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#1458310 - 10/22/10 05:37 AM Secretariat - Granddaughter - twice saved
Princess Romeo Offline

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Just got this from one of our volunteers - the story of Class Life who is a granddaughter of Secretariat AND a granddaughter of Exceller. The Exceller Fund was created in memory of Exceller - a champion horse from the 70's who died in a slaughterhouse in the 90's.
Class Life


Granddaughter of Secretariat and Exceller saved from slaughter

With all the excitement and “feel good” emotions generated by the new movie “Secretariat”, it’s hard to imagine that the fate of many of his descendants can be so precarious. Thankfully, with the involvement of several people, literally from coast to coast, one of Secretariat’s descendants has the opportunity to “star” in a new career.

The handsome bay mare with the darling face initially went through the local New Jersey livestock auction as a quarter horse cross, to be a prospective riding horse for a young child. When the new owners discovered she was indeed a Thoroughbred mare (with a lip tattoo), and not suitable for their child, she was dropped off back at the local auction….next destination… Canada … to be slaughtered. Fortunately, Deborah Jones, who lives in California and who helps identify Thoroughbreds at risk, stepped in. The lovely mare turned out to be not only a granddaughter of Secretariat, via her sire, but also a granddaughter of Exceller, via her dam. While her sweet disposition is reflective of “Big Red”, her color and markings are those of Exceller. What a combination of champions!

Miss Jones scrambled to put together the funds to buy the mare out of the kill pen and was able to secure transportation and care at a quarantine facility. With limited resources herself as she lives on a fixed income due to disability, Miss Jones appealed to The Exceller Fund to possibly put the mare under their safety net. Thanks to John Murrell in Dallas, Texas, his generosity enabled The Exceller Fund to move forward and accept this mare.

Class Life, as the mare is so appropriately named, will soon be headed to Kentucky under the care of The Exceller Fund. The Exceller Fund is honored to have this mare and will continue to work at “Providing a Future beyond the Finish Line” for those Thoroughbreds at risk like Class Life. No doubt Secretariat and Exceller have smiled down on this special granddaughter.

**************
The webmaster needs to add a page for her on the website, but you can read more about Exceller and The Exceller Fund at www.excellerfund.org


I am told the mare is sound and ridable - more suitable for an advanced rider. If you know someone who would like to adopt this great mare, please feel free to contact The Exceller Fund at mail @ excellerfund.org

(I added the extra spaces so that the net spiders don't harvest the e-mail address for spam.)
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#1458501 - 10/22/10 03:48 PM Re: Secretariat - Granddaughter - twice saved Princess Romeo
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thanks for the nice story of "one more saved". I needed some good news this am.
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#1458503 - 10/22/10 03:51 PM Re: Secretariat - Granddaughter - twice saved RR Joker
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out of the frying pan...
I don't know why people immediately assume a QH will be child suitable and a TB will not. Pet peeve.

Anyway - I'm glad she got picked up and hope she finds a good home!
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#1458515 - 10/22/10 04:09 PM Re: Secretariat - Granddaughter - twice saved RR Becca
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As an aside....i thought Secretariat: The Movie blew, at least in regards to the horse. Secretariat was the greatest thoroughbred that ever lived, not some plucky underdog like the movie made it out. As for the racing scenes, i get goosebumps to this day watching the 73 Belmont......got nothing similar to that watching the movie's racing scenes. One last thing: the movie makes it seem that Penny Chenery (Tweedy) got thrust into racing suddenly with Secretariat....and left out the very important point that in the year prior, won 2 legs of the Triple Crown with Riva Ridge. Just a disappointing movie when you know the real story of Secretariat. I'd recommend watching the ESPN SportsCentury episode on Secretariat rather than the movie. (On a positive note, Diane Lane still looked good. smile
Last edited by raitchjay; 10/22/10 04:22 PM.
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#1458530 - 10/22/10 04:30 PM Re: Secretariat - Granddaughter - twice saved raitchjay
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I have not seen the Secretariat movie because I have heard that a lot of "liberties" were taken with the story. I enjoyed Seabiscuit but was peeved when they tried to make War Admiral out to be some 17 hand "monster." War Admiral was about the same size or possibly slightly smaller than Seabiscuit!

Now if you want to see a 17 hand "monster" racing, watch Zenyatta in the Breeders Cup this November. She has a perfect 19-0 record - she has won every one of her races. She won the Breeders Cup last year (and the Breeders Cup for mares the year before), and if she can beat the boys again, she will inarguably be one of the greatest racehorses of all time.
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#1458533 - 10/22/10 04:34 PM Re: Secretariat - Granddaughter - twice saved RR Becca
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Originally Posted By: RR Becca
I don't know why people immediately assume a QH will be child suitable and a TB will not. Pet peeve.

Anyway - I'm glad she got picked up and hope she finds a good home!


