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11/29 - We should have some more big news before Christmas. I can't thank
everyone enough for all you've done. Bonnie's Poker is settling in very
well...Emmanuel de Seroux sent us some great photos of Criminal Type in
Japan. I'll post them on the website next week...And tomorrow night's
our party....Bonnie's donor, Kris Jakeman is coming....We also have
several halters going up for bids...If anyone would like to bid but
can't attend just let us know which halter and your top bid...These are
the halters: Go For Gin, Cozzene, Halfbridled, A P Indy, Kingmambo,
Mineshaft, Skip Away, Volponi, Bonnie's Poker, Creator and Sunshine
Forever. Thanks again and I wish you could all be here to enjoy the
Welcome Home Party...

11/26 - What a great difference a couple of weeks makes. Creator and Sunshine
Forever, and their new pal, Bonnie's Poker have settled in quite nicely
at Hurstland. They are all looking forward to their Welcome Home party
on Dec. 1 in Midway. The festivities begin with tours of Hurstland at
1, 2, 3 and 4 p.m. If you're coming please let us know by e-mail which
tour best suits your schedule. You can park at the United Bank in
downtown Midway and gather at Bacchus Fine Wine and Spirits for the two
minute trip to Hurstland. At 5 p.m., the wine-tasting begins at Bacchus
Fine Wine and Spirits in downtown Midway. At 7 p.m., the party moves
across the street to the Midway Thoroughbred Theater. Dress is casual
and the weather is supposed to be mild. Seattle Slew's jockey Jean
Cruguet is coming and we'll have some great
items up for bids including about a dozen halters worn by the likes of
Cozzene, Halfbridled, Go For Gin, Rich in Dallas, Parade Ground, and,
of course, our new stars, Creator and Sunshine Forever. Frank Gardner,
of Food Network fame, made a huge contribution on behalf of Old Friends
and he's donated two seats to a taping of Emeril Live to our auction.
Wallace Station is providing some great food and The Kentucky Cookie
Co. is baking the welcome home cakes. And Tony Moreno is donating the
theater for the evening. Coffee and additional food be available at
Quirk, a restaurant next door to the theater. Midway is easy to find.
Take I-64 to the Midway exit and follow the signs into town. Take the
first left after the railroad tracks (Main/Railroad St.) and follow it
to the stop sign. United Bank is just in front of you to the left.
We'd like to thank Nicole of December Farm and Dr. Colon for
delivering Bonnie's Poker in such great condition. Dr. Roger Murphy is
doing a terrific job with our new recruits. And, of course, we thank
Gene and Joanne who handle them every day and to our first
benefactress, Betty Sue Walters who has been with us from the
beginning and she'll be with us till the end. Hope you can come to the
party. It's been a long year but worth every single moment.

11/22 - Some days I feel very selfish. Today is one of those days. I wish that
everyone who has supported Old Friends either with donations, supplies
or good intentions could stand between Creator and Sunshine Forever's
paddock and see the hop in their steps and the joy in their eyes. Dr.
Roger Murphy is overseeing their care for free. McCauley Bros. has them
on a special feed for free. Midway Leather made them beautiful halters
for free. True Value gave us gallons and gallons of paint for free. Alfred Nuckols, Jr. has provided them with a spectacular homeat Hurstland. The boys are looking younger and younger each day andcrave carrots and attention. The sheer pleasure of watching them gallopand cavort each morning is a gift that nothing else could match.
And we've got a new Old Friend coming tomorrow at noon...Bonnie's
Poker. While her famous son, Silver Charm, may be on his way to Japan,
Mom is staying home at Old Friends at Hurstland Farm. Our gratitude
goes out to Bill and Kristie Jackman for donating Bonnie to
us...She'll receive top notch care and her many fans can visit
her...Mary Tewhey of True Value is coming this weekend for a visit and
to help us prepare for our Dec. 1 welcome home party in Midway. Jean
Cruguet has confirmed his appearance for the party at the Midway
Thoroughbred Theater at 7 p.m. We'll have a live and silent auction of
halters and memorabilia items and Jean has agreed to greet his fans
and sign their souvenirs.

As soon as we get a really good picture of Criminal Type, we'll finish
off the certificates and produce the video. For those who bought shares
as Christmas gifts don't worry. We'll have them in the mail in plenty
of time. For those who'd like to buy shares in Creator, Sunshine
Forever and Criminal Type they are $100. Send a check made out to Old
Friends, 411 Mill Rd., Midway, KY 40347. Most important. Come visit.
You can see the fruits of your generosity.

We're in weekly contact with Emmanuel de Seroux of Narvick
International...He's constantly on the look out for new
Old Friends...We're looking for two others to join with Criminal Type
when he returns in early 2005.

PEB, the great cartoonist for the Daily Racing Form, is coming to Old
friends in the spring. Not to retire, of course, but to sign prints and
talk about his career. He's also donated a wonderful anti-slaughter
print to Old Friends and is harassing trainer Andre Fabre (Creator's
trainer) to find us a tape of one of his races.

Again, it is impossible to thank you enough. Call anytime. (859)
846-9995. You have to see these great champions to believe it.

