Old Friends

Fan favorite Rated R Superstar (Kodiak Kowboy), a 13-time winner of over $1.8 million in a career that spanned nine seasons at the racetrack, has been retired and will take up residence at Old Friends Farm in Georgetown, Kentucky, according to a series of tweets from Allison Caldwell, the wife of trainer Danny Caldwell. Rated R Superstar began his career in the barn of Ken McPeek and was third to Brody's Cause (Giant's Causeway) in the 2015 GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity before finishing unplaced behind Nyquist (Uncle Mo) in the...

Old Friends in Georgetown, Kentucky, welcomed V. E. Day this week, the retirement farm said in a release Friday. The 2014 GI Travers S. hero, V. E. Day (English Channel--California Sunset, by Deputy Minister) came to Old Friends following the death of his owner-breeder Magalen O. Bryant in 2021. Bryant's representative, Johnathan Miller, and her daughter, K. C. Graham, visited Old Friends earlier this year when it was decided that the stallion would retire from stud duty. "V. E. Day was a courageous Travers winner and we inquired about his...

MGSW Jonesboro (Sefapiano), a 21-year-old stallion, was found deceased in his paddock during morning rounds on Thursday, Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Farm in Georgetown, Kentucky said in a release. Bred by Jayeff "B" Stables and foaled in Kentucky on Mar. 15, 2002, the chestnut stallion was purchased at the 2003 Keeneland September Yearling sale by Michael Langford for $27,000 and he was trained by Randy Morse. Among his many accomplishments, Jonesboro won the GIII Razorback H. at Oaklawn and as a 7-year-old, declared victory in both the GII Prairie Meadows...

Old Friends hosts its Annual Tribute to recently deceased horses at its Georgetown, Kentucky facility May 29 at 1 p.m. The event is open and free to the public. Horses to be honored are Afternoon Deelites, Albertus Maximus, Devilocity Lass, Disturbingthepeace, Dumaani, Eye of the Tiger, Favorite, Holy Estrapade, Hussonfirst, Inaspecial Way, Kudos, Miss Saigon, Mustanfar, Mystery Trip, Star Plus, Swain, Thornfield, Victor Cooley, You and I, in addition to JR Guy, Horse Care Staff, Ellen Zehnder, Tour Guide, Buddy, Chief Greeter Cat. The event will be held at Old...

Old Friends will host its 18th Annual Homecoming Event Sunday, May 7th, beginning at 12 noon. The event features a live and silent auction of artwork, prints, and racing memorabilia, including several premiere collectible stallion halters. Absentee bidding for halters, which are all accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity, is currently open. On the block are halters worn by the following horses: Afleet Alex, Charismatic, Constitution, Da Hoss, Essential Quality, Feathered, Lava Man, Nashville, Pioneerof The Nile, Silver Charm and Tapit. The deadline to receive bids is Saturday, May 6,...

MGSW Disturbingthepeace (Bold Badgett) passed away at the age of 25 due to complications from colic Old Friends announced Friday. An earner of more than $666,000 in his 24-race career, the gelding did his best racing at Del Mar, winning back-to-back renewals of the GII Pat O'Brian S. along with the GII Triple Bend Breeders' Cup Invitational H. and the GII Bing Crosby Breeders' Cup H. He retired to Old Friends at the end of the 2012 racing season. "Disturbingthepeace had a nice race career," said Old Friends Founder and...

Old Friends, Thoroughbred Retirement Farm will dedicate three new street signs during its 18th Annual Homecoming event, Sunday, May 7 from noon to 4 p.m. (EST), the organization said in a release on Wednesday. The new signs will honor: Dave Litfin, "Litfin Lane," author and writer for the Daily Racing Form; Bob Neumeier, "Neumeier Street," NBC broadcaster; and Jay Privman, "Privman Pass," recently retired turf writer from the Daily Racing Form. "This trio of remarkable chroniclers of Thoroughbred racing will have paths named after them at Old Friends to remind...

Old Friends in Georgetown, Ky., will host its 18th Annual Homecoming event on Sunday, May 7, 2023 from 12 noon to 4 p.m. The day will include a barbecue buffet lunch provided by Proud Mary, farm tours, live Bluegrass music, and live and silent auctions of racing memorabilia, collectible stallion halters, artwork, jewelry, books, and much more. There will also be an art sale in the shed near the office. Tickets are $40 for the general public and $20 for Old Friends Clubhouse members (children 12 and under are free)....

The Josephine Abercrombie Pin Oak Foundation will match up to $750,000 in donations for a new, state-of-the-art Old Friends visitor center at its Georgetown, Kentucky location to be called The Ms. Josephine Abercrombie Center at Old Friends. The structure, a renovation of an old tobacco barn, will be named in honor of the horsewoman, philanthropist, and late owner of the renowned Pin Oak Stud in Versailles, Ky. To date, $150,000 for the project has been raised, which includes a $50,000 donation by the Georgetown/Scott County Tourism board. According to Old...

MGSW Eye of the Tiger (American Chance) was found dead in his paddock early March 18 at Old Friends in Georgetown, Ky. Necropsy results of the 23-year-old are pending. Following his racing career, Eye of the Tiger stood at John Gunther's Glennwood Farm in Versailles, Ky. until he was pensioned and retired to Old Friends in 2016. "Eye of the Tiger was the Garbo of Old Friends," said Michael Blowen at Old Friends. "Give me what I need and get lost. Handsome, self-reliant, and, now, missed."

GISW Any Given Saturday (Distorted Humor) has been repatriated to the United States from South Korea to spend his retirement at Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Farm in Georgetown, Ky., said founder and president of Old Friends, Michael Blowen. Purchased by the Korea Thoroughbred Breeders Association in 2014, he was relocated to South Korea where he has been for the last nine years. The 19-year-old recently flew home and underwent the standard quarantine procedure at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital before arriving at Old Friends Monday afternoon. Any Given Saturday...

The world we share with these amazing animals may be an ever-changing one, but its mysteries abide. We consider ourselves ever more knowledgeable, ever more certain, riding the slipstream of science. Yet how much do we truly know, when Afternoon Deelites holds out for all those years and then waits just six days before following his owner to whatever shore may (or may not) lie beyond the horizon of life? The same journey was made this week by the trainer of Alydar. John Veitch laid the ground for the greatest...