Susan's Girl and My Girls!

Susan's Girl (1969-1988) is an amazing mare. She was voted #51 of the Top 100 racehorses of the 20th century. She raced and raced and raced for a career record of 63: 29-14-11. Before they had the grading system, she won 9 stakes in 1972 and earned Champion 3 year-old-filly. Then in the first year of the official grading system, 1973, she won 6 graded races, 4 at the very best level, Grade 1! By then she was close to being the first distaffer at $1 million, so her dad, Fred Hooper, wanted her to win it all. But she chipped a bone in her leg and needed surgery. She was sent to Hooper's Farm near Ocala, Florida, and after the surgical removal of the 3 chips, she spent 2 months being vanned to Lake Weir for a daily swim. So...after her surgery and recovery, she came back kicking it into gear!

Two fillies, Dahlia and Allez France, had already surpassed the $1 million mark in the meantime, but that was in Europe. So, very quickly, Susan's Girl passed the big mark for North America! She won a *ton* of races, including the Signature Stakes, Villager Stakes, Beldame Stakes (twice), Acorn Stakes, Cotillion, Kentucky Oaks, Santa Susana, Gazelle Handicap, Santa Ynez, Pasadena, La Troienne Stakes, Delaware Stakes, Santa Margarita Invititational, Santa Barbara Handicap, Susquehanna, Santa Maria Handicap, Spinster Stakes, Falls City Handicap, Matchmaker Stakes, Apple Blossom, and Long Beach Stakes.

She was ultimately the only filly in the 20th century to win a 3 year-old-championship (1972), and two champion older mare awards (1973, 1975). She was inducted into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame in 1976. When she retired, she had 11 foals, several with her stablemate, Tri Jet, and even a foal named Florida Sunshine, with Alydar. She foaled a Grade 1 stakeswinner, Copelan, who was named after the physician who surgically removed her bone chips and oversaw her recovery and healing regimen. All of that, and I couldn't find a photo of her on the internet except on a person's Ebay site where they were selling her Thoroughbred Record front page photo showing her relaxed before her Spinster Stakes win!! Go figure! She is related to my girls in several ways, including Bull Lea, Mahmoud, Blue Larkspur, Sweep, Blenheim, Gainsborough, Hyperion, and La Troienne. The other picture is by my favorite horse artist, Frances Mabel Hollams! You can read more about Susan's Girl at the following link:

http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall/horse.asp?ID=145

Dahlia and my girls!

My girls are related to the super-achiever, Dahlia! Dahlia was born in 1970 and her dad was originally Nelson Bunker Hunt and then later Paul Allenson. She is a macho, but elegant and girly girl, produced from Vaguely Noble's first crop. She won major group or Grade I races in 5 countries and was the first filly to earn more than $1 million!!! Her original trainer said that she "did everything just beautifully. She raced in France, Ireland, England, the United States, and Canada! She won the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes two years running, a major achievement and the sole time a filly did so! She won the Benson & Hedges twice. And she beat 9 classics winning colts! During her career, she was known for explosively powerful, blasting bursts of speed, and could handle rough treatment and come from long distances behind to win. Her final record was 46: 15-3-7, with $1.5 million. She ran from age 2 through 6!! She travelled over 30,000 miles for work during her lifetime. Finally, she settled down to spend her last days at the Diamond A Farm by Versailles, Kentucky! She passed in 2001. She earned 7 championships, including 2 Horse of the Years in England. She was the U.S. Champion Turf Horse of 1974, and she has the Dahlia Handicap named after her at Hollywood Park Racetrack AND the Dahlia Stakes at Newmarket Racecourse. In 1981, she was inducted into the National Museum and Racing Hall of Fame, and was votd #50 of the top 100 racehorses of the 20th century. When she retired, she foaled 13 children, including 6 stakes winners, and 4 Grade 1 winners -- a HUGE achievement. Some of her baby daddys included Bold Forbes, What a Pleasure, and Northern Dancer!! She had a girl friend, a dear friend as a pasturemate, Estrapade. They shared the same dad, and they shared the same tragedy of having a baby weaned from them early and passed to a nurse mare because they couldn't produce enough milk. They bonded! My girls, Violet and Hailee are related to Dahlia multiple ways, including through Hyperion, Gainsborough, Sir Gallahad, Gay Crusader, and Nearco. In fact, Dahlia is also related to Gallant Fox through her Sir Gallahad connection! Lucky girl!! You can read more about this elegant, well-travelled, girly super-girl at the following links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dahlia_(horse)

or

http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall/horse.asp?ID=53

or

http://www.reines-de-course.com/estrapade.htm

or

http://www.racinginfo.uk.com/horses/dahlia.htm