11/2 - Yesterday, at 9:46 a.m., Sunshine Forever and Creator stepped off the
Sallee Van to their new, permanent home at Hurstland Farm. Decked out
in brand new halters from Midway Leather and guided by the experienced
hands of Tim Overton and Gene Masters, the two retired champions
settled into their stalls with a minimum of fuss. Thanks to all of you.
I had the supreme pleasure of watching these guys, symbols of more than
a year of hard work, dedication and generosity from all of you, gaze
out over the lush Kentucky bluegrass. This morning Tim and Gene led
them out to their new paddocks. They pranced and ate and rolled and had
a great time. They'll be in quarantine until the end of the month but
we hope that all the owners and Old Friends will come visit many times.
The certificates should be going out at the end of next week...Again,
things look great. We're looking forward to greeting more of these
guys, including Criminal Type, as soon as possible. Thanks again to
Narvick and Emmanuel de Seroux, Jimmy Preziosi of JP Equine, Japan Air
Lines, The JS company and Mr. Onishi and, Patricia and Myrna who never
let us lose sight of where we were going. Also to Marion Altieri who
greeted them in New York and has written a wonderful piece for The
Bloodhorse....The weather has been too wet to do the painting but the
two stallions are overjoyed and that's all that really matters, If
you'd like to come see them just call 859 846-9995 and we'll arrange
it...And don't forget our big welcome home party on Dec. 1 in Midway.
...I had to borrow Tim's computer so this'll be short...I'll do a
longer update tomorrow...

10/26 - Great news from Narvick International-Japan. Both Creator and Sunshine
Forever are doing great in quarantine and are ready to leave for Old
Friends. We're told that Sunshine Forever is "nice and gentle" but
Creator doesn't like it when Sunshine Forever gets attention and he
also "dislikes vets in white coats." As one who once covered the movie
business, I can only say that he's acting just like what he is - a
star.
More good news. Through Mary Tewhey, (Yes, the same True Value Mary
Tewhey who got us free paint) and Liz Mammoser, Tom Durkin's cousin,
we hear that all Old Friends might get a big surprise during
Saturday's Breeders' Cup coverage. All of you owners can take pride in
all you've done to bring these guys back. We will be sending out the
owners' kits for Creator and Sunshine Forever before Thanksgiving. We
want to get updated pictures of them in their retirement. Criminal
Type is on schedule, courtesy of the most generous Thoroughbred Club
of Japan, to come back early in 2005 and all the owners funds
collected will be used to pay for his trip.
On December 1, we will have a special welcome home party at the Midway
Thoroughbred Heritage Theater. It'll be an auction of halters and
other memorabilia and a great party. We hope many of our Old Friends
can make it. Jean Cruguet, the great jockey who rode Seattle Slew,
will be our special guest.
Again, thanks to Narvick and Emmanuel de Seroux and Jimmy Preziosi
(correct spelling)for all their help and to Marguerite White, my
mother-in-law, who guaranteed a low interest loan to meet Old Friends
expenses. Mostly, thanks to all of our new friends in Japan and all of
our Old Friends in America. Keep your fingers crossed. Say your
prayers. Whatever it is you do to encourage safe travel and point it
all towards our first two champion stallions.
We will issue daily updates from Friday until they arrive at Hurstland.

10/11 - Arrival Confirmed!
On October 28 at 11:30 p.m. Sunshine Forever, Creator and, quite possibly a third champion, will arrive at JFK airport in New York via Japan Air Lines. Thanks to everyone who has teamed up to get these great Thoroughbred athletes to Old Friends. The Japanese Thoroughbred Club, which has donated Criminal Type, requested that he stay in Japan for a few more months to breed a few more mares. So, the 1990 Horse of the Year will be coming in the next shipment. We are negotiating to get a third stallion to accompany Creator and Sunshine Forever on this maiden voyage.

They will be vanned by Sallee Vans (once again, they are shipping the horses for free) to Newburg, New York where they'll stay for three days before being sent to Hurstland where they'll be quarantined for 30 days and, then, you can all come and see them. None of this would have been possible without each of you. Whether it's a small donation or a note of encouragement or, in the case of True Value and Equus Media, huge contributions of time, effort and supplies, it's all the same. We have become old friends. And that is why it's working.

We would like to thank all of our Japanese friends for seeing our vision so clearly and their eager cooperation and generosity was essential. We know, based on this experience that it will make it easier to bring other retired champions back in the future. Without the diligence of Patricia Van Den Berg, this wouldn't be happening as well. Emmanuel de Seroux of Narvick International and Jimmy Prezioni of JP Equine Services are our new old friends. They have worked tirelessly on our behalf.

We are expanding our operations to Hurstland Farm, owned by Alfred Nuckols, Jr. and managed by Tim Overton. Phil and Betty Sue Walters will continue to run Old Friends at Afton Farm where Narrow Escape is happily ensconsed. But Hurstland has stallion paddocks and a barn that are perfect for our purposes. On Saturday, October 16, we are having an Old Friends paint-a-thon at Hurstland beginning at 10 a.m. (weather permitting). If you can spare as much as the day or as little as an hour and would like to volunteer...that would be great. Call me at (859)846-9995. True Value is donating the paint and supplies and free t-shirts. We need to make it perfect for our retirees. Thank you so much for supporting our owners program. The certificates are being designed and every owner should be receiving their pictures and certificates by the end of the month. The New York Racing Association has sent us two of Sunshine Forever's races on tape and we're waiting until we get some for Criminal Type before producing our DVD. WLEX-TV in Lexington is putting that together for us for nothing.
Anyone interested in buying a share in Creator, Sunshine Forever and Criminal Type can send a check for $100 to Old Friends, 411 Mill Rd., Midway, KY 40347. Please designate the champion you'd like to own on the check.

We are also instituting a Stallions Helping Stallions program. For each stallion that donates a halter, his name will be placed in brass on the Wall of Fame at Hurstland. Gainesway has already donated a Cozzene halter and we hope to get many more for our auction in November. As soon as we get a precise date, we'll let you know about items on-line and here in Midway at the live auction. Midway Leather not only donates the brass plates but also replacement halters from those farms that request them. We'ere putting together a New York weekend for a pair of Old Friends. It will include a tour of Court TV, thanks to Ira Fields, Court TV VP, a nd tickets to a taping of Emeril, thanks to Food Network executive and new Old Friend, Frank Gardner. We're working on plane fare and tickets to a play.

