|
 Pennsylvania Stallions Showing the Love for Old Friends
The inaugural Valentine’s Day Pennsylvania Stallion Auction will be held February 14-16 to benefit Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Farm in Georgetown, Kentucky. Old Friends is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing a safe and dignified retirement to Thoroughbreds whose careers have come to an end.
“Old Friends is nationally respected for helping promote our sport by providing good homes for retired racehorses of all caliber forever and showcasing the legacy of some of their more famous residents,” said Jane White, who is organizing the auction. “They rely solely on donations to exist.”
Confidential bids can be made to White’s e-mail address at flyingpidgeon@hotmail.com or via telephone at (215) 633-7092. Winning bids must be paid by March 1, with all proceeds going to Old Friends.
Foals from the donated seasons for the Valentine’s Day Pennsylvania Stallion Auction must be registered as Pennsylvania-breds or the full stud fee will be due.
Participating stallions are: Action This Day, Activist, Alex’s Pal, Al Khaaser, Al Zaaeem, Austin Powers (Ire), Barbican, Basketball Court, Buzzards Bay, Cetewayo, Changeintheweather, City Sharpster, Digamist, Duckhorn, Eastern Daydream, Elbader (GB), Emperor Tiberius, Fastness (Ire), Five Eighty Four, Gulf Storm, Harley Quinn, Harry the Hat, Just Beforemidnite, Kentucky Pride, Knox Town, Misbah, Ocean Splash, Officer of the Day, Power by Far, Prince Joseph, Pure Precision, Quarry, Reigning King, Revival Song, Rimrod, Show Tune, Sir Shackleton, Southern Success, Talent Search, Tekken (Ire), The Badger’s Comin, This Fleet Is Due, Wiseman’s Ferry.
CLICK HERE FOR CONTACT INFORMATION CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE STALLION LISTING
Angie Dickinson Donates Academy Award to Old Friends!
Academy Award photo by Rick Capone
Celebs contribute to the retirement of Secretariat’s son
GEORGETOWN, KY–JANUARY 29, 2010–Academy Award, one of the only surviving sons of Triple Crown winner Secretariat, has arrived at Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Farm in Georgetown, KY. Michael Blowen, Old Friends founder and president, made the announcement earlier today.
Golden Globe-winning actress Angie Dickinson, a long-time supporter of Old Friends, is sponsoring the retirement of the 24-year-old stallion, along with Secretariat's owner Penny Chenery and Boston-based TV producer Barbara Bowen.
“Michael and I have been friends for a long time and I adore the horses,” said Dickinson, the star of TV’s Police Woman and such films as Point Blank, Rio Bravo, and Dressed to Kill. “Now, I finally have an Academy Award, and I can't wait to see him.”
Dickinson made the contribution through a charitable trust she established with her ex-husband, composer Burt Bacharach.
Chenery, whose relationship with the spectacular Secretariat is the basis of an upcoming Disney film starring Diane Lane, donated funds to support Academy Award through the Secretariat Foundation. Bowen, a TV producer from Boston and a longtime fan, donated her time and money to assure that Academy Award would have a dignified retirement.
Academy Award (Secretariat–Mine Only, by Mr. Prospector) didn’t begin his racing career until age four. In his two seasons on the track the diminutive chestnut had 19 starts and five wins, including a stakes victory on the turf in the Early Times Manhattan Handicap (GR II), in which he defeated Stage Colony, an Old Friends retiree who passed away in 2009. Academy Awards career earnings totaled $226,943.
Once owed by Peter E. Blum, Academy Award has been standing at Win Row Farm in Lebanon, OH since 1991.
“We’re overjoyed to have Academy Award in a paddock next to Commentator and Gulch,” said Blowen. “Academy Award winner Anjelica Huston has even agreed to draw him for us,” he added, noting that Ms. Huston's whimsical rendering of Old Friends retiree Bull inthe Heather was used on a commemorative wine bottle to raise money to support the farm’s ever-growing list of retirees.
“I also want to thank Chris Rosell of Win Row Farm for agreeing to retire this grand old man,” Blowen continued. “We are now responsible for nearly 90 Thoroughbreds that won more than $60 million on the track.”
