Our Mims were both owned by Calumet and trained by John M. Veitch.
Becoming a champion
Our Mims won not one of her seven starts as a two-year-old, but when she was three she came into her own. Never running in a maiden race (restricted to those who've never won a race), right from the start Veitch entered her in an allowance at FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
's Hialeah Park. She won it. Then it was on to the Fantasy Stakes
Fantasy Stakes
The Fantasy Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas. A Grade II event, it is open to three-year-old fillies willing to race one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt.-Records:Speed record:...
at Oaklawn Park
Oaklawn Park
Oaklawn Park is an American thoroughbred racetrack in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It is the home to The Racing Festival of the South.In 2009, the Horseplayers Association of North America introduced a rating system for 65 Thoroughbred racetracks in North America. Of the top Ten, Oaklawn was ranked...
, the Coaching Club American Oaks
Coaching Club American Oaks
The Coaching Club American Oaks is a race for thoroughbred three-year old fillies and the second leg of the Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing. Originally run at Belmont Park, the Grade I $250,000 stakes race was moved to Saratoga Race Course in 2010....
at Belmont Park
Belmont Park
Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in Elmont in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island adjoining New York City. It first opened on May 4, 1905...
(at which, Melinda Bena [nee Markey] was present to accept the winner's trophy on behalf of Calumet Farm), the prestigious Alabama Stakes
Alabama Stakes
The Alabama Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race open to three-year-old fillies. Inaugurated in 1872, the Grade I race is run over a distance of one and one-quarter miles on the dirt track at Saratoga Race Course. Held in mid August, it currently offers a purse of $500,000...
at the Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. It opened on August 3, 1863, and is the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the United States. It is typically open for racing from late July through early September.-History:John...
, and the Delaware Handicap
Delaware Handicap
The Delaware Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in mid July at Delaware Park Racetrack in Wilmington, Delaware. The Grade II race is open to filles and mares, age three and up, willing to race one and one-quarter miles on the dirt....
at Delaware Park. All this earned her the Eclipse Award
Eclipse Award
The Eclipse Award is an American thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. The Eclipse Awards, honoring the champions of the sport, are sponsored by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association , Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers...
for the champion three-year-old filly
Filly
A filly is a young female horse too young to be called a mare. There are several specific definitions in use.*In most cases filly is a female horse under the age of four years old....
, Calumet's first.
Our Mims was not the greatest racing mare the track had ever seen—in a few of her wins she barely made it—but she was one of the best. During her Three Year Old season in 1977, CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
sportscaster, Jimmy the Greek commented that "the only horse that could beat 1977 Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
champion Seattle Slew
Seattle Slew
Seattle Slew was an American Thoroughbred race horse who won the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing in 1977, the tenth of eleven horses to accomplish the feat. He remains the only horse to win the Triple Crown while undefeated. In the Blood-Horse magazine List of the Top 100 U.S...
was Calumet Farm
Calumet Farm
Calumet Farm is a Thoroughbred breeding and training farm established in 1924 in Lexington, Kentucky, United States by William Monroe Wright, founding owner of the Calumet Baking Powder Company. Calumet is located in the heart of Lexington's blue grass country, the finest horse breeding region in...
's Our Mims."
At the end of her racing career of 18 starts, she'd had six wins, placed in six, and was third once. She earned $368,034.
A broodmare
The foals of Our Mims did not do much, but their foals were something else again. Her first foal, Heavenly Blue by Raise a NativeRaise a Native
Raise a Native was an undefeated Thoroughbred racehorse that was named 1963 champion two-year-old colt in the Turf and Sport Digest poll. He sired 74 stakes winners, including Majestic Prince and Alydar...
, produced Play On and On who was the dam of several stakes winners, including Continuously, sent to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and then on to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to win a major race there. Her third foal was Mimbet, the dam of the 1997 Breeders' Cup Sprint
Breeders' Cup Sprint
The Breeders' Cup Sprint is an American Weight for Age Grade I Thoroughbred horse race for three year olds & up. Run on dirt over a distance of 6 Furlongs , the race has been held annually since 1984 at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World...
winner, Elmhurst.
No use to anyone
Our Mims came up barren when she turned twenty-one. Attempts to breed her for the next five years brought fruitless results. The champion was left in a cattle field to fend for herself. She ate whatever she could find in the field, had no protection from the weather and no vet care.A better end; A tribute for all
Our Mims was saved by a woman named Jeanne Mirabito who found her and brought her food. Two years later, after continued personal care of the mare, Mirabito convinced the owners to donate the ailing old mare to ReRun, a home that cares for, nurses back to health, and adopts out retired racehorses.At twenty-five-years of age, Our Mims needed every kind of care she could get. Jeanne gave it to her. Our Mims still behaved like a queen, and she was treated like a queen. No amount of mistreatment had changed that.
Our Mims lived in comfort until her death on December 9, 2003, at the age of twenty-nine. She is buried at Calumet's equine cemetery, the first horse buried in the cemetery who was not owned by the farm.
In tribute to her friend, Jeanne Mirabito created Our Mims Retirement Haven, a rescue farm specializing in the care of retired Thoroughbred broodmares, on her farm in Paris, KY. With the creed, "Specializing in restoring health and spirit in aged mares," OMRH's very first mare was Mims' half-sister, Sugar and Spice. With the help of Cheryl Bellucci acting as the Haven's Director of Fund Raising and Promotion, the Haven achieved nonprofit status as of March 8, 2007.