Gallopalooza, the marvelous sculpted horse extravaganza in Louisville is coming to a close. We have our Sea Hero and Ferdinand in the auction. Sea Hero is on-line at GallopaloozaDerby.com and Ferdinand will be part of the live auction on Saturday October 23 at the Palace Theater in Louisville. Half of the money will go to Brightside and the other half to Old Friends. We'd love to have a big turnout at the Palace. And, at the risk of sounding terribly greedy, we're also hoping that the successful bidder will retire our Ferdinand statue to Old Friends. Charlie Whittingham's widow, Peggy, and her daughter Charlene, will donate some of Charlie's tack and barn supplies to Old Friends and we can give our Ferdinand a permanent stall where tourists can see him in all his glory. Sea Hero can be seen and bid on on-line at GallopaloozaDerby.com. We'd like to have him back as well. In late November, we will have an auction and welcome home party in Midway and it would be great to see alot of you here. It'll be alot of fun. Thanks so much. We will issue updates every Monday until the champions get home. Also, if there are any media outlets that would like more detailed information on the arrivals please call us at (859) 846-9995. Thanks again. Michael.

9/20 - They're coming home.
Criminal Type, the 1990 Horse of the Year, a great son of Alydar and winner of the Whitney, Hollywood Gold Cup, Pimlico Special, is coming home to Kentucky. The Japanese Thoroughbred Club and Mr. Shintaro Otuka of Hokkaido, Japan have given the 18-year-old champion to Old Friends. And, he'll be in Midway before the end of the year. And he's not the only one.

Eclipse Award-winning Sunshine Forever, who was raised and raced by Darby Dan Farm, and Creator, the Andre-Fabre trained, Darley-owned, Group One winner will be coming with him. We will purchase Sunshine for $10,000 from Mr. Tokio Origasa and Creator for $4500 from Mr. Masaru Yamaguchi of Nitta Farm. And, if everything works the way it should, they'll be home between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Our eternal gratitude goes out to all three farms. We are also grateful to Patricia and Myrna who wouldn't let us drop the ball even in the most confusing times, and to Mr. Onishi and the JS Company for their patience with our limitations. Together, we are making history.
None of this would have happened without the generous support of hundreds of Old Friends supporters. But, this happy conclusion never would have occurred as efficiently or as economically without the overwhelming effort of Narvick International, particularly Emmanuel de Seroux. Mr. de Seroux put together this entire package for us. Not only that, he arranged deep discounts on both sides of the journey. He has done this without any advance payment and he's also searching for our other champions. Because of his international network, he established contact with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, determined that Alysheba was in fine health, discovered that he will be bred to a few mares next year and, after that, we can enter in to discussions about bringing him home. We cannot thank Mr. de Seroux enough. We've also discovered that both Sea Hero and Strike the Gold are doing very well in the breeding program at the Turkish Jockey Club. But, when they are retired, the Turkish authorities will discuss their post-breeding years with Old Friends.

Now, these three champions need a home. We can't thank Phillip and Betty Sue Walters enough for their hospitality and generosity. Afton Farm is a thriving Thoroughbred operation. But we don't have enough time or money to build all the accomodations necessary to house these champions by the end of the year at Afton. So, we're expanding to Hurstland Farm. Alfred Nuckols, Jr. has agreed to let Old Friends have five stallion paddocks and the use of his barn. He, and Hurstland manager Tim Overton are firmly committed to Thoroughbred retirement. They have several retirees of their own already at the farm, including The Thrill of it All, who ran against Sea Hero in the Derby. They're even donating an office for Old Friends.
Our major corporate sponsor, True Value, continues to impress us with their generous commitment to Old Friends. Last Friday, True Value sent two representatives to Hurstland Farm to assess the spruce up requirements at Hurstland. After all, these champions deserve the best. Derrick Weaver and David Brockman evaluated the paint and supply needs and True Value is giving Old Friends all the paint we need at no cost. The synergy of True Value and Old Friends continues thanks to the unselfish diligence of Mary Tewhey, a True Value employee and one of Old Friends most loyal volunteers.

Our biggest cost will be air transportation for the three returning champions. We have contacted several international carriers and Mr. de Seroux is doing his best to negotiate the most economical way to get them back. Like so much else in racing, it comes down to money. It could cost, including the purchase price of the retirees, about $50,000. We do have money from those that have already purchased shares and anticipated income from the sale of our Ferdinand and Sea Hero statues in Gallopalooza. But, we need more.

Since our beginnings just over a year ago, one of Old Friends primary goals was to prove that these champions are still capable of generating income to support themselves and other Thoroughbred retirement organizations, including ReRun, The Exceller Fund, Bethlehem Farm, Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation and others. Our first initiative is to syndicate all three stallions. Not for racing or breeding, of course, but for retirement. We will issue 250 shares for Creator, 500 for Sunshine Forever and 1000 for Criminal Type. They will sell for $100 each and each owner will receive a photograph of their champion, an owners certificate and, as soon as we're able to acquire tapes of Creator's efforts, a video sampling of their great careers. The NYRA, thanks to Bill Nader and John Lee, have already donated two tapes of Sunshine Forever's victories,and Tim Gilbert, General Manager of WLEX-TV, has agreed to put together an Old Friends montage for our fundraising efforts. If anyone has contact with Hollywood Park we'd love to get a copy of Criminal Type's Gold Cup victory.

If our state volunteers could concentrate their efforts on selling these shares that would be great. Penny Chenery has purchased the first share.

If $100 is too much for some supporters, they could form another syndicate and get five people to kick in $20. There will be no further financial obligations for these owners. And, each year, we'll have an owners party. Angel Cordero, Jr., who rode Sunshine Forever, has enthusiastically agreed to come to Midway to see Sunshine Forever when he returns and we'll plan Sunshine's party to fit Mr. Cordero's schedule.

