It All Started With Dahlia

re: It All Started With Dahlia

Eliza — Thu, 10 Jul 2014 10:43:28 GMT

Mr. Haskin, thank you for this brilliant and eye-opening horse racing history lesson. It amazes me to write I was not familiar with Dahlia; I, who've followed thoroughbred horse racing most of my life. It sounds to me as if her connections should have gone a little easier on her. Then again, perhaps I am basing that opinion on how often thoroughbreds run in today's graded stakes races. I will be sure to pick up a book on Dahlia's life. I am thrilled to hear she lived until the ripe old age of 31.

re: It All Started With Dahlia

Tana Rae — Thu, 10 Jul 2014 05:00:34 GMT

At the time Dahlia was making a name for herself, I was a mere college student minoring in human history. Little did I know about thoroughbreds. Now, so many years later, it is thoroughbred history that appeals to me more than the latter. Thank you for the umpteenth time for providing the thoroughbred history that I was simply unaware of and now find so utterly fascinating. Dahlia. I'd heard her name but that was it. This is silly but my next rescue cat (there have been a few) will be named in her memory, thanks to your information. What a remarkable girl and such a trailblazer. I can't imagine a horse traveling so many thousands of miles in the 70's and taking it all in stride which she seemed to do! And beating so many fine horses, regardless of the sex. I'm glad Mandy got to know such a gentle soul. And I'm glad you shared her story.

re: It All Started With Dahlia

HoldFast Farm — Wed, 09 Jul 2014 17:21:31 GMT

Thank you Mr. Haskin, for sharing this wealth of info. I always thoroughly enjoy reading your articles. Yes, I believe Dahlia was the first mare to gross $1 mil, but that was world-wide. The great mare Susan's Girl was the first to gross $1 mil strictly in N. America. And please forgive my bias for Susan's Girl; Fred Hooper was my great-uncle and I'm lucky to own 2 mares who were directly sired by her greatest offspring, Copelan. (One of whom is almost the spitting image of her!) Eagerly looking forward to your next blog on Allez France...

re: It All Started With Dahlia

Donna M — Wed, 09 Jul 2014 16:32:12 GMT

Steve, thanks for the great story on Dahlia, an amazing Mare I knew little of . I will research her races and look forward to more of your stories from the past, thanks for making my day!

re: It All Started With Dahlia

nobledancer — Tue, 08 Jul 2014 15:52:19 GMT

Steve, thank you so much for resurrecting your wonderful article on the great Dahlia. In re-reading all of her stellar accomplishments and recognizing the lofty position which she holds in the history of turf racing in this country, I am somewhat amazed and saddened that many racing fans do not know her. You are doing an admirable job of rectifying that. As fate would have it, I was living in England at the time of "The Race of the Century," and was present at Ascot on that July day in 1975. Grundy and Bustino won my admiration and respect, but it was Dahlia who stole my heart. Once she came to California to stay in Whittingham's barn, I had the opportunity to see all of her races. Mandy is so fortunate to have known Dahlia on a much more personal level. I bet she could choreograph and perform some kind of magical dance dedicated to this rarest of equine flowers.

re: It All Started With Dahlia

Howard da Walker — Mon, 07 Jul 2014 18:09:55 GMT

Buckpasser won 16 in a row. Got DQed once.,5 years ago I was speaking to Mr. Baeaza. He rode him Dr. Fager and Damascus. Said Buckpasser was troubled by poor feet. What a gentleman. Dr, Fager was my brothers favorite, Buckpasser mine. Of the 3 who was the best? On the track? Breeding shed?

re: It All Started With Dahlia

Steve Haskin — Sun, 06 Jul 2014 17:25:50 GMT

I meant to write The Fugue, not Treve. Thanks for pointing it out.

re: It All Started With Dahlia

Glorious Goodwood — Sun, 06 Jul 2014 16:30:36 GMT

Maybe somewhere down the line your incredible talents can do a write up on the GREAT Nijinsky. Highlighting not only his brilliance on the course, but the horrible mismanagement near the end of his 3 year old year by Vincent O'Brien and Co, Cheers.

re: It All Started With Dahlia

Glorious Goodwood — Sun, 06 Jul 2014 16:10:21 GMT

Oh and a slight correction is needed for this article. Treve never raced in the USA.

re: It All Started With Dahlia

Glorious Goodwood — Sun, 06 Jul 2014 16:01:53 GMT

I was a HUGE fan of Allez France,I just wished she could have won outside France like Dahlia. Both tremendous fillies in those days, and the first two filly Millionaires :) Great piece you wrote a legend of the turf.

re: It All Started With Dahlia

MRO — Sun, 06 Jul 2014 13:01:39 GMT

We need more stories like this so that we never forget racing's history and all of the great ones.

re: It All Started With Dahlia

Racingfan — Sun, 06 Jul 2014 10:42:04 GMT

Another great article Steve! Thanks for the info about another amazing horse that many may not know about! She was a great one!

