Brian Hernandez with Joshlyn, Yankee Fourtune and Jamie Hernandez (Photo by EquiSport)
Proceeds from the online fashion auction to benefit Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Facility
GEORGETOWN, KY – JANUARY 4, 2015 – The online fashion auction, “Hats Off to the Horses: The Road to the Derby”, continues today with a third handcrafted Derby chapeau on the virtual auction block to raise money for Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Facility in Georgetown, KY.
This new hat was inspired by Old Friends retiree Yankee Fourtune, a graded-stakes winner bred in Kentucky by Brereton Jones.
For the Old Friends campaign, the beautiful chapeau is modeled in accompanying photos and behind-the-scenes video by Jamie Hernandez, her husband, leading jockey Brian Hernandez, and their daughter, Joshlyn. (Jamie’s lovely ensemble is courtesy of Lexington’s Bella Rose boutique.)
For photos and addition information, go to http://www.maggiemae.com/OldFriendsAuction-Hat-YankeeFourtune.htm.
For a behind-the-scenes video, go to: https://vimeo.com/150387295.
Bidding on “The Yankee Fourtune” began on January 2nd and will be open for 10 days only, ending on January 12th at 8 pm. Interested bidders can go to the Old Friends website at www.oldfriendsequine.org and follow the link.
This is the seventh consecutive year that Old Friends has joined with acclaimed milliner Sally Faith Steinmann of the Massachusetts-based Maggie Mae Designs® to auction off six exclusive Derby hats between November and April, each inspired by one of the non-profit organization’s 155 retired racehorses.
Yankee Fourtune was owned by Harvey A. Clarke and Andrew Albstein, who purchased him for $37,000 at the Keeneland September 2008 yearling sale.
The son of Yankee Gentleman out of the Mi Cielo mare, Madam Ann, Yankee Fourtune was unplaced as a 2-year-old, but went on a winning spree – five straight victories – at three after conditioner Kiaran McLaughlin switched him from dirt to turf. His stakes wins include the GR3 Hawthorne Derby and the GR3 Commonwealth Turf Stakes.
In all, Yankee had 31 career starts, winning nine of them and earning over $390,000.
The “Yankee Fourtune” was fashioned with a flat, wide-brim of silver dupioni silk, which is adorned with a fluid outer layer of ruffled, pale-silver organza.
The hat’s trim is highlighted by a large anemone – a new innovation from Maggie Mae Designs® created especially for Yankee Fourtune – that’s surrounded by a medley of emerald green silk and taffeta leaves. The center of the anemone is a shimmering black-pebble button circled with a ring of softly gathered green tulle and ruched charcoal silk organza.
Long, charcoal colored silk organza “feathers”, a MAGGIE MAE DESIGNS® trademark, were then carefully stitched to add a splash of dramatic detail to the floral trim.
As always, a physical remembrance of Yankee Fourtune, several strands of the gelding’s tail hair, were braided and woven into the trim.
Maggie Mae Designs® Custom Millinery offers magnificent hats for all occasions – from glamorous racing events such as the Kentucky Derby and the Royal Ascot to stunning bridal wear and handsome cocktail fashions. Every hat is carefully handcrafted by milliner Sally Faith Steinmann from her home base in South Harwich, MA. Salons of her fashions can be seen on her website at www.maggiemaedesigns.com.
Old Friends is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization that cares for 155 retired racehorses. Its Dream Chase Farm, located in Georgetown, KY, is open to tourists daily by appointment. Old Friends also has a satellite facility in Greenfield Center, New York, Old Friends at Cabin Creek: The Bobby Frankel Division, which is also open to visitors. For more information on tours or to make a donation, contact the main farm at (502) 863-1775 or see their website at www.oldfriendsequine.org.
MEDIA CONTACT: Cynthia Grisolia, (347) 423-7322, cindy@oldfriendsequine.org; Maggie Mae Designs (508) 430-1626, sally@maggiemae.com