The 2nd Annual "Old Friends Along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®"
Returns to the Seelbach Feb. 20
Last year at Old Friends Along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®
In Seelbach's Historic Rathskeller - photo by Matt Wooley of equisportphotos.com
On February 20, 2010, Louisville's historic Seelbach Hilton will present the 2nd Annual "Old Friends Along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®," a bourbon tasting and progressive dining experience to benefit Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement facility in Georgetown, KY that is home to more than 80 retired racehorses.
The event will begin at 6pm with Distillery Representatives of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® hosting tastings and appetizers in the hotel's famous Rathskeller Room, followed by a bourbon-inspired dinner at 8pm in the beautiful Five Diamond Oakroom. Your chefs for the evening are the Seelbach's Executive Chef Jim Gerhardt and Chef de Cuisine Bobby Benjamin.
Guests will return to the Rathskeller for sumptuous desserts and coffee.
A highlight of the evening will be a silent and live auction to benefit Old Friends that will feature equine art, racing memorabilia, jewelry, accessories, and much more.
Master Distillers from Makers Mark, Four Roses, Wild Turkey, Heaven Hill, Woodford Reserve, Jim Beam, and Bulleit Bourbon will be on hand.
Chef's offerings will be as follows:
Passed Hors D'ourves (HOT)
Butternut Squash "shooters" with Four Roses and Maple gastrique
Fingerling "baked" potato with Makers Creme Fraiche and Benton's Bacon
Seelbach "sliders" with Makers ketchup and Dusseldorf mustard
Pork Belly with BBQ glaze and coleslaw
Passed Hors D'ourves (COLD)
Bourbon Smoked Mussels with Woodford Mignonette
Duck Rillette with Berry Preserves and Duck Cracklin
Sweet potato with letture cup and Wild Turkey Rare Breed Spiced Pecans
Cherry Tomato with a Red onion salad and a Basil Hayden Vinaigrette
DINNER
First Course
Onion Bisque with Boubon Grilled Gruyere Cheese with Benton's Bacon
Main Course
Kurobota Pork Shank with Weisenberger Mill grits, Granny Smith Apples,
Swiss chard and a Bourbon apple gastrique
DESSERT
Assortment of candies, pastries and chocolates.
Tickets to Old Friends Along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® are $100 (tax and gratuity included), and the hotel will again offer the, "Take the elevator home" reduced room rate of $79 for the night.
The Seelbach Hilton Hotel is located at 500 South Fourth Street in downtown Louisville. For reservations to the dinner and for room reservations, please Call Jennifer Biesel at 502-585-9292 or email jennifer.biesel@ihrco.com
A very special thanks to the Seelbach Hilton Hotel, The Kentucky Distillers Association, Southern Wine & Spirits, and all the wonderful distilleries that ARE the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®.
--------
p.s. from Sylvia - If any of you talented and generous folks who donated items or services toward this auction last year are able to do so again, please call us at the office 502-863-1775 or email me at sylvia@oldfriendsequine.org. This is a huge help to Old Friends during our quiet winter months on the farm when visitors and donations slow down.
As always, Thank you very much.
Kentucky Bourbon Trail® is a registered trademark of the Kentucky Distillers Association and the mark and associated logos are being used by permission. The KDA and its member distilleries ask that you please enjoy Kentucky Bourbon responsibly.
CHAMPION STAKES-WINNER GULCH TO RETIRE AT OLD FRIENDS
GEORGETOWN, KY—DECEMBER 22, 2009—Gulch, the six-time Grade 1-winning son of Mr. Prospector, will arrive today at Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Facility in Georgetown, KY, where he will permanently retire. The 25-year-old stallion has stood at William S. Farish’s Lane’s End Farm near Versailles, KY since leaving racing in 1988. He was pensioned from stud duty just this year.
Gulch (Mr. Prospector–Jameela by Rambunctious) was owned and bred by Peter M. Brant and trained by Hall-of-Famers LeRoy Jolley and D. Wayne Lukas. He retired with 13 wins from 32 starts and career earnings of over $3 million.