We've also discussed with John Nicholson the idea of producing a Champions Tour in conjunction with John Henry, Cigar and Da Hoss at the Kentucky Horse Park. Visitors would be driven from the Kentucky Horse Park to the Midway Thoroughbred Theater to view their spectacular victories on a big screen (goosebumps, indeed). Then, it's off to see them in person before returning to the Horse Park. Some of the proceeds would go for both the upkeep and maintenance, necessary staffing and donations to agencies that help their less successful brethren.

Later this week, we'll send out the names of our Board of Directors along with the date of our Board meeting. We are very fortunate to have such a supportive team.
The Old Friends account is at United Bank and Trust in Midway. They have a complete account of all of our transactions and our records are completely open for anyone to see. We are proud of the way we have taken care of your generosity.

You all deserve the credit. Today you should feel very good about what you've done to make this possible. The road hasn't always been smooth but, with our eyes fixed on these horses, we could never make a big mistake. Everything is geared toward making the lives of these great athletes better. And every one of you should take a minute today to realize you've already made a big differerence. And, as Johnny Carson used to say, there's more to come.

8/18 - The next few weeks should be great for all old friends. We have secured the support of Enmmanuel de Seroux and Narvick International in expediting the purchase and transportation of both Sunshine Forever and Creator. Thanks to Takashi Toriumi in Japan, along with Old Friends' Patricia Van Den Berg and Mr. Onishi of the JS Co. As soon as the purchase is made we can begin the big push to syndicate both of these great champions. Thanks to those who have already sent in their checks...they will be the first owners to be recognized. We'll have more details on that next week.

Rich in Dallas is doing great in Maryland. He's going to make a personal apperance at Delaware Park in September. We'll update you on that appearance.

We're getting tremendous help from Saratoga. Author Bill Heller, who's written books on Personal Ensign and Laasix and a wonderful new one called "Saratoga Tales," has a book coming out in February featuring an entire chapter on Old Friends. PEB, the great equine artist, is very supportive. He is signing individual prints from his new portfolio for Old Friends to auction off. He also has an original drawing that's absolutely chilling. It was his reaction to the death of Ferdinand. It's a large, framed drawing with just a hint of color. The scene is a shedrow of empty stalls with the late afternoon sun streaming in through the slats. On one stall there's a very tiny sign that reads, so precisely and succinctly, "Ferdinand Slept Here."
He has agreed to sell it to us for $2,500...and that's cheap. Here's the idea. At Old Friends, we plan to always have an empty stall in Ferdinand's memory. If everything goes well, the Whittinghams may donate some of Charlie's old webbings and a tack box and other memorabilia and if we get a generous helper to buy our Ferdinand statue from Gallopalooza we can put the statue in the stall and the drawing on the wall.

Angel Cordero, Jr., the Hall of Fame jockey, has agreed to come to Old Friends when we get these great Thoroughbreds back and Jean Cruguet is working to help us with other retired horses.

We will be meeting with some Turkish representatives about Strike the Gold and Sea Hero in late Sept. They are both doing very well, as are Charismatic and War Emblem in Japan, but we want them when they retire. We've also made a few more tiny steps toward Alysheba.
I just mailed some preliminary kits out to our state volunteers. If you don't have one by this time next week notify us and we'll send it out. Thanks to everyone for everything. I think you should be very proud of everything you've done. And, in a few more months, I think your generosity will be rewarded a hundred times over.

All the Best,

Michael

7/16 - There are two very important articles..one by Glenye Cain in today's Daily Racing Form and another by Alicia Wincze in the Thoroughbred Times on-line...They involve the retirement of Bonnie's Poker, the dam of 1997 Derby winner, Silver Charm, to Old Friends if the owners get their way. You can access them through www.drf.com and www.thoroughbredtimes.com
True Value continues to give us a ton of support. They are not helping to help themselves but because they truly believe in our goals. McCauley Bros., the innovative feed and research company in Versailles is feeding our retirees. Dr. Jorge Colon continues to provide free health care. Midway Leather gives us custom halters. Glen and Lisa made a great one for Rich in Dallas. Thanks to Marie Murphy who introduced us to Halfbridled and is helping us organize everything and to Sarah DiPonio and Sean Damron for helping us with all the donated items. Thanks to Anna Gerrow of Design By Anna who does all of our design work for free. Thanks to Mary...for everything. Thanks, as usual to The Walters and to Sissy Sigley for their help. And to Kim Zito who is a shining example to all of us as she cares for her own horse, retiree Awesome Time, as well as pitching in for all the others. Thanks to Clark Nyberg at Kentucky Bank for his help in working with the Turkish Jockey Club concerning Strike the Gold and Sea Hero, in particular. And thanks to CozyB and Beverly for all that enthusiastic and financial support. Thanks to John Nicholson at the Kentucky Horse Park whose care of Cigar, DaHoss and John Henry makes him a role model for all of us. Thanks to Tim and Barbara Gilbert for putting together our public service announcent that aired the afternoon of Smarty Jones' Preakness victory on ESPN. And, of course to Bonnie and Melissa at The Exceller Fund and Lori and Shon at ReRun and Hallie and Cathy, without whom, Rich in Dallas might be somewhere else.

A few weeks ago, we had the honor of taking Mack and Martha Miller to Louisville to see our Sea Hero model standing outside the Pendennis Club. We also stopped by the Kentucky Derby Museum and watched Sea Hero's wonderful run to victory in the 1993 Derby. That evening, we dined with The Millers and Penny Chenery and John Ed Pearce at the Holly Hill Inn. What a thrill just listening to those dedicated Hall of Famer's speak in such an intelligent dignified way about a sport which we all love--sometimes in spite of itself.

