Tag Archives: Thoroughbreds

Animal Kingdom Surges to Win 137th Kentucky Derby

When they opened the gates on the 137th Kentucky Derby, Animal Kingdom came away cleanly from his auxiliary gate post, and settled kindly for Velazquez well behind the honest pace set by Shackleford (Forestry). That blaze-faced chestnut, who had been training up a storm under the Twin Spires, lived up to that reputation by getting his first quarter in :23.24 and :48.63, and was tracked by Comma to the Top (Bwana Charlie) and Decisive Moment (With Distinction). Meanwhile, favored Dialed In (Mineshaft) was a long way last. For a 19-horse field, there appeared to be a minimum of rough trips, and Animal Kingdom raced in the three path down the backstretch. “We were between horses and he was going well,” said his rider. As Velazquez began to gather his mount approaching the three-eighths pole, Animal Kingdom’s engine roared to life, and the chestnut avoided a potential problem by accelerating through a seam with Santiva (Giant’s Causeway) to his outside. “When we got clear, he gave me the feeling that he had it in him [to win],” said Velazquez. Guided a bit further out, the lightly raced chestnut accelerated smartly, reeling in Nehro (Mineshaft) and surging clear in the final strides. Shackleford stayed on bravely, but succumbed late to Mucho Macho Man (Macho Uno) to lose third.

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The Annual Old Friends Homecoming – Sunday May 8, 2011

GEORGETOWN, KY – APRIL 26, 2011 – Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Facility in Georgetown, KY, will hold its annual Homecoming fundraising event, Sunday May 8, 2011 beginning at 4 pm.

The festivities will take place at Old Friends’ Dream Chase Farm, located at 1841 Paynes Depot Road in Georgetown, KY.

Tickets are $25; Old Friends members and shareholders and students with IDs are $15. Reservations are strongly suggested and can be made by calling (502) 863-1775.

Highlights of the event include:

Live music by Lexington favorite Roger BonDurant;
Guided farm tours;
Live and silent auctions of racing memorabilia, collectible stallion halters, jewelry, photographs, fine art, and more;
Sumptuous BBQ fare by Tommy Walters’ Furlongs Catering Company. The menu features pulled pork ribs, potato salad, baked beans, buttered rolls, and dessert;
A live demonstration on the making of Raku/horse hair pottery by the artists of Pottery Rowe in Louisville.
Parking on site

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Old Friends Retiree Danthebluegrassman to Make Special Appearance at the Governor’s Annual Derby Celebration

GEORGETOWN, KY – APRIL 25, 2011 – Old Friends retiree Danthebluegrassman, a 2002 Kentucky Derby contender, will be a special guest of Gov. Steve Beshear and First Lady Jane Beshear at the 2011 Governor’s Derby Celebration, held Saturday May 7 in the state capital city of Frankfort, KY.

The 12-year-old horse has been pensioned at Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Center in Georgetown, KY, since 2008. Many devoted fans and tourist visit him there annually.

Dan will be at the Capital City Museum at 325 Ann Street from 8am to noon, where he will meet and greet fans and be available for photos. Michael Blown, founder and president of Old Friends, will also be on hand.

Bred in Kentucky by Dan Mallory, Danthebluegrassman was campaigned by trainer Bob Baffert and owner Mike Pegram, who named the colt after his friend Dan Chandler, son of the former Kentucky governor and the bon vivant uncle of U.S. Representative Ben Chandler.

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Mint Julep Cup Sales Benefit Equine Welfare Organization

Woodford Reserve bourbon is taking the traditional Kentucky Derby cocktail, the mint julep, to a new level by unveiling the world’s most exclusive mint julep cup. The Woodford Reserve $1,000 Mint Julep Cup Experience will feature the most exotic ingredients in the world and a collection of 103 sterling silver mint julep cups designed by Tiffany & Co. exclusively for Woodford Reserve. Proceeds from the cup sales will benefit The Heart of a Horse Foundation, whose mission is to maintain and stimulate the unwavering well-being of horses in America.

“Woodford Reserve has been associated with the Thoroughbred community since the brand’s beginning and through the sale of these cups, we look forward to assisting The Heart of a Horse Foundation in their horse rescue mission,” said Laura Petry, Woodford Reserve brand manager.

In addition to the 103 traditional cups, there will also be three “Prestige” cups available for auction. These sterling silver cups feature a design around the base in 24 karat gold vermeil originally used by Tiffany & Co. on a horse racing cup created in 1876, and bidding on these rare cups will start at $2,000 each.

“It is an honor to partner with Woodford Reserve for a second year while also supporting the Heart of a Horse Foundation,” said Susanne Halmi, group director of Tiffany & Co.

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Jade Hunter, Sire of Azeri, Euthanized

Jade Hunter at Old Friends. Photo by Rick Capone

GEORGETOWN, KY – JANUARY 24, 2011 – Jade Hunter, multiple GR1 winner and sire of Horse of the Year Azeri, was humanely euthanized Sunday afternoon (January 23) at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute due to complications from colic.

The 27-year-old stallion had been pensioned at Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Facility in Georgetown, KY, since 2009.

“Jade Hunter was a very proud and confident stallion with an intelligence that matched his beauty,” said Old Friends president and founder Michael Blowen. “It’s very hard on all his caretakers to lose him and Polish Navy [who died Jan. 6] so close together.”