As a two-year-old, the dark bay captured five starts, including the GR1 Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga. As a dazzling three-year-old he claimed the GR1 Bay Shore Stakes at Aqueduct and the GR1 Wood Memorial at Belmont, making him a top contender in the 1987 Kentucky Derby.
At four, with new trainer Lukas, Gulch went on to win the Metropolitan Handicap and the Carter Handicap (both GR1), and capped the year with a victory in the 1988 Breeders’ Cup Sprint, which helped him earn the Eclipse Award for Champion Sprinter.
He now joins Old Friends’s other Eclipse winners Black Tie Affair, The Wicked North, Hidden Lake, and Sunshine Forever.
A leading stallion at Lane’s End, Gulch’s progeny have been outstanding. They include 1995 Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, and Travers winner Thunder Gulch, Bluegrass Stakes winner The Cliff's Edge, and Super Derby winner Wallenda, who was retired at Old Friends in 2007 after returning from stud duty in Japan.
“When Lane’s End announced Gulch’s retirement, I called the farm and explained we would be thrilled to have him,” said Old Friends founder and president Michael Blowen. “I know his legion of fans would love to visit him here. Lane’s End has their lovely facility and a professional staff to give Gulch a great home, but we’re overjoyed that he’s coming.
“Lane’s End has contributed significantly to Old Friends ever since we started,” Blowen continued, “but Gulch is one of the greatest contributions we’ve ever received. It’ll be great to have him in a paddock next to Commentator.”
“Gulch has had a long and wonderful career here,” said Bill Farish, a principal of Lane’s End Farm. “We wanted to make sure that he was well taken care of in his retirement and we thought our nearby neighbor Old Friends would be a great place for him.”
Farish added that Gulch’s popularity with fans influenced the farm’s decision to send him to Old Friends, which is open to tourists daily.
“He was a horse that was well known to the public having been through the Triple Crown trail and having been a top two-year-old and a champion sprinter,” said Farish. “He was a horse that people always wanted to see. Plus, he’s kind of a ham, and he will enjoy the attention immensely.”
Update January 4th, '10 - Hats Off to the Horses Auction 3
Update December 22nd, '09 - Old Friends Welcomes GULCH!
READ THE HOLIDAY 2009 NEWSLETTER
READ THE OCTOBER 2009 NEWSLETTER
Nov. 6, 2009 RACING2DAY MAKES BREEDERS’ CUP PICKS FOR OLD FRIENDS
The top team from Old Friends sponsor racing2day.com (General Bugle, The Horse Whisperer, El Secreto, Lady Luck, Monsieur Chanceux, Jersey Joe, Bronco Buster Lock, and Back Stretch Al) have put together their best handicapping tips for the 2-day Breeders’Cup Championships. Racing2day.com will be donating the money for placing the following wagers, and all winning proceeds will go to Old Friends!
Here are the picks:
Friday B.C. Marathon $40 Win # 5 Father Time. $5 Boxed Tri Ex #5 Father Time #6 Masterly #4 Cloudy's Knight.
B.C. Juvenile Fillies Turf. $50 Win # 3 Smart Seattle $25 Place # 3 Smart Seattle $25 Show # 3 Smart Seattle.
B.C. Juvenile Fillies. $52 Win # 11 Always a Princess.
$2 Box Ex, $2 Box Tri # 11 Always a Princess # 10 Negligee # 6 Connie and Michael. $1 Boxed Superfecta #11 #10 # 5 # 6. Bonus Bet $20 Win Place $10 Show # 8 She Be Wild
B.C. Filly and Mare Turf. $50 Win # 2 Forever Together.
$25 Place and Show # 2 Forever Together.
B.C. Filly and Mare Sprint. $50 Win # 7 Informed Decision $25 Win Place and Show # 7 Informed Decision.
B.C. Ladies Classic. $ 25 WIn Place Show # 1 Careless Jewel.
Team R2D Handicappers can be viewed every day at racing2day.com
Saturday
B.C. Juvenile Turf. $20 Win $20 Place $20 Show # 2 Viscount Nelson. Race 3 $1.00 Pick 3 .....