We really miss Rich in Dallas but hear that he's doing great at his new home at Greener Pastures, the ReRun facility in Cecilton Maryland. Stop by and visit if you're in that area. Wendy Moon is in charge and they have an open house tomorrow. Give him a treat for all of us relatives at Old Friends. Our other "Gallopalooza" horse, the statue of Ferdinand, has been selected to appear in Cameron Crowe's newest movie, "Elizabethtown," starring Orlando Bloom, Kirsten Dunst and Susan Sarandon. He'll be temporarily transferred from the Kentucky Derby Museum to the Brown Hotel on July 26 for his big scene. Thanks again to D'Arry Jone Frank and Lisa Bickford, the arists who created both Ferdinand and Sea Hero.

The next few weeks could be a big turning point. We will be a year old on July 23 and I hope we have something to celebrate. Martin O'Dowd introduced us to Arlene O'Neill who is helping us with Sunshine Forever and Creator. Mrs. O'Neill is one of the nation's most respected international equine transporters. During the upcoming Fasig-Tipton sale she is arranging a meeting between Old Friends and representatives of the Japanese Racing Association to facilitate the retirement of both champions. It's been a long process.but, if everything goes well, we should have good news next week. Thanks especially to Patricia Van Den Berg who has diligently pursued a wonderful retirement for these old champs. We are still looking for the best transportation deal we can put together. KLM has made a fine offer but it's still not cheap. We need a carrier to recognize the magnificent public relations value in bringing these horses home. And, perhaps like True Value, do it because it's right. We'd also like to thank the JRA for all their assistance in leading us into a new age of horse retirement.

The syndicate for Sunshine Forever should be in place next week. Here's the way it's set up. For $100 (not $200 as we originally, and greedily, thought), shareholders will actually own, in partnership, Sunshine Forever, the Eclipse-winning turf champion, and (we hope), Old Friends first expatriate to return home. This share will entitle each shareholder to a photograph of Sunshine Forever and a legally binding ownership paper along with an invite to an owner's special party when he returns. That doesn't mean non-owners will be shut out. We will have the owner's party on one night and an Open House the next. While we are dealing with famous horses, Old Friends is not, nor will it ever become, an elitist group. We are a grass roots, racehorse fan-based organization with one aim in mind...giving our great athletes a dignified retirement. All those who expressed interest in owning a share can send their tax deductible contribution to Old Friends, 411 Mill Rd. Pl., Midway, KY 40347.
Also, would those Old Friends who volunteered to be the heads of Old Friends in their states please send another e-mail with your regular mailing address and I'll send out kits and suggestions next week.

More good news. Thoroughbred Lilys, run by John and Annette Rice, are going to breed an Old Friends lily for us in our green and yellow colors. They've also agreed to breed a special lily for our next fundraiser and they will name it after the highest bidder. They are great people and live near Paris, Kentucky on Briar Hill Rd. Elaine Rhodes, an Old Friends supporter is in charge of Development at Penn State University. She's coming to Old Friends next month to help us understand how to raise money more efficiently. Thank goodness.
Finally, thanks to everyone who's paid us a visit during the past few weeks at Afton Farm. It was wonderful meeting all of you and sharing the joy of having these magnificent athletes all around us. We're hoping that we can make the road home alot less bumpy for these deserving horses. Come again soon and stay longer. Thanks for taking the time to read this. On a personal note, I can't thank you enough for allowing me to have that rarest of things...a meaningful life.

6/18 - Yesterday, Rich in Dallas left Afton Farm for his beautiful new home at ReRun's Greener Pastures in Cecilton, Maryland where he'll enjoy himself under the watchful eye of Wendy Moon and all the great ReRun people. According to Lori Neagle, he arrived at Greener Pastures this morning at 7 a.m. and has already taken up with his new pals. We will miss him very much as will the hundreds of fans that visited with him here in the Bluegrass. But he is an ambassador for all of us - all the retirement groups and the retirees- so we can't be selfish. This new home will afford him the opportunity to meet new friends and, once again, act as a great advertisement for dignified retirement.

Before he left, Kim Zito and The Exceller Fund's Melissa Miller, helped give him his bath and we packed a box of goodies including, Seabiscuit posters, props from the movie and a few of Judith Berkshire Jones' beautiful prints of the star. He loaded easily with a beautiful mare for company and off he went.

In the meantime, working with Kim Zito and Kelly Young at Lost and Found Horse Rescue, we purchased a horse for $375 from the New Holland sale that prevented him from going to slaughter. His name is Brook the Wind and, through the generosity of one of our most valued, but anonymous, volunteers we have all his information. The donor had to pay $50 just to find out who he was since he was delivered to the sale with nothing but skin, bone and a tattoo number. I know our primary mission is to get these retirees make from overseas but we couldn't pass up an opportunity to help Kelly and Brook.

We are on the cusp of an agreement to bring back Creator and Sunshine Forever. We are in desperate need of a transportation deal within our range. That's the only thing standing in our way. We're trying to arrange deals with shippers but it's very difficult. Like so many in the horse business, it's about the money. That's the international language.

Here's what I was thinking. How about a reverse syndication? In other words, we could draw up legally binding papers and sell syndicate shares much like the farms do with their breeding stallions. It would be a chance for supporters to own a share in Sunshine Forever, an Eclipse Award-winner. We would put together a package including a photo and a video of his great races and a numbered certificate with the investor's name imprinted and sell them for $200. Every penny raised would go toward getting that horse home. Each year, we could have a syndicate party where all the owners could come together to celebrate their horse. If we can pull this off..if we can get one or two of these champions back...it'll show the international racing community that we are a viable alternative to the present case scenario. Let me know what you think.

Both Cong. Whitfield and Kentucky Racing Authority Vice-President Connie Harriman Whitfield and Kentucky Bank executive Clark Nyberg have made tremendous inroads in Turkey concerning specifically, but not exclusively, the return of Strike the Gold and Sea Hero. By year's end we hope to have an agreement in principle to purchase both Derby winners and bring them back to the Bluegrass when their stud careers are over.

