BONNIE'S POKER
1982, drkb/b, m,
by Poker—What a Surprise by Wise Margin
Trained by Anthony Dutrow, Robert Lake , and others
Lifetime: Starts 63; Wins 11
History: Stallions aren't the only equine athletes in need of help, as our mare Bonnie's Poker can attest.
Bonnie had a rough and tumble career in the mid '80s (63 starts!), but it was as a broodmare that she made her real claim to racing fame. Bonnie is dam to the brilliant 1997 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Silver Charm.
In 2003, Bonnie's owners, Bill and Kristie Jakeman of the Florida-based Latitude 27 Farm, opted to pension the aging mare after she suffered severe complications delivering a Fusaichi Pegasus colt. But Bonnie became the subject of a dispute with the farm's creditors, which insisted the horse was still valuable in the breeding shed. In the end, a judge—and good judgement—ruled, and Bonnie, kindly donated by the Jakemans, became a beloved Old Friends retiree.