Preaching to the choir! Although in fairness, this mare was a little too "hot" for a child. OTOH - who goes to a bottom level auction to look for a suitable riding horse for a child? Let's face it, buying a horse at an auction like that is a bit of a c-rap shoot. If you have an expert eye, or if you only want a companion horse, that's one thing. But if you're a novice looking for a sound, quiet horse, you're pretty much asking for trouble. They don't call them "horse-traders" for nothing!
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#1458544 - 10/22/10 04:45 PM Re: Secretariat - Granddaughter - twice saved Princess Romeo
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Romeo, when is the Breeders Cup, I'd love to catch it!
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#1458556 - 10/22/10 04:55 PM Re: Secretariat - Granddaughter - twice saved Retired DQ
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It's November 5th and 6th at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.

http://www.breederscup.com/

It will be televised on ESPN and on ABC.
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#1458561 - 10/22/10 05:10 PM Re: Secretariat - Granddaughter - twice saved Princess Romeo
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Yeah....Zenyatta is quite the horse. Sadly, if she doesn't win the Classic on the dirt at Churchill, she's going to be disparaged by many handicappers as a synthetic specialist and not necessarily an all-time great. I don't agree, but it will happen if she doesn't win. She truly is an amazon of a horse though....looks more like a colt than a mare.
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#1458575 - 10/22/10 05:25 PM Re: Secretariat - Granddaughter - twice saved raitchjay
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^^^^ Colt? Heck - she looks like the freakin' Black Stallion! (Minus a few parts underneath....)
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#1458609 - 10/22/10 06:03 PM Re: Secretariat - Granddaughter - twice saved Princess Romeo
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out of the frying pan...
Originally Posted By: Princess Romeo
who goes to a bottom level auction to look for a suitable riding horse for a child?


Idiots are everywhere, and are the biggest reason we have problems with unhomed animals to begin with.

Though I have to say I've known some awfully nice horses to get picked up at knacker sales.
Last edited by RR Becca; 10/22/10 06:04 PM. Reason: afterthought
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#1458636 - 10/22/10 06:32 PM Re: Secretariat - Granddaughter - twice saved RR Becca
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Drat about the Secretariat movie. I really wanted to see that. I was 12 the year he won the Triple Crown (and am from the Louisville area) and still get goosebumps, too, when seeing the Belmont.

Drat, Drat, Drat
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#1458637 - 10/22/10 06:34 PM Re: Secretariat - Granddaughter - twice saved Skittles
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I wouldn't tell you NOT to see it...i mean for me....i knew i had to see it, all the while knowing i was probably gonna be disappointed. I think the problem with movies like this is that Disney and the like make them....not that Disney can't do a good movie....but they "disney-fy" them......just tell the story like it happened. It's plenty good enough that way.
Last edited by raitchjay; 10/22/10 06:36 PM.
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#1458669 - 10/22/10 07:07 PM Re: Secretariat - Granddaughter - twice saved raitchjay
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I'm sure we'll see it - when it comes to Blu-ray. I was just hoping it would be a really good movie; however I'll be my own judge.
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#1458671 - 10/22/10 07:08 PM Re: Secretariat - Granddaughter - twice saved Skittles
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The Penny Chenery parts to the movie are the highlight......the parts actually about Secretariat and his racing career are the lowlight, IMO.
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#1458673 - 10/22/10 07:09 PM Re: Secretariat - Granddaughter - twice saved raitchjay
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Originally Posted By: raitchjay
Yeah....Zenyatta is quite the horse. Sadly, if she doesn't win the Classic on the dirt at Churchill, she's going to be disparaged by many handicappers as a synthetic specialist and not necessarily an all-time great. I don't agree, but it will happen if she doesn't win. She truly is an amazon of a horse though....looks more like a colt than a mare.


Can't wait to see her do her Zenyatta Dance one last time! smile
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#1459298 - 10/25/10 10:08 PM Re: Secretariat - Granddaughter - twice saved raitchjay
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Originally Posted By: raitchjay
I wouldn't tell you NOT to see it...i mean for me....i knew i had to see it, all the while knowing i was probably gonna be disappointed. I think the problem with movies like this is that Disney and the like make them....not that Disney can't do a good movie....but they "disney-fy" them......just tell the story like it happened. It's plenty good enough that way.


There is absolutely nothing more interesting than the truth and the 'way things really happened'.

This makes me not want to see the movie at all. I'd rather it be about a fictional horse, then I wouldn't feel cheated from the truth.
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#1459325 - 10/26/10 06:53 AM Re: Secretariat - Granddaughter - twice saved RR Becca
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Originally Posted By: RR Becca
Originally Posted By: Princess Romeo
who goes to a bottom level auction to look for a suitable riding horse for a child?


Idiots are everywhere, and are the biggest reason we have problems with unhomed animals to begin with.