# 2 Silver Timber, # 3 California Flag, # 6 Cannonball, # 9 Diamondrella with # 5 Gayego # 8 Capt. Candyman can
with # 4 Noble's promise, # 9 Aikenite, # 10 Aspie, # 11 Radiohead, # 13 Lookin at Lucky.
B.C. Turf Sprint. $20 Win $20 Place $20 Show # 8 Square Eddie. $2 Boxed Exacta $2 Boxed Trifecta # 8 Square Eddie # 4 Lord Shanakill # 10 Canadian Ballet.
B.C. Sprint. $ 4 boxed Exacta $4 Boxed Tri # 1 Zensational # 5 Gayego # 9 Fleeting Spirit.
B.C. Juevenile. $20 Win $20 Place $20 Show # 13 Lookin At Lucky. $ 1 Pick 4 Race 6 # 11 # 1 Court Vision. Race 7 # 3 Midshipman # 1 Mastercraftsman.
Race 8 # 2 Conduit, # 7 Spanish Moon. Race 9 # 6 Richard's kid # 10 Rip Van Winkle # 4 Zenyatta.
B.C. Mile (Turf) $30 Win $30 Place $30 Show # 8 Zacinto.
B.C. Mile (Dirt) $50 Win # 7 Pyro. $25 Boxed Exacta # 6 Mambo Meister.
B.C. Turf $ 10 Win # 2 Conduit. $5 Boxed exacta # 2 Conduit # 5 Dar Re Mi. $ 2 Boxed Trifecta # 2 Conduit # 5 Da Re Mi # 7 Spanish Moon. $ 1 Boxed Superfecta # 2 Conduit # 5 Da Re Mi # 7 Spanish Moon.
B.C. Classic. $ 50 Win $ 25 Place $ 25 Show # 12 Quality Road.
For more Breeders cup info visit racing2day.com
COMMENTATOR TO OLD FRIENDS
Owners Tracy and Carol Farmer Select the Kentucky-based Retirement Farm as home for their Two-time Whitney H. Winner
GEORGETOWN, KY-OCTOBER 2, 2009-Tracy and Carol Farmer have chosen Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Farm in Georgetown, KY as the permanent home for their two-time Whitney Handicap-winning star Commentator, it was announced today.
The 8-year-old gelding is currently at Mike Evans' Sheltowee Farm in Versailles, KY and will be shipped, courtesy of Sallee HorseVans, to the 92-acre Georgetown facility on Sunday October 4th.
Old Friends is open to the public and conducts three guided tours daily. Fans are invited to visit with the great son of Distorted Humor along with the 53 other Thoroughbred champions pensioned at the farm.
Campaigned for six spectacular seasons by the Farmers and Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito, Commentator ended his career in August having won 14 of 24 starts and a bankroll of well over $2 million. In addition to double victories in the GR 1Whitney, he captured the GR 2 Richter Scale and the $500, 000 Massachusetts Handicap, which he won by 14 lengths.
In 2008, after his five-length Whitney win, Commentator was awarded a Beyer Speed Figure of 120-the highest of any horse all year, including those posted by Horse of the Year Curlin and unbeaten heroine Zenyatta.
Of his 14 career victories, Commentator's narrowest margin of victory was a neck, when he went wire-to-wire to defeat eventual Horse of the Year Saint Liam in the 2005 Whitney. In six of his wins, the famed New York-bred triumphed by 10 lengths or more.
His last race-an attempt to match the three-time Whitney win records set by Kelso and Discovery-resulted in a third-place finish.
The NYRA feted Commentator's superlative career by having him parade before fans on Sept. 6 at Saratoga and naming a stakes race for New York-bred 3-year-olds after him.
Despite numerous invitations for their champion, the Farmers selected Old Friends. "I think they do a great job, and we're going to be helping them however we can", said Tracy Farmer, who has also campaigned such champions as Albert the Great, Sir Shackleton, Sun King, and Old Friends retiree Hidden Lake, who won the Eclipse award for Older Female in 1997. "And not just for Commentator, but for other horses, too," he added. "My wife Carol and I want a place for horses such as Commentator to retire, and we want (Old Friends) to be very successful. Michael Blowen just does a terrific job."