Ruthie Rish, an Old Friend from South Carolina, has suggested that we send out fund-raising kits to each state that would include certificates, pictures, news articles and other items that will raise consciousness and funds. We have hats and key chains as well that they could sell. If any volunteer is interested in heading up their state's Old Friends effort, let me know.

Elaine Rhodes, Development Director at Penn State University, has agreed to help us with our long-range financial planning. She has some great ideas and she knows how to turn them into action.

On Friday, July 2, we will hold our first board meeting. That date marks our year in existence. I can't thank everyone enough for all you've done. I feel so fortunate to have met so many generous, intelligent people. I have no doubt that, given the enormous progress we've made with opening up channels, discovering the locations where these champions live, raising money and supporting several retirees already, including the beautiful Narrow Escape, that we will accomplish our goal. Again, thanks so much. And go visit Rich in Dallas. He loves to have his picture taken and meeting new horses and people.

5/24 - We've been so busy that we've fallen behind in our updates. First, the horses. Rich in Dallas is very excited about his upcoming appearance at Turfway Park. It's the ReRun-New Vocations Horse Show on Belmont Day. So, while Smarty Jones goes for the Triple Crown in New York, we'll be proudly parading our star just south of Cincinnati. Narrow Escape is doing very well...She's really bonded with Connie Whitfield's beautiful filly, Favorite Sweetheart...I have spoken with David Hoffman, owner of another Seabiscuit horse, Popcorn Deelites, and he assures me when Popcorn's career is over we can get him for Old Friends...We're also much closer to getting Sunshine Forever and Creator back home....Patricia Van Den Berg is working very hard toward that end and we've had some preliminary talks with sympathetic folks at Darby Dan Farm, where Sunshine raced and stood....We've also made inquiries into the post-stud life of Ferdinand's best son, Bullintheheather who is currently standin!
g in New Mexico...We may get him back to Old Friends when his stud career is over. Clark Nyberg, of Kentucky Bank, has made some great contacts in Turkey so our relationship with the Turkish Jockey Club is getting stronger. Also, Cong. Ed Whitfield is going to Turkey next month to help with Sea Hero and Strike the Gold. Dr. Jorge Colon, whose schedule is overloaded already, continues to provide free and timely vet care. If you're ever at Joseph-Beth bookstore in Lexington, check out Dr. Colon's magnificent photo display. It's obvious, by looking at these miraculous pictures, that Dr. Colon sees much more than a litany of patients in these magnificent athletes...Last week, Diane and I had the pleasure of visiting with Mary Tewhey, Mike Lambrecht and out other friends at True Value Manufacturing near Crystal Lake northwest of Chicago. We had a ball. Mary makes those beautiful beaded bracelets and barrettes and True Value donates paint, brushes and all sorts of other supplies !
to Old Friends. I got to talk about Old Friends to all the employees and, I think, that they liked it...at least no one fell asleep...I distributed brochures and tried to convince them that their beautiful side yard would make a wonderful pasture for a retiree...They said they'd get back to me...know what I mean? nudge, nudge, wink, wink....Anyway, thanks to Mike and Mary and Jim and Chris for the tour and Deb the Cubs fan...It was a great time and I hope they'll all visit us at Old Friends very soon..I think it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. And, if you haven't seen Robbi and Greg Meisel's great pictures of Rich in Dallas and Narrow Escape check them out at Flasshpoint Pfotography, 850 Stonechapel Ct., Apopka FL 32712..Also, thanks to Glen and Lisa at Midway Leather who still make all of our halters for nothing as well as some Old Friends keychains that raise money. Judy Jones, the artist whose evocative drawings of Narrow Escape and Rich in Dallas has produce!

d a limited edition of 500 each...Beverly Lendquist of B-Cozy has been the greatest. Whether it comes to donations, creative ideas, promotion or getting these horses back, her hard work and support have been invaluable...Princess Jean von Hapsburg is a great supporter as well. She's rounded up several donations from her friends in Florida. Jack Brothers of Adena Springs called two weeks before the Preakness and graciously asked if we had a public service announcement for tv...We didn't....All we had was a pile of video from stories done by WLEX in Lexington and WAVE in Louisville...Jack said that if we could get him a 30 second spot within two days, they would pay to have it air sometime during ESPN's Preakness coverage...WLEX-TV, under the supportive leadership of Tim Gilbert, put together a beautiful spot and we made the deadline. I wanted to let everyone know but we could never find out the specific time it would air...But, just before 5 p.m. on Preakness Day, they showed!
it...The response was huge...More than 200 e-mails...It led to many things. We are now getting free feed from McCauley Bros. in Versailles and Rainbow Enterprises from Harrodsburg supplies us with free hoof ointment for the all-important hoof care...Our Ferdinand and Sea Hero statues are getting plenty of attention in Louisville....Thanks again to Lisa and D'Arry...The Exceller Fund, particularly Melissa and Bonnie, has been very helpful with donations...It's a great example of how horse retierement groups can really help each other. Liz Brewer's mares are doing very well at Bethlehem Farm thanks to Sandra White and her excellent human and equine program...Thanks to Amy of Lexmark for allowing Old Friends to take 45 international executives on a Bluegrass tour where equine retirement was clearly part of the agenda...Thanks to Equus Media. Without them, we'd never get the word out. And they're doing it for free...Old Friends has become a magnet for generosity...And, of cours!
e, thanks to Betty Sue and Philip Walters for everything they do. Without them, Old Friends would still be a good idea not a reality. We're working on our next Open House for October. If you have ideas on how we can improve let us know. We're really hoping that Peggy and Charlene Whittingham can come...along with other special guests...We'll keep you posted. Everyone, except Mary, should have their certificates...If not, e-mail us and we'll get them in the mail. We have some beauties of Narrow Escape and we're working on Charismatic and War Emblem...We're out of Strike the Gold... And, finally, thanks to everyone I didn't thank...Without you, Old Friends wouldn't exist and I wouldn't have the supreme pleasure of these horses' company. It's a wonderful life.

