Nice little story about retiree Dixie Poker Ace who has a stakes race named in his honor running today at the Fairgrounds.
http://www.fairgroundsracecourse.com...ace-these-days
Everything is ‘Peachy' for Dixie Poker Ace These Days
NEW ORLEANS, La.- Horse lovers rest assured. Dixie Poker Ace, a winner of the first three editions of the Louisiana Champions Day Turf at Fair Grounds, has been dealt a winning hand during his retirement!
"He's doing very well, considering that he's a horse who just turned 22 years old (New Year's Day)," said Lora Pitre, owner/manager of Peach Lane Farms in Opelousas. "He's sharing a paddock with another retired gelding, and they get fed twice a day. In fact, he's living the life of Riley."
Dixie Poker Ace, for whom Saturday's featured grass stakes restricted to Louisiana-breds is named, was the top money earner among Louisiana-breds at the time of his retirement. Also, in his third win in the Champions Day Turf, as a 7-year-old, the gelding established a track record of 1:42 for the about 1 1/16-mile distance over the Stall-Wilson turf course that still stands.
"He's still a very noble horse," said Pitre, a "hands-on" farm owner who does her own foaling with the help of handful of farm employees. "He's been everything a race horse is supposed to be since he came to me 13 years ago, and I've had him here with me at my farm since about six months after he stopped racing."
Although Pitre has about 100 horses on her farm, including six stallions, a number of boarders and a host of broodmares, that equine total also
includes 13 retirees in addition to Dixie Poker Ace.
"Those guys deserve a place to live, too," she said. "I only charge their owners for feed. I don't make any money on them."