"I am overwhelmed by both the trust and generosity Mr. and Mrs. Farmer has shown toward Old Friends." said Old Friends founder and President Blowen. "To have a great athlete like Commentator with his huge fan base come to Old Friends is like having Elvis in the building.
"I also want to thank Nick Zito for keeping this horse in such remarkable condition" Blowen continued. "Commentator is retiring perfectly sound, and that alone is a testament to his great training and care over the years."
Blowen notes that Farmer will also be donating stallion seasons in many of his great breeders to support Commentator and the more than 70 Thoroughbreds cared for by Old Friends. "It's a tribute to the heart and soul of our workers and volunteers and proof that if you do indeed put the horses' interest first things will work out," he added.
On Oct. 20, Old Friends will hold a special celebration called "Jockey Day." Many of the jocks that rode Old Friends retirees and the newly arrived Commentator will serve as the very special guests. Expected attendees include the Farmers, Derby winner Calvin Borel, Belmont winner Kent Desormeaux, Jockeys star Jon Court, Hall of Famer Chris McCarron, Triple Crown winner Jean Cruguet, and Derby winner Bobby Ussery, among many others.
Commentator's fans can visit him anytime after Wednesday October 7. He joins recent retirees Black Tie Affair, Jade Hunter, Tour of the Cat, Sgt Bert, Sea Native, Marshall Rooster, and Bluesthestandard.
Old Friends Welcomes Multiple Graded Stakes Winner Bluesthestandard
GEORGETOWN, KY-OCTOBER 2, 2009-Multiple graded stakes winner Bluesthestandard, who ascended from the ranks of $10,000 claimers to earn more than $1 million on the racetrack, will arrive today at Old Friends's Dream Chase Farm in Georgetown, KY where he will spend the rest of his days.
The popular son of American Standard was retired from racing in April 2006, thanks to the combined efforts of then-owner Steve Sobel and trainer Kristin Mulhall, who was a long-time fan of the gelding. Mulhall offered to buy Bluesthestandard and retire him before he fell too far down the claiming ranks on the Southern California circuit.
She contacted Sobel and they agreed the horse had earned a dignified career end, and so the horse was promptly sent to Mulhall's farm in Covina, California.
Bluesthestandard finished his career with 19 wins from 47 starts and the distinction of being the leading male Georgia-bred earner of all-time.
His victories include the Texas Mile Stakes (G3) at Lone Star Park, and the Potrero Grande Breeders' Cup Handicap (G2) and the Palos Verdes Handicap (G2) at Santa Anita. In 2003 Bluesthestandard finished a game second to Cajun Beat in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1).
Over the years, Bluesthestandard began some light training under saddle with Mulhall, a life-long equestrian. He even began jumping over small fences.
"Blue has a lot of fans that I have not been able to accommodate while he has been here at my house for the past 3 1/2 years, said Mulhall "Realizing that he will never be sound enough to make a riding horse, which he truly loved, I talked it over with Margaret Ransom who also played a huge roll in me purchasing Blue about finding him a forever home where he would be able to see all of his fans.
"It was very hard letting him go, Mulhall continued, "but after lots of thought, talking to (Old Friends President and founder) Michael Blowen, and seeing what a wonderful job he has done, I realized that Old Friends was the best place for Blue to live out his years. I already miss him.
"It's amazing to have this horse with us, said Blowen. "We have been able to help a few others that have fallen to the bottom of the claiming ranks, he added pointing to one-time Derby contender Danthebluegrassman and Belmont Futurity winner Siphonizer. "Kristin did an amazing thing retiring him, and she did an amazing job taking care of him. We hope all of Blue's many fans will visit him in the coming months.
Equus Run Vineyards to Host "Old Friends Benefit BBQ & Concert,"
Sponsored by Equus Run, Man O’War Harley-Davidson and Big Ass Fans.
On August 29th, Equus Run Vineyards, the award-winning winery in Midway, KY, will be the setting for some charitable giving and some stick-to-your-ribs fun.
