By Holly M. Smith:

Darion’s Dream (2013) isn’t a stakes winner. She didn’t even earn $100,00, but she was one of the sweetest horses I have ever been around.

When I first met Darion, she had some pretty well-known neighbors, like Forever Unbridled. Due to some bumps in the road, she didn’t make her first start until 2017 and debuted on “Thurby,” which is a new celebration day two days before the Kentucky Derby.

I was shooting for the first time as a credentialed photographer.  I was so excited and using my fancy borrowed camera equipment from Canon. Naturally, the camera jammed and I didnt get any photos of the actual race that she won!

She was a quirky horse, may have dumped a few riders in her day and was blind in one eye. At the end of the Fall 2017 meet at Churchill Downs she was claimed.  I continued to follow her and even got to visit her in spring of 2018 at Oaklawn, when she was with a different trainer.

Everytime she changed hands, I did my best to make contact and offer assistance in finding her a second career if she could no longer run. Unfortunately, last summer, her most recent connections offered to sell her but for a price that was not affordable and she hasn’t been on the work tab since.

I keep hoping that one day she will pop back up again or I’ll find out she is a broodmare. One of the sweetest, calmest horses whom I have had the pleasure to be around on or off the track.

Here’s Holly’s Looks:

(Darion’s Dream in the winner’s circle at Churchill Downs)

(Darion’s Dream in her stall and in a work at Churchill Downs)

(Darion’s Dream rolling to victory)

(In her work mode)