Farewell to the Iron Lady

re: Farewell to the Iron Lady

rashid — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 07:20:15 GMT

That means they endorsed Zenyatta “Horse of the Year “neglecting rachel !!

re: Farewell to the Iron Lady

warren — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:28:48 GMT

lady z worked today 12/7/09...yes zenyatta check workouts 50.2

re: Farewell to the Iron Lady

Ragsy — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:42:39 GMT

Love ya Steve....really do enjoy your stories...

re: Farewell to the Iron Lady

Steve Haskin — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:33:54 GMT

I'm doing it for the moderators as well. It's not fun for them having to delete comments constantly.

re: Farewell to the Iron Lady

Karen2 — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:29:06 GMT

What a bummer that Mr. Haskin should have to resort to this. Leave it up to a few to ruin it for the rest of us.

re: Farewell to the Iron Lady

Steve Haskin — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:35:48 GMT

Please do not send in any more comments on this blog. The moderators will be shutting it down shortly. Thanks again for your participation.

re: Farewell to the Iron Lady

Soldier Course — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:03:34 GMT

da3hoss:

Hope you find the book. I found mine at B&N, and Costco here also has it.

I found out about Julie Andrews' grandfather's poetry in her memoir "Home", published last year. Oddly enough, she doesn't mention that Arthur Morris is her grandfather in her collection of favorite poems. If I had not read "Home", I wouldn't have caught this.

re: Farewell to the Iron Lady

Tom Jackson — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:50:56 GMT

Hey Steve - here at Monmouth we have the Lady's Secret Stakes [albeit ungraded], but also the Lady's Secret Cafe for after race coctails. Great article!

re: Farewell to the Iron Lady

Linda in Texas — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:51:59 GMT

Steve, i looked up Lady's Secret to read her bio. First sentence described her as 'small and grey and dainty weighing no more than 900 pounds, she had great speed and true grit. Nicknamed "The Iron Lady", she was the first female to win The Whitney Stakes since 1948. She won The Breeder's Cup Distaff. Her lifetime winnings were $3,021,325. She died suddenly at the age of 21 giving birth. She never reproduced one like herself.' But she was her daddy's girl, that is for sure. She indeed deserves to keep her entitled race. I wonder what her winnings then of $3,021,325 would equate to today. And lastly i believe to forget the past will only serve to dilute the future. And i, too, have socks myself like KYFan. Thank you Steve. Hope this was civil.

re: Farewell to the Iron Lady

Tim G — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:44:08 GMT

Thanks Steve, that's what I thought you had said, but not sure if anything changed during the course of events.

Yellow Ribbon is probably great, especially since it was named after a song.

It's a major prep for the BC, albeit on Turf but for 3 and up fillies/mares? Sounds like a good deal. The other two as well, but they have a bit more of a history so????

re: Farewell to the Iron Lady

Slew — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:40:07 GMT

I really have to thank you Steve for taking the time to actually monitor your blog. The NTRA blogs

have become war zones, and the attacks have often been not only sarcastic, but downright vicious, ignorant and crude.

So sorry that you have to shut down a blog, but we do understand.

Hopefully, the future will hold polite conversation and discussion, rather than the vitriol

to which the HOTY argument has been reduced. In a blog about Lady's Secret, I'd rather discuss the Iron Lady than rehash the HOTY.

re: Farewell to the Iron Lady

Steve Haskin — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:33:32 GMT

There seems to be a glitch in shutting down the blog to future comments, such as having all previous comments deleted, which I dont want. So, although the moderators and I are tired of having to delete comments, we will leave it open. But, please dont make it harder on everyone, because all hostile, inappropriate comments will be deleted.

re: Farewell to the Iron Lady

Steve Haskin — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:27:36 GMT

Tim, as I wrote in the blog, I suggested they change the name of the Yellow Ribbon, because that is a meaningless name, and just as prestigious as the Lady's secret. Also, the regular SA association could change the name of the Santa Margarita or Santa Maria, both grade I's

re: Farewell to the Iron Lady

Tim G — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:01:40 GMT

I certainly enjoyed reading your take on this Steve. Also that of people who have weighed in, in a positive way.