The "Old Friends Benefit BBQ & Concert," hosted by Equus Run, Man O’ War Harley-Davidson, and the Big Ass Fans Company, will be held Saturday August 29th at Equus Run Vineyards on 1280 Moores Mill Road in Midway, KY. The party is from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and will feature the Kirby Knob Boys in concert performing their very distinctive mix of bluegrass, country, and blues. Admission is $35 (children under 12 free).
Guests will enjoy the mouth-watering BBQ fare of Kentucky Land & Cattle of Danville. The hearty buffet will included pulled chicken and Texas-style brisket served lean and moist, sides of wicked beans and Lexington coleslaw will add the smokey finishing touch. Kentucky Land & Cattle will also be offering BBQ demonstrations and "dry rubs" of tasty spices to take home for your next cookout.
Alltech Kentucky Ale, Kentucky Lite draft beer, a selection of Equus Run wines, and soft drinks will be available for sale.
All proceeds from the event will benefit Old Friends, the 501 (c) 3 non-profit Thoroughbred Retirement Facility in Georgetown, KY., that is home to more than 50 rescued and retired racehorses, including many stakes winners. The farm’s many pensioned stallions, such as Eclipse-winning Turf Champion Sunshine Forever, 1991 Horse of the Year Black Tie Affair, and Eclipse-winner The Wicked North, attract thousands of tourists annually from around the country.
Admission to the "Benefit BBQ & Concert" includes dinner and music as well as some extra fun for kids. For tickets go to www.equusrunvineyards.com. The event is rain or shine and promises to bring people together for good food, good fun, and a good cause.
For additional information please contact Old Friends @ 502-863-1775, or email:
sylvia@oldfriendsequine.org
Owned by Cynthia Bohn, Equus Run Vineyards is nestled on 35 acres in the heart of central Kentucky's Bluegrass Region. The vineyard is open for tours and wine tasting daily. Each summer, Equus Run offers a very unique and enchanting entertainment experience to celebrate our new wine releases.
The Big Ass Fans Co. is the preeminent designer and manufacturer of high volume/low speed (HVLS) ceiling and vertical fans designed to improve facility and worker comfort in large commercial, industrial, agricultural and institutional buildings worldwide.
Man O’ War Harley-Davidson, located on Bryant Road in Lexington, is owned by Wes Blackburn and Jim Bentley. It is a leading dealership of motorcycles, parts and services, apparel and general merchandise.
Old Friends Rescues Horse from Ernie Paragallo’s NewYork Farm
GEORGETOWN, KY—APRIL 24, 2009—By now, most people have heard about the alledged charges of animal cruelty pending against prominent owner and breeder Ernie Paragallo after more than 170 Thoroughbreds were found starved and neglected at his upstate New York farm.
Many rescue groups have rallied to help, including Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Farm in Georgetown, KY. Yesterday, one of the ill-fated young horses found at Paragallo’s farm arrived in Kentucky thanks to the combined efforts of Katrina Groboski of the Columbia-Greene Humane Society, Tim Ford, an Old Friends volunteer, and Morrissey's Horse Pullmans of Pawling, NY.
While little is know about the horse, he already has ties to Old Friends. He is by Aristotle out of Prospect Street, a mare by Fortunate Prospect, the well-known Florida sire who is currently pension at Old Friends. Prospect Street is also the granddaughter of Exceller, whose line was represented at Old Friends by its first retiree, Narrow Escape, a mare who passed away just last week at the age of 26.
“We were contacted about taking one of the horse and originally thought we were getting Prospect Street,” said Ford. “ But then Katrina called and told me there was a mistake and it was actually her 5-year-old-son. We said of course we’d take him, he had been through so much and, at 5 and unnamed, he probably didn’t have much to look forward to as a racehorse or stallion.”
Groboski and Ford went ahead and facilitated the adoption and Morrissey Horse Transport provided a free-of-charge ride from New York to the Bluegrass state.
“The first thing he will need is medical care, food, and love,” said Old Friends founder and president Michael Blowen. “The second thing he will need is an identity. So we’re initiating a campaign to name this young fellow and raise money for his treatment and raise awareness of such a tragic situation at the same time.
