They mystery identity of a mare saved from a kill pen four years ago and delivered to Our Mims Retirement Haven has been solved, thanks to donors and fans who paid for research recently completed by The Jockey Club.
The Haven, located in Paris, received the Thoroughbred last November and the mystery horse was dubbed “Lady Jane.” According to research by The Jockey Club completed on June 24, the mare’s actual name is Braggin Rights, a 1996 mare by Iroquois Park out of Jodi Z.
“Mystery solved thanks to the hard work of The Jockey Club,” said Jeanne Mirabito, Our Mims Retirement Haven Founder and President. “As with all our mares, Braggin Rights has landed softly and is forever safe, far away from the kill pen and whoever it was who sent her there. We have always had a certain amount of bragging rights and now we have the real deal.”
In her prime, Braggin Rights raced 10 times and earned $12,591 with one win, four places, and one show. Her single win came at Turfway Park on Feb. 4, 2000. Most of her races were run at Turfway, but she started her race career on March 26, 1998 at Delta Downs in an allowance race, where she finished second.
The stats for her last race, a claiming at Turfway on March 7, 2000, flagged her as “on rail, faded.” She finished last in that race.
Sometime after Braggin Rights last foal was born in 2011, she was sold outside of the major Thoroughbred auctions and was purchased by someone who saved her from a kill buyer. Eventually the buyer was unable to provide proper care and when the mare’s condition began to deteriorate, she was donated to Our Mims Retirement Haven.
“Lady Jane” was scored to be about a 3 on the Henneke horse body condition test by Dr. Travis Burns of Park Equine Hospital in Lexington. At that time he remarked that the mare appeared to be about 25 years of age.
“We thought we had an idea who she was,” said Cheryl Bellucci, the Haven’s Director of Fund Raising and Promotion. “But when The Jockey Club notified us as to her true identity, we were totally surprised. Braggin Rights turned out not to be any of the horses we thought she might be.”
At 19, Braggin Rights isn’t quite the “proper age” to join the Ladies and Gents at Our Mims Retirement Haven (age 20), but she has been through enough in her years to earn her place in the Haven herd. She resides at the Our Mims Retirement Haven farm along with Princess Royale (Aus), Blue Viking, Trail Guide, Missy White Oak, Exciting Bucket, Dogwood Patty, Ms. Royal Flagship, and Jo Jo’s Gypsy. Our Mims grandson, the 1997 Breeders’ Cup™ Sprint winner Elmhurst, arrived at the Haven in October of 2011.
Braggin Rights’ first foal was born in 2001, a bay horse by the 1995 stallion K O Punch named Dashing Devil, who had seven starts with one win for career earnings of $3,532. Braggin Rights had a total of six foals including Vito Filitto, a 2007 chestnut gelding by 1991 stallion Mutakddim who earned $118,206 in his career, winning the Minstrel Stakes at Louisiana Downs and running second in the Lafayette Stakes at Evangeline and the Old Hickory Stakes at the Fair Grounds.
At three, Vito Filitto ran second in the Black Gold Stakes, also at the Fair Grounds.
The Haven specializes in “restoring health and spirit in aged mares” and is supported through donations, eBay auctions, and its online shop. For more information, visit their website.
From Our Mims Retirement Haven Communications