Of course we all may compare the Lady to Zenyatta since that was whose race was replaced. There's a way to do so respectfully though.

Before you shut it down, I've gotten a little befuddled with all the rhetoric. My question to you is: What race would you have preferred Zenyatta have named after her? Or, like myself, would you have preferred a G1 being created and maybe one of the current G1's that drew a very small field, re-graded as a GII or GIII.

Thanks and keep on writing, we'll keep on reading.

I for one appreciate a kinder/gentler blog.

Got to admit Steve, it makes those of us with families like yours and my own, appreciate them so much more when we see this stuff.

re: Farewell to the Iron Lady

Steve Haskin — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 14:38:18 GMT

Well, I have two choices. I can sit here and keep checking the comments and deleting a good deal of them or simply shut down this particular blog to comments. If anyone has anything constructive to add, I advise doing it in the next hour. Because many people still pay no attention to my pleas for civility, I feel I have no choice but to put a halt to it. Believe me, I hate doing this, because most everyone has been great. But I simply cannot monitor this any longer and continue deleting hostile and personal comment after comment. With December approaching, I would like to extend my warmest thanks to all of you who contributed in the spirit of the blogs all year and offered your opinions and kind words. They are greatly appreciated.

re: Farewell to the Iron Lady

da3hoss — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 14:15:08 GMT

Tiznowbaby, thanks, I knew there was more, but didn't have time to research...

Soldier Course, what a neat post...going to go find it now!

re: Farewell to the Iron Lady

Somethingroyal — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:32:37 GMT

KYFan,

Thank you so much for speaking up. I can't begin to tell you how fed up I have become with the constant bashing and disrespect from the same individuals I have read on BH blogs. Steve I applaud for not putting up with the childish nonsense. I hope these few don't spoil it for the many of us who come to learn and share.

Anyway, I'm happy a race has been named in Zenyatta's honor. However, I believe it should have been done without removing Lady's Secret name.

re: Farewell to the Iron Lady

Mike Relva — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:55:44 GMT

SARATOGA AJ

My comment regarding cable,was trying to inject some "East Coast sarcasm". Sorry you missed my point!

re: Farewell to the Iron Lady

The Peacock — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 08:09:33 GMT

And just when it looked like we'd get through this blog without a dray comment...nay! Steve you're so right about the negativity...has me wondering if there is a democrat/republican angle to any of this thinking. Sherpa, let your name be your guide to a profitable winter in New York...drop the h and you have a 'bug' to hug...three wins/one place from six starters in the five to eight to one price range...three wins/two place from sixteen starters at higher odds...userp.

re: Farewell to the Iron Lady

Horse Radish — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 04:54:21 GMT

I'm all in favor of renaming races:

The "Man O War" becomes the "Sol Lipschitz Memorial" (one hell of a lawn-party thrower, and pal of the track's chairman.

The "Secretariat" becomes the "Bo Derek Ten" (furlongs) --hey, why not?

The "Whitney" becomes the "Ralphie's Derby" --won it on-E-Bay.

The "Kentucky Derby" becomes the "Kentucky Colonel Stakes" --

money talks turkey.

The "Pacific Classic" becomes the "Schwartzenegger Classic" --"Vare's' de camera, I'm sooo beautiful!"

Etc. etc, etc....

re: Farewell to the Iron Lady

KYFan — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 04:23:12 GMT

funnycide, I'm not putting her down. That is coming from her, and a bunch of others posturing and continuing this debate that Steve has repeatedly ask to STOP.

Why mention other horses that are totally irrelevant in this particular topic? What the heck do Macho or Bullsbay have to do with ANY of this? Furthermore it's irrelevant WHO actually said anything first. To say anything at all is piling on and disrespectful.