The public is invited to participate. A suggested donation of $50 and a choice of moniker allows a chance to name the horse. (the horse with no name is currently wearing a halter bearing the name “?”). The best name will be chosen by a formal Old Friends panel and will be announced at the Old Friends “Annual Homecoming” fundraiser being held May 3 at the Georgetown farm. Try often with as many names as you like. (all donations to Old friends are tax deductible).
After a name is chosen, Old Friends will also officially register the horse with the Jockey Club if possible, so players are advise to keep their ideas to no more than 18 characters (including spaces) and to consider already existing names.
For more information, contact Old Friends via mail (1841 Paynes Depot Road, Georgetown, KY 40324), email (sylvia@oldfriendsequine.org), on the Old Friends website (http://www.oldfriendsequine.org), or by phone (502-863-1775), and will be considered until midnight on Friday May 1, 2009. The best 'namer' will receive a complimentary gift bag of Old Friends apparel and other goodies. Teamwork Brings Siphonizer to Old Friends
OCTOBER 24, 2008—It takes a village to raise a child and, sometimes, it takes a community of compassionate
people to retire a racehorse.
On October 21st the 7-year-old gelding Siphonizer (Siphon—Thesky’sthelimit by Northern Prospect) was retired
to Old Friends, the 92-acre facility in Georgetown, KY. The one-time Delmar Futurity winner ran his last race
only three days before finishing 4th in a $4,000 claimer at Remington Park in Oklahoma City. It was his
38th lifetime start and it added a small paycheck to his final track earnings of just over $313,000.
That’s the end of the story
For the beginning, you have to go back to 2003, to the barn of Hall-of-Fame trainer
Richard Mandella, and to his then-assistant trainer Becky Witzman. “He was a good
horse and he was just one of my favorites,” says Witzman of the promising 2-year
old. “He was very personable. He learned how to nicker for attention and carrots
from another horse in the barn, and so every morning when I arrived in the dark I
would hear him calling for a treat.”
Siphonizer had made an auspicious debut at Del Mar in August of 2003, winning his
first race by 3/4 of a length. He sealed the deal with a solid finish in the
Futurity, his 3rd start, under the control of jockey Julie Krone, and earned himself
a spot in the Breeders Cup Juvenile—a race he lost to stable mate Action This Day,
one of four Mandella trainees to earn a BC crown that day.
“I had been trying to watch him over the years,” says Witzman, who is now the
producer of HRTV’s Race Day America. “And I just kept seeing him drop and drop and
drop. Then, seeing him in a $4,000 claimer, I just thought isn’t this enough? So I
called Michael Blowen and asked how a horse gets to Old Friends.”
Blowen, the founder and president of the retirement facility, was thrilled to give
Siphonizer a home if Witzman could find a way to get him. “We just bought 40
additional acres at the farm,” said Blowen, “but we haven’t had the funds yet to
complete the fencing needed to house more horses. But I couldn’t pass up the
opportunity to retire a horse like Siphonizer,” he continues. “So I thought if Becky
could make it work, so could I.”
Witzman contacted Iowa-based owner Maggie Moss for help. “She was just exceptional,”
said Witzman. “Maggie had the horse at one point in his career and knew his whole
story. She was willing to put up the money and claim him for us.”
To make the claim, Moss and Witzman then contacted trainer Steve Asmussen. “Maggie
has horses with Steve all around the country,” says Witzman. “And the fact that he
was willing to help us out with all that he has going on right now was just
amazing.”
Asmussen was, coincidentally, saddling several starters at Remington Park that
Sunday. He nevertheless took the time out from those obligations as well as from
conditioning his two mounts scheduled to run in Saturday’s Breeders Cup
Classic—including global champion Curlin—to claim Siphonizer.
All that stood in the way of a dignified retirement was the 800 or so miles between
Oklahoma City and Lexington, KY. “Sallee Vans [the company that ships many of the
Old Friends retirees free of charge] had a van going that Monday,” says Witzman,
“but I couldn’t get on because it was a private van.” Not one to give up hope,
Witzman called another friend, trainer Eoin Harty (who will send Colonel John to the
BC Classic), and asked how he was shipping his horses from Remington Park that
week. As fate would have it, the private van was booked by Harty, who was more than
happy to give Siphonizer a lift.