4/27 - Thanks to everyone for everything. The Open House at Afton Farm was a rousing success thanks to our two stars of the evening....Mrs. Peggy Whittingham and Rich in Dallas ...along with Narrow Escape, Jason and Philip and Betty Sue Walters and all of our tireless volunteers...It was great seeing Kim and Nick Zito and Rick and Liz Trontz. Dr. Harthill came down from Louisville to see Peggy. Lisa Bickford brought her marvelous Ferdinand statue from Gallopalooza and, I hope, everyone had as good a time as I did. We netted $12,185.85 which will go toward finishing up our stallion condo and for getting Sunshine Forever and Creator back from Japan.Thanks to all the farms that donated halters and companies that donated services. Most importantly, it was a time for us to dispel the myth that the horse retirement groups aren't working together to find more places for all Thoroughbred retirees. ReRun, Lost and Found, The Exceller Fund, Bethlehem Farm and C.A.N.T.E.R. all had a presence at the event. Fore further proof, look no further than our first two Old Friends. Narrow Escape came to us because Shon Wylie and Lori Neagle of ReRun learned of her from Bonnie Mizrahi of The Exceller Fund and we all teamed up. Rich in Dallas involved the same teamwork with the aforementioned groups along with Hallie McEvoy and Cathy Riccio. Those that remain stubborn in their lack of support for these equine athlete's post-racing and post-breeding futures cannot use disunity among horse retirement groups as a lame excuse anymore....I wish that everyone who receives this update could come to Afton Farm to see what a marvelous job Philip and Renoda Martinez are doing with our retirees along with our great vet, Dr. Jorge Colon.....Both Narrow Escape and Rich in Dallas look great....We've received great tv coverage because of Rich in Dallas' stardom. WLEX in Lexington and WAVE in Louisville have done great stories. Murray Evans of the Associated Press did a great piece as did Kathleen Adams in Louisville magazine. CNN came to visit last week and they tell me their piece on Rich in Dallas and Old Friends will air on Friday and Saturday....We've increased our presence in Turkey with several volunteers working together so Old Friends is in a solid position to get Strike the Gold and Sea Hero once their breeding careers are over....War Emblem's breeding problems are presumably over because he's impregnated 50 mares so far this year...And Charismatic is still breeding...We're still working on Sunshine Forever and Creator...Not to belabor the obvious but it's lot easier getting stallions overseas when there are a million or more U.S. dollars attached than getting them back for very, very short money....Thanks to you Old Friends continues to grow in all the right ways....We appreciate every e-mail, every note every penny and every good wish. A few years from now, when I re-retire with our equine retirees, I know that we'll all be able to look back with pride at how much a dedicated group with very few financial resources has accomplished for these very deserving racehorses. If I had one wish it would be that every one of you could spend a morning watching Narrow Escape and Rich in Dallas in the pasture. These are moments of absolute transcendence that make you glad that you, and these remarkable animals, are alive. Thank you ever so much.

4/5 - We have another horse. His name is Rich in Dallas and he played Seabiscuit in the film. I know I'm prejudiced but he's in the best sequence in the movie...He's the one ridden by Tobey Maguire over the stone bridge and through the autumn leaves...As trainer Tom Smith replies to Red Pollard's inquiry about how long they should ride, "Till he stops." Now, he's stopped. He'll be with us at Old Friends at Afton Farm until early July. After that, he'll be at ReRun's Greener Pastures facility in Maryland and he's owned by the Exceller Fund. This is just another example of how Thoroughbred retirement groups can work together for the betterment of all our retirees.

In another of life's odd coincidences, last summer, at the "Seabiscuit" premiere party, after one or two or five or six (frankly, I don't quite remember) Kentucky Ales, I bid on, and won, the tote board used in the match race between War Admiral and Seabiscuit at Keeneland...In the interests of full disclosure, it was astonishing that I was the only bidder. It sat, much to my wife's dismay, in our garage. Well, we just re-erected it at Afton Farm so friends of Old Friends can see Seabiscuit (Rich in Dallas) and the tote board.

The Open House on the 17th is going great. People are coming from both coasts. Mrs. Chenery and Mrs. Whittingham will be there...as will hundreds of friends. Personally, it will be great to see so many people in person who have worked so hard to make Old Friends the success it has become in so short a time. It's all because of you. It's hard to believe, in an age unfortunately characterized by greed and avarice, that so many would give so much even before we received our 501 (c) 3 designation, making all donations tax deductible. We have dozens of sponsors including Kentucky Ale, Equus Run Vineyards, Bacchus Fine Wines and Spirits, Buffalo Trace bourbon (at least we won't be thirsty). True Value has donated the paint and supplies for our fence and stallion condo. Glen and Lisa at Midway Leather donate all of our replacement halters...speaking of which, we will have halters from numerous Derby winners to auction off..Lil E Tee, Real Quiet, Thunder Gulch, Fusaichi Pegasus...and others...Skip Away, Unbridled Song and Rich in Dallas.Nick Zito donated halters from his Derby contenders...and we're still waiting to see if we get WinStar's big four halters...Tiznow, Groovy, Victory Gallop and Distorted Humor...Stallions helping Stallions. There are beautiful limited edition prints of Narrow Escape and Rich in Dallas brilliantly done by Judy Jones. Bracelets and barrettes by Mary Tewhey...Lisa and D'Arry, the magnificent artists who created out Sea Hero and Ferdinand for Gallopalooza, have created a one-of-a-kind Skip Away Breyer-type horse and others...Wendy donated a limited edition (signed and numbered) of Willie Shoemaker on Exceller and Tonia is bringing the sign she created (at no charge) for Old Friends at Afton Farm all the way from Georgia. Beverly Lengquist of B Cozy is not only donating a portion of the proceeds from her stylish water bottle cozies to Old Friends, she's also telling the story of Narrow Escape on the bottle tags...And Ann Sawyer, of Create-A-Hat, is coming to the Open House with her Derby hats and a generous donation to Old Friends...Also, we will be showing video of our great horeses Ferdinand, Exceller, Rich in Dallas and others...Dan Molina, who's making a documentary on horse retirement, is coming and will show us a few minutes of his film that's slated, with a little bit of additional funding, to be shown in the PBS American Experience series. Carol Chapman, author of "Tall Ears and Short Tales," is also coming and will autograph copies of her marvelous book for Old Friends....(I know this isn't everyone but, if I listed everything and everyone, there'd be no room for anything else.) We just been given permission by Gallopalooza to borrow our Ferdinand statue for the party...ReRun, TRF, Lost and Found and Exceller will all have tables...We'll have supportive vendors in attendance...music and entertainment...Pray for the same sort of sunshine we've been blessed with since the start.