Though I have to say I've known some awfully nice horses to get picked up at knacker sales.


Becca - I will agree with you on that - however you have to either know what you are doing or be really, really lucky at those auctions.

On the other hand, you never really know. A few years ago I was involved in saving a blind pony who wound up at the Sugarcreek auction. One of the "kill watchers" had gone to see if any Thoroughbreds from the track had ended up there, and while walking the "catwalk" above the pens noticed a shiny white pony with flowers braided into his mane and tail. She took a couple of quick photos and posted them on the internet.

Quite a flurry of discussions ensued, how did a fancy looking pony end up in a place like that - who went to the trouble of painstakingly braiding flowers into the mane and tail, and spiffying up the hooves if the pony was going to a probable kill auction.

But everyone assumed the poor guy had already met his fate in Mexico after a long trailer ride. So when they went back later in the week, the spotters were surprised to see him. Turns out he was blind and it is illegal to transport a blind horse to slaughter.

Things got really crazy with lots of chatter and talk, and I finally asked someone for the phone number to the auction owner. I called up Mr. Baker and asked him about the blind pony and told him I would like to buy him and could send a friend to pick up him. Got a price of $50 - cash.

So he got picked up - a little hungry and dehydrated (blind horses are usually driven away from food and water by the other horses in a herd or pen), and after some quarantine, meds, food and water, he was almost good as new.

Flyers were put up around town, and sure enough, the relatives of the family that originally owned the pony contacted the foster. They were horrified because the original owners thought they had given the pony to a good home before moving out of state for a job after the father had been laid off. The relatives took the pony back after signing an agreement that he would never be sold or taken to auction again.

Blind Pony- before

Blind Pony - home again!
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#1459326 - 10/26/10 10:45 AM Re: Secretariat - Granddaughter - twice saved Princess Romeo
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#1459351 - 10/26/10 12:50 PM Re: Secretariat - Granddaughter - twice saved Retired DQ
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out of the frying pan...
PR - That type situation happens a lot. My own young horse came from a kill sale as a 5 month old - a friend and I bought he and his dam together for $300 each 'behind the barn' because the woman who owned them had been told by her husband to either come home without them or don't come home at all. Another girl I know has bought 3 OTTBs from the same sale, one of which ended up being her Intermediate level event horse (that's the second highest level). The other two were nice horses but not terribly competitive so she eventually rehomed them with riders who didn't have ambitions above the local/regional level.

Maybe cases of "know what we're doing" plus a bit of good luck? wink
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#1459358 - 10/26/10 12:58 PM Re: Secretariat - Granddaughter - twice saved raitchjay
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Originally Posted By: raitchjay
The Penny Chenery parts to the movie are the highlight......the parts actually about Secretariat and his racing career are the lowlight, IMO.


I enjoyed the movie primarily because of the strength of Penny Chenery. Its a good movie to take your daughter to see. She is also in the movie - but you don't know it until afterward.
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#1460001 - 10/27/10 02:53 PM Re: Secretariat - Granddaughter - twice saved waldensouth
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Originally Posted By: waldensouth
Originally Posted By: raitchjay
The Penny Chenery parts to the movie are the highlight......the parts actually about Secretariat and his racing career are the lowlight, IMO.


I enjoyed the movie primarily because of the strength of Penny Chenery. Its a good movie to take your daughter to see. She is also in the movie - but you don't know it until afterward.


Unless you knew what Penny Chenery looks like....i spotted her right away in the actual movie and pointed her out to my son. smile
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#1460192 - 10/27/10 05:45 PM Re: Secretariat - Granddaughter - twice saved RR Becca
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Originally Posted By: RR Becca
PR - That type situation happens a lot. My own young horse came from a kill sale as a 5 month old - a friend and I bought he and his dam together for $300 each 'behind the barn' because the woman who owned them had been told by her husband to either come home without them or don't come home at all. Another girl I know has bought 3 OTTBs from the same sale, one of which ended up being her Intermediate level event horse (that's the second highest level). The other two were nice horses but not terribly competitive so she eventually rehomed them with riders who didn't have ambitions above the local/regional level.

Maybe cases of "know what we're doing" plus a bit of good luck? wink


If you and your friends are looking for nice OTTB's, groups such as CANTER, LOPE, Exceller, Friends of Ferdinand, and New Vocations all have some nice horses available. We all strive to help place sound horses, who aren't making the grade on the track, into homes where they can be appreciated for the incredible horses that they are.
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#1460201 - 10/27/10 05:50 PM Re: Secretariat - Granddaughter - twice saved Princess Romeo
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out of the frying pan...
We live 2 hours from Ocala - not exactly a shortage of OTTBs here. smile I'll keep an ear out, though!
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#1460225 - 10/27/10 06:10 PM Re: Secretariat - Granddaughter - twice saved RR Becca
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fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, that sale hasn't existed for quite some time now either.
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