The gelding arrived in Kentucky on Tuesday afternoon. He will board at Jude Feld’s
Chestnut Farm in Versailles until funds are raised to complete the new paddock
fencing at the Old Friends farm.
“This is an outstanding example of racing people coming together to do the right
thing,” said Blowen. “And the fact that Steve Asmussen and Eoin Harty could take
time out from their schedules just days before the Breeders Cup is truly amazing. We
can’t thank everyone enough for their help and their commitment to the horses.
Siphonizer will have a great home here at Old Friends.”
Witzman, for one, is delighted. “I’ve always thought about Siphonizer over these
years,” she said. “I’m so glad Old Friends was able to take him. Give him a kiss for
me.”
The Wicked North to Old Friends GEORGETOWN, KY—OCTOBER 10, 2008— This Sunday, Old Friends, the Thoroughbred
retirement facility based in Georgetown, KY will welcome new retiree The Wicked North to
its 92-acres Dream Chase Farm. Owner Annette Bacola has kindly donated her Eclipse-winning
champion to the facility where he will be permanently pensioned. The Wicked North (Far North--Wicked Witchcraft by Good Behaving) most recently stood at
True North Farm in Versailles, KY. He was pension in 2007, however, due to health problems.
Prior to that he stood at The Stallion Park in Millbrook, NY. By winning 8 of 17 starts he earned over $1.2 million on the track. His stakes victories include
the G3 Bing Crosby Stakes, the G1 Oaklawn H., and the G1 California Stakes, where he set a
track record for 1 1/8 miles when he won in 1:46.68 over the Hollywood Park course. In 1994,
at age 5, he earned the Eclipse Award for Champion Older Horse. Bacola, the former racing commissioner in Michigan, resides in Versailles and will be providing a stipend for her horse. The 19-year-old chestnut stallion has been at Kentucky’s Caddel Equine Therapy Center, owned
and operated by Steve and Linda Caddel, where he has been recovering from colic surgery. “We’re so honored to have the Wicked North here at Old Friends,” said founder and president
Michael Blowen. “We can’t thank Annette enough for choosing us. We know he’ll enjoy his retirement
here and we’re looking forward to introducing him to our many visitors and patrons.” Both the press and the public are welcome to attend his arrival on Sunday Oct. 12. Salle Vans, the
transportation specialist that have shipped many Old Friends retirees free of charge, will pick up the
stallion at Caddel and deliver him to Old Friends.
PROJECT - 2010 OLD FRIENDS CALENDAR
We’re also planning a calendar for 2010. Great equine photographers such as Katey Barrett, Barbara Livingston and Robbi Meisel are all contributing photos and Katey is spearheading the publication. We aim to make it the best of all racing calendars with excellent detail and printed on heavy stock. It costs about $100 per day to feed our retirees. So we’re offering every day of the year for sponsorships. For a $100 donation you can have a name printed on the calendar for the day of your choice, on a first-come, first-served basis. You also get a free calendar. Well, I guess it's really not free if you’re forking over $100. Honor a loved one, a pet, your favorite horse, or a memorial date. If you want to help, just send the tax deductible donation to Old Friends, 1841 Payne’s Depot Rd., Georgetown, KY 40324 and write Calendar on the check - include the wording you'd like for the calendar date. You can also donate with paypal or call the office with credit card info at 502-863-1775. click here for calendar form
PROJECT- OLD FRIENDS ARTIST SIGNATURE SERIES OF CHRISMAN MILL WINES
2007 - Our artist signature label wine project with Chrisman Mill Winery kicked off with a flying start that none of us could have imagined! 1000 bottles of their Kentucky Chambourcin with the first Old Friends label. Our very own little Silver Charm - Michael's rescued miniature horse is featured on the label. Actor Jack Nicholson sketched Silver Charm for Michael a few years back & kindly agreed to let us use it. Blended into his sketch is a photo of Silver Charm himself. (http://www.chrismanmill.com/) at 859-881-5007. Read more about the now ongoing wine project here.
|
