Spanish Flower: The $200,000 Mare Who Changed How We See Risk
How a high-value, high-performing mare taught us that NO mare is truly safe
The Glory Days
In November 2016, Spanish Flower commanded attention at Keeneland's prestigious breeding stock sale. The graded stakes-placed daughter of Artie Schiller sold for $200,000 to Nancy K. Polk, carrying a foal by the promising young stallion Tonalist. For a mare with her pedigree and race record, it seemed like the beginning of a successful breeding career.
Spanish Flower came from proven stock. Her dam, Pulsatilla, had produced 14 foals who collectively earned nearly $2 million, including the talented Sacher Mine, who sold for $300,000 as a yearling and went on to earn over $1.4 million racing in Japan. Another of Pulsatilla's offspring sold for $1 million as a two-year-old. Spanish Flower herself had been graded stakes-placed, finishing second in the 2013 Natalma Stakes at Woodbine and earning over $103,000 in 11 career starts.
On paper, everything looked promising.
When Promise Turns to Heartbreak
But breeding is unpredictable, and Spanish Flower's story quickly became one of loss and declining value.
2017: The Tonalist foal she carried into that $200,000 sale died.
2018: Bred to Munnings, she was never reported pregnant. That same year, her value had already dropped to $65,000 when Coteau Grove Farms purchased her at Keeneland's November sale.
2019: She produced a colt by Distorted Humor who died before he could even be registered.
2020: Finally, a live foal—Drewnanimous by Good Samaritan. He sold for $25,000 as a yearling and earned just $4,910 in his racing career.
2022: Another colt, this one by World of Trouble, who managed only $14,043 in earnings.
2023: Bred to Cutting Humor for what would be her last chance, she was never reported in foal.
Seven breeding seasons. Two live foals who combined earned less than $19,000. Spanish Flower had become what our industry coldly calls "unproductive."
The Risk Factors That Sealed Her Fate
Looking back, Spanish Flower displayed multiple warning signs from our research identifying mares at greatest risk:
✓ Age 11+ (She was 12 when her troubles began)
✓ Multiple breeding seasons without success
✓ Declining sale prices ($200,000 to $65,000 in just two years)
✓ Limited stakes-level offspring (Her foals underperformed)
✓ Frequent ownership changes (At least three documented owners, likely more through private sales)
When three or more of these factors align, our analysis of over 22,600 public sales shows the risk increases dramatically. Spanish Flower checked nearly every box.
But here's what makes her case even more concerning: once mares leave the safety net of industry sales and published races, they become nearly impossible to track. Spanish Flower had different registered breeders for various foals, suggesting multiple undocumented ownership changes through private sales.
It's often those private buyers—individuals outside the Thoroughbred industry—who are bold enough to sell horses to meat buyers. The further mares drift from industry oversight, the more vulnerable they become.
The Fall
By August 2023, this graded stakes-placed mare—this daughter of a million-dollar producing family—was standing in Sextons Feed Lot in Tennessee, awaiting slaughter.
We learned about her situation through social media followers who recognized her and asked if we could help. We purchased her sight unseen via phone call based on a photo and video, and she arrived at our farm the next day.
What we saw when she stepped off the trailer broke our hearts.
Spanish Flower was emaciated, her feet severely overgrown, a large laceration on her hind leg. She had facial nerve paralysis and a host of other health issues that spoke to months of neglect. But perhaps most heartbreaking was her demeanor—completely shut down, depressed, yet still reaching out to connect with the humans who approached her.
This was the same mare who once commanded $200,000. The same mare whose family had earned nearly $2 million. The same mare who had finished second in a graded stakes race.
The Recovery: From Broken to Beautiful
Today, Spanish Flower is unrecognizable from the mare we rescued over two years ago.
She's gained healthy weight and maintains a beautiful, shiny coat. Her feet are perfect now, trimmed regularly by our farrier. The large laceration on her hind leg has healed, though it left a permanent lump of proud flesh despite our immediate debridement and laser treatment—a lasting scar that reminds us of her struggle. She's confident, quirky, and has formed close friendships with other mares—especially Furthermore, who has become her best friend.