While we're getting a couple of mares coming from Florida on Friday and we already have a mare and a few geldings under our care, we haven't lost sight of our primary objective ...bringing our champions home. But, since we have the land and paddocks, it seems like a good idea to use it until we start getting the retired stallions to do some good for these marvelous racehorses.We're still in negotiations for Creator and Sunshine Forever and we've alerted dozens of other international breeding facilities that we want to give our American champions a wonderful retirement once their stallion careers are over.

For those coming to the Open House, we've decided to start at 4 p.m. to help alleviate traffic problems. Primary activities won't begin until 6 p.m. but you can tour the farm and see what youy've accomplished. And, youy can thank Betty Sue and Phillip and Jason and David..the Walters family... for all they've done for us already. They are a great family who deserve a spot in the history of racing in the Bluegrass for all they've done for us so far..And we plan on presuming upon them more and more.

Click here for a map. For accomodations, any hotel in the Frankfort or Lexington is within 30 minutes of Afton Farm...The Best Western in Frankfort is nice and economical and only 15 minutes away..There are plenty of near-by bed and breakfasts, including Scottswood, Rebel's Roost and others. Again, thanks so much. I hope everyone can make it...Seeing Narrow Escape and Rich in Dallas is really worth the trip..and, selfishly, I'd just like to thank everyone in person for transforming an old newspapeer cynic into proof that Frank Capra was right, it is a wonderful life.

Michael Blowen
www.oldfriendsequine.org

3/19 - IT'S OFFICIAL: The sun is shining, the crocuses and, on this date in history, Old Friends, Inc. is now officially a 501 (c) 3. Every donation is retroactively tax deductible to last July when Old Friends incorporated. This is great news for us. We have taken very good care of your donations. We treat every dollar as a way to get closer to our mutual goal of a retirement home for these great athletes that everyone will want to visit and, quite rightfully say, "I built this place." We are sitting on some sizable grants that should be coming through now that we have official non-profit status. I just want to thank everyone for their patience as we went through this painstaking process but I'd especially like to thank our marvelous attorney, Twila Brooks, whose dogged, diligent but good-humored pursuit of a just conclusion was unwavering. She's the best. I'll write more later but I wanted everyone to know that your generosity without benefit of tax relief is doubly appreciated and, now, we can allow the government to help us as we move toward a safe haven for more and more of these great athletes...

3/16 - There's so much happening it's hard to know where to begin.|

SEE THE APRIL 17 th OPEN HOUSE POSTER WITH THE DRAWING OF NARROW ESCAPE

As always, horses first. Narrow Escape is doing great. Our vet, Dr. Jorge Colon, gave her a clean bill of health and she looks great. Her picture will be in the April/Kentucky Derby issue of Louisville magazine. She's patient with those of us who know less than she does and she really likes to pose for pictures. In fact, Barbara Livingston is coming to photograph Narrow Escape in May. We can't thank Barbara enough. Her book is the inspiration for Old Friends....She's the best. We're working very hard on getting Sunshine Forever and Creator to Afton Farm in the next few months. It makes it harder when you just can't give someone the money to make it happen sooner. But the Japanese people have been very helpful. The Japanese Breeders want to put the Ferdinand tragedy behind them and are working very cooperatively with Old Friends to create a new safety net for all their retirees. It's amazing how quickly we've come in so short a time..But we also wish it could all happen even faster. Our attorney, Richard Vimont, along with Patricia van Den Berg and PJ Newman and Barbara Bayer are working overtime to make sure we get these champions back ASAP.

I hope everyone can come to our Open House/Fundraiser at Afton Farm from 6 p.m.-9:30 p.m. on April 17. (see poster) Mrs. Whittingham and her daughter Charlene are coming as are Penny Chenery and Barbara Bayer. DIRECTIONS: From the intersection of Midway Rd. and Leestown Rd. continue west on Leestown for 1.5 miles. Right on Fishers Mill Rd., 3.5 miles to stop sign. left at stop sign. It's just under one mile to Afton Farm on your right.

We'll have Narrow Escape in the new paddock so everyone can see how lucky we are to have such a beautiful horse at our facility. Kentucky Ale, Buffalo Trace and Bacchus Fine Wine and Spirits are all providing beverages...We'll auction off halters from Real Quiet, Thunder Gulch, Fusaichi Pegasus, Go For Gin and, we hope, Silver Charm....We have a limited edition of signed and numbered prints of Narrow Escape, elegantly drawn in pencil by Judy Jones....Kinko's allowed us to use their heavy stock paper and state-of-the-art copier to make 500 prints...And they did it for free.... Mr. Simon, of Publisher's Printing who prints The Blood-Horse, Keeneland magazine and virtually all the beautