Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Three girls convince father to name race horse in honor of Lacey Holsworth

lacey

The story of Lacey Holsworth is one that received a of attention over the last two years and with good reason. Fighting cancer, Holsworth’s friendship with former Michigan State forward Adreian Payne served as an inspiration for many and that remains the case to this day.

Holsworth lost her battle in early April, and her determination led to three sisters in Louisville paying tribute to her in their own way.

In a story written by Adam Himmelsbach of the Louisville Courier-Journal, horse owner Greg James discussed the impact that Holsworth’s story had on his three daughters who are between the ages of seven and 12. With Holsworth being eight years old at the time of her passing, the story was one the girls could identify with.

What happened next made James proud, and it made him hug his girls a little tighter. They approached him after Lacey’s death and said they wanted her to be remembered. They didn’t want people to forget.

The James family, which owns racehorses on a 57-acre farm east of in Middletown, happened to have a young filly preparing for her first race. James had planned to name her Interesting’s Bull, but Ericka asked if they could name her Lacey the Spartan instead.

“I just felt bad so for her family,” Ericka said. “I wanted to name our horse in her honor.”


James stated in the story that should Lacey the Spartan, who finished fourth in her first race, earn winnings he would like to donate a portion to charity in Holsworth’s name.

Follow @raphiellej