Gulchfan - once when I wanted to check on a horse that I had been following, I sent an email to the track that the trainer was at (Santa Anita) and they forwarded my email to the trainer. He was then nice enough to contact me back with updated info on the horse. So, you may try emailing the track that Kristin is training at....?

re: It All Started With Dahlia

Steve Haskin — Sat, 05 Jul 2014 14:51:47 GMT

For those still hanging around here, Allez France gets her due in the next blog, to be posted Sunday evening.

re: It All Started With Dahlia

Steve Haskin — Sat, 05 Jul 2014 12:56:49 GMT

Matthew W, thanks for remembering and noticing. I appreciate it and hope some had him in their Future bets.

re: It All Started With Dahlia

Matthew W — Sat, 05 Jul 2014 05:38:08 GMT

An aside, Steve, as I have had little time of late to join these blogs, yours being my favorite--I want to congratulate you and remind your many fans that in January, BEFORE the graded stakes, during a terribly harsh winter, huddled before a small computer screen, one Steve Haskin put California Chrome at the top of his Derby list--based on observations gathered from a lifetime of understanding--all the way from New York--while a local racing form hack giving out FREE advice didn't even put him in his top four Derby picks on the 1st Saturday--that's why when someone asked me who I liked this year, I just told him to hang with Haskin, cuz I have seen it from you year after year after year--you see what others cannot--I hope you got some of that 5-2--and the early move by Social Inclusion in the Preakness likely cost him the Crown--and it IS sad that they seem to skip the middle jewell nowadays--and it IS harder to win the Crown--don't change a thing, this years Crown was witness to a miricle horse, truly a special animal--but you knew that, Steve--in January!

re: It All Started With Dahlia

Matthew W — Sat, 05 Jul 2014 04:39:54 GMT

I saw Dahlia in the Hollywood Park Turf Invitational, once a prestigious race at 1 1/2 over the Lakeside turf course, uphill the final 100 yards and tough to win on the front end---well, Shoe moved the grande dame of the turf early, as they turned down the backstretch, and I was fairly impressed that she held them all at bay the whole length of the stretch, including my bet Caucasus, who hung alongside for second---the same two ran one/two in their previous encounter, perhaps Caucasus remembered that battle, where Dahlia reached over and bit her nemesis at the 1 1/16 pole! I'm not sure Dahlia ran very many more winning efforts after that race, but I do remember she had the look of a champion, and you never thought any less for her defeats, having by then insured her place among racing's greatest--her DC International, at three, where she smoked them in the stretch--sort of put the exclamation point on the year of Secretariat, as the year of the great three year olds--Dahlia, and Shoe, pumping her reigns, Harry Henson barking her revered name--and in those swingin' seventies you just didn't know it wasn't gonna get any better--I know that now.

re: It All Started With Dahlia

derbylin — Fri, 04 Jul 2014 19:29:42 GMT

Thank you, Abigail, for posting those races Dahlia won so brilliantly.

re: It All Started With Dahlia

Affirmedfan5 — Fri, 04 Jul 2014 16:23:07 GMT

Loved your article. I both Dahlia and Allez France were great mares. I had a soft spot for Allez France since she was by Sea Bird and when I was young I was lucky enough to see her at Walmac Farm with her companion sheep. She had to be in a paddock by herself since she had her sheep with her.

re: It All Started With Dahlia

Arklecgc — Fri, 04 Jul 2014 13:18:52 GMT

I tried to post a copy of my racecard for the 1973 KG VI & QE Stakes, via Twit Pic, but for some reason it hasn't transferred to twitter. But what a field she beat on that day, coming from last to first and winning by about 6 lengths: Rheingold, Roberto, Hard to Beat, Parnell and Card King - quite a few good scalps. I'll try and post the racecard again. Unfortunately it's a png file, which can only go by Twit Pic.

re: It All Started With Dahlia

Gulchfan — Fri, 04 Jul 2014 07:53:03 GMT

wonderful article, Mr. Haskins...I was wondering if you could find out what happened to a grandson of Dahlia's, Skellytown (2003 g. by Thunder Gulch - Miss Dahlia), he last raced 4/3/11, and his last trainer was Kristin Mulhall, who is known for finding homes for her charges; I followed his career (including a 3rd place in the San Juan Capistrano - grandma would've been proud!), but he dropped off the radar, and I've never found him on a rescue facility's website, thank you

re: It All Started With Dahlia

Alex'sBigFan — Fri, 04 Jul 2014 05:47:16 GMT

Wow! What a story and what a horse! No one can quite weave a story like Steve can. There is nothing cuter than Mandy with these horses either. Mandy and The Greats! Dahlia seems like another horse who "got" the human connection. The ones that are gentle with kids just seem so special.

I think it is time to "lure" some of the European bloodlines for breeding to the U.S. as opposed to us shuttlebutting (the word I coined thanks to our Smarty!) our thoroughbreds out of the country so much.

Thanks for this article Steve. It was a great read.

re: It All Started With Dahlia

The Equestrian Vagabond — Fri, 04 Jul 2014 01:52:29 GMT

At 11 years old, I was addicted to Thoroughbred racing, and Dahlia was my absolute hero. thank you for this wonderful write-up on her, reminding us of this grand dame of racing!

re: It All Started With Dahlia

goldenlady — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 21:04:29 GMT

Great story, I'm glad it gives younger racing fans a chance to know about this wonderful mare. And it was a real treat reading the names of so many horses that were a part of what was, for me, a truly golden era of racing, when horses ran frequently and didn't dodge competition. Thank you for the memories.

re: It All Started With Dahlia

mz — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 20:55:10 GMT

Steve, add my "thank you" to all the others.

For all of you: this is why us old guys are spoiled about fillies and mares against the boys -- we grew up with Dahlia etc.

At least she got one breeding to Northern Dancer: Wajd, a very good filly herself at the races.

re: It All Started With Dahlia

Terlingua — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 17:12:30 GMT

Steve, Thank you for your fantastic story of Dahlia. You always draw us in to the life of the horse or horses about which you write.

Pedigree Ann - Thank you for the additional information about Dahlia's bloodlines.