Bred in Kentucky, Jade Hunter (Mr. Prospector-Jadana (IRE), by Pharly) was bought for $700,000 by Sheikh Mohammed’s Darley Stud at the 1985 Keeneland yearling sale and raced in both Europe and North America.

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NEW Thoroughbred Retirement Program Opens in South Florida

Wellington, FL – The Florida Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (FHBPA), with the support of Gulfstream Park, Calder Race Course, and the South Florida jockey colony, recognizing the need for a South Florida based Thoroughbred retirement program, has formed TRAC, a retirement, retraining and placement group dedicated to horses that end their racing careers at one of the two race tracks.

TRAC (Thoroughbred Retirement and Adoptive Care) also has strong support from professional jockeys who race in Florida and throughout the United States, industry professionals, businesses and horse lovers. Horses entering the TRAC program receive hands-on care, professional retraining and the chance for a second career. The program strives to find suitable adopters and homes for every horse. Many retired Thoroughbreds move on to second careers in the show world as hunters, jumpers, eventers or dressage horses. Some achieve success on the polo field, on trails, in therapeutic riding programs or simply as loving companions.

“Our efforts depend on a strong alliance between race tracks, industry officials, horsemen, owners, trainers, jockeys and fans,” said Phil Combest, TRAC Advisory Committee member, race horse owner and FHBPA official. “The racing industry is demonstrating its support through purse contributions and annual donations. But we need everyone’s to make sure all our retired horses receive basic care, retraining, and veterinary care,” continued Combest.

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The Lane’s End Weekender Pedigree: Always a Princess

By Frank Mitchell

On Sunday, Always a Princess won the Grade 2 El Encino from newly minted Eclipse Award champion 3-year-old filly Blind Luck in a scorching effort over the fast track at Santa Anita. Always a Princess pressed the cracking pace of Champagne d’Oro (by Medaglia d’Oro) and held off the divisional champ’s stretch run.

Rob Whiteley of Liberation Farm said that “It was rather ironic for me to watch a beautiful daughter of Leroidesanimaux that I did not breed crush Champagne d’Oro, whom I bred, in the El Encino, preventing Champagne d’Oro from being able to relax on the lead, which she needed to do to win the race,” eventually finishing fourth.

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Old Friends along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail

Louisville’s Historic Seelbach Hotel to Host 3rd Annual Old Friends Benefit Saturday, February 19, 2011

LOUISVILLE, KY – JANUARY 18, 2011 – The Historic Seelbach Hilton today announced that it will host the third annual “Old Friends along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail,” a progressive dinner and Bourbon-tasting that will benefit Old Friends, the Thoroughbred retirement facility in Central Kentucky.

The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 19, at the hotel, 500 South Fourth Street in downtown Louisville. Tickets are $100 per person, and the hotel is offering Bourbon Trail guests a special reduced room rate of $95 per night.

The benefit will be highlighted by live and silent auctions of exclusive equine artwork, autographed Bourbon items, racing memorabilia, fine jewelry, and more.

Old Friends, which has locations in Georgetown, KY and in Greenfield Center, NY, is devoted to providing a dignified retirement to horses whose racing and breeding careers have come to an end. The farm is home to such retired champions as Eclipse winner The Wicked North, Breeders’ Cup victor Gulch, and Travers stars Will’s Way and Thunder Rumble, along with many non-black type ex-racers.

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“Hats Off to the Horses,” the Online Derby-Hat Auction Benefiting Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement, Continues January 1st

Stunning New Hat Honors Retiree Creator

GEORGETOWN, KY – DECEMBER 30, 2010 – Bidding opens January 1st on “The Creator,” hat number three in the six-part “Hats Off to the Horses: The Road to the Derby,” an online fashion auction benefitting Old Friends, the central Kentucky organization devoted to racehorse retirement.

Handcrafted by milliner Sally Faith Steinmann of Maggie Mae Designs, the hat will be on the block from January 1st through January 11 2011.

Steinmann, who owns the Massachusetts-based Maggie Mae Designs, is donating the six magnificent millinery creations to raise funds for Old Friends, the 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization that cares for more than 100 retired Thoroughbreds.  Each hat is inspired by one of the retirees at Old Friends and will be auctioned monthly from November to April, leading up to the famed First Saturday in May. One hundred percent of the online proceeds goes to Old Friends.

To celebrate the New Year, Steinmann has created a magnificent chapeau in honor of Old Friends’ 25-year-old retiree Creator, one the first horses acquired by the organization from the breeding sheds of Japan.

Continue reading “Hats Off to the Horses,” the Online Derby-Hat Auction Benefiting Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement, Continues January 1st

After the Finish Line Thoroughbred Racehorse Rescue Funding Non-Profit

“The greatest victory for a Thoroughbred is not winning a race, but winning the race to live long past their days on the racetrack.”

You may have watched today’s Breeders’ Cup races. This select group of horses represents the fastest Thoroughbreds not only in the United States, but in the world. After the Finish Line congratulates these champions who provide all of us with a thrill of a lifetime.

Let’s not forget about the thousands of other racehorses who race with the will to win but do not have successful racing careers. There are other opportunities we can provide for them. After the Finish Line is dedicated to helping these ex-racehorses transition and excel in a second career.

Read about our dedication to the Thoroughbred ex-racehorses in After the Finish Line’s November newsletter, http://afterthefinishline.org/newsletter.htm. Please forward this message to your friends who are interested in helping the Thoroughbreds.

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