She's what horsemen call an "easy keeper" now, maintaining her weight so well that she wears our largest winter blanket. She cribs—a stress behavior that developed during her difficult years—but we allow it because we understand it's part of her story.
Spanish Flower is available for adoption, though her cribbing makes placement challenging. But that's okay. She has a home with us for as long as she needs it.
What Spanish Flower Taught Us
Spanish Flower's story shattered our assumptions about which mares are truly at risk.
Before her rescue, we might have looked at a $200,000 graded stakes-placed mare from a million-dollar producing family and assumed she had built-in protection. Her value, her performance record, her prestigious connections—surely these advantages would keep her safe?
Spanish Flower proved us wrong.
Her case taught us that we need to look beyond last sale price or race performance when identifying at-risk mares. High-dollar, high-performing mares can fall through the same systematic cracks as any other mare when the right circumstances align.
Past value doesn't guarantee future protection.
Our analysis of over 22,600 public sales now shows that systematic risk factors matter more than individual achievements. Spanish Flower may have been worth $200,000 once, but she still displayed the warning signs that put any mare in danger.
Our Prevention-First Approach
Spanish Flower's rescue opened our eyes to a critical truth: by the time mares reach kill pens, it's often too late to fully heal the damage—physical and emotional.
That's why Mareworthy focuses on prevention over rescue:
Education: We train owners and industry professionals to recognize risk factors and plan responsible retirements before crisis hits.
Placement: We create trusted networks so owners have responsible options when mares retire from breeding.
Sanctuary: We provide safe haven for mares in greatest need while they transition to new careers or permanent retirement.
The Systematic Changes We Need
Spanish Flower's situation could have been prevented at multiple points:
After her second foal loss, responsible retirement planning should have begun
When her sale price dropped 67% in two years, warning bells should have sounded
Before being bred for the seventh time at age 12, her welfare should have been prioritized over another breeding attempt
We need industry-wide protocols that protect mares like Spanish Flower before they reach crisis.
Your Role in Prevention
Every month, Spanish Flower costs approximately $792 to care for—feed, veterinary care, farrier work, and daily attention. But her value to our mission is immeasurable.
She's the face of why prevention matters. She's proof that with proper care, even severely neglected mares can recover. She's the reason we moved to a 20-acre farm where we can provide sanctuary while building the networks that prevent other mares from facing her fate.
When you support Mareworthy, you're not just helping Spanish Flower—you're building the infrastructure that protects every Thoroughbred broodmare facing an uncertain future.
Your donation supports:
Direct care for mares like Spanish Flower in our sanctuary
Prevention programs that give owners responsible retirement options
Industry education that helps identify at-risk mares before crisis
Research and advocacy that creates systematic change
Spanish Flower's Legacy
Today, Spanish Flower grazes peacefully in Kentucky pastures, her trauma behind her, her future secure. She may crib from time to time—a reminder of darker days—but she's surrounded by friends, cared for by people who see her value beyond her production record.
Her story has become our rallying cry: No mare should go from $200,000 to a kill pen.
But Spanish Flower was lucky. Social media followers spotted her and asked for help. We had the resources to rescue her immediately. Most mares in her situation aren't so fortunate.
That's why we focus on building systematic protection for ALL mares—because every mare deserves Spanish Flower's happy ending.
How You Can Help Prevent the Next Spanish Flower
Donate: Your gift builds prevention infrastructure and provides direct care for mares in need.
Become a Pasture Pal: Monthly supporters provide steady funding that allows us to plan and expand our programs.
Adopt: Spanish Flower and other mares are available for adoption to qualified homes.
Educate: Share Spanish Flower's story to raise awareness about broodmare welfare.
Refer: Know a mare at risk? Connect her owner with our placement services.
Spanish Flower's story doesn't have to be repeated. With your help, we can ensure that every Thoroughbred broodmare has access to the protection and dignity she deserves.
Because past value shouldn't determine future fate.
Spanish Flower is available for adoption through Mareworthy Charities. If you're interested in learning more about providing her forever home, or if you know of a mare in need of placement, contact us at [contact information]. Your support makes stories like Spanish Flower's possible.