Just DROP the dang thing for now on this blog as requested by the only one who matters, STEVE HASKINS.

I came on to express my opinion that both mares are/were deserving of having a race named after them although it seems a bit too soon to do so for Zenyatta. I saw the Iron Lady run, I know her trainer and knew her owner. She was a very special horse no doubt. I've seen Zenyatta too, she is a special mare who undoubtedly will get all of her accolades over time and should have a race named after her. HER own race.

I can only tell the both of you that sure, you're entitled to your opinion but nothing speaks for experience and I'm not sure when it became okay to lecture people who, face it, know FAR more than the youngsters who think they know everything. See the comments made to both Steve, Michael, myself and several others who have been around the race track for DECADES.

Sad that those who think they know EVERYTHING really don't know that much at all. Sure you may have read about it, but frankly girls, if you knew half as much as you think you do you'd have the respect and common decency to keep these discussions to the subject at hand and not as a platform to pontificate about horses which are NOT the topic of discussion and tell people something that you believe, yet STEVE has said will shut this blog down.

Like several have said, there is a blog on this same site, that apparently perpetuates that. Steve's does not.

re: Farewell to the Iron Lady

carolyn — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 03:48:32 GMT

Steve, Away from all this bickering, I have a question? Do you know or have a link to Zenyatta being paraded today at Hollywood Park, I was out of town and didn't get to watch it. I have looked all over the Internet and can't find anything, Please, if anyone knows a link that has the pictures or video of today's parading , can you paste it on here, Thanks so much,

re: Farewell to the Iron Lady

sherpa — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 03:38:21 GMT

Mr. Haskin - I just went back to read your Aug. 9 blog: "The Red Horse and the Iron Lady" and it reminded me how much you revered Lady's Secret and why this re-naming of her race by OTSA must be especially difficult for you, who "knew" her up front and personal.

Folks, there are countless other blogs where arguments - even unto flame-wars - are permitted and even welcome. Not here. Steve Haskin writes to us from a higher plane where ALL horses are loved and respected, so let's please try to keep the commentary equally respectful. The efforts of those who have tried to calm things down and stay on-topic (you know who you are) are most appreciated by those of us (I suspect we are Legion!) who mostly just read.

To KYFan: I have admired your fair and insightful comments. I hope you will continue here and share more of your experience with this blog as time goes on.

re: Farewell to the Iron Lady

Tiznowbaby — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 01:06:46 GMT

da3hoss,

The fillies and mares that have been horse of the year (some pre-Eclipse): Miss Woodford, Imp, Beldame, Regret, Twilight Tear, Busher, Moccasin, All Along, Lady's Secret and Azeri.

Miss Woodford has an ungraded stakes in her honor at Monmouth. Beldame has a GI at Belmont. Regret has a GIII at Churchill. Busher has a GIII at Aqueduct. Moccasin has an ungraded stakes at Hollywood. All Along has a GIII currently run at Colonial. Azeri has a GIII at Oaklawn.

Currently, Imp, Twilight Tear, and Lady's Secret have nothing in their honor.

re: Farewell to the Iron Lady

Soldier Course — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:55:26 GMT

A bit off the rail here, but thought this was interesting.

Singer Julie Andrews' grandfather, Arthur Morris, worked in the coal mines in the UK. The mines had "pit ponies", horses who would haul the coal in carts deep in the mines. In addition to his work in coal, Mr. Morris also liked to write poetry.

He wrote a delightful poem entitled " A Pit Pony's Memory of the Strike". In the poem, the miners go on strike, and the "pit ponies" are hauled out of the mine for a break during the strike. They are given freedom in the fields and paddocks. And there is a horse race - with the pit ponies running!

You can find this gem of a poem in Julie Andrews' "Collection of Poems, Songs, and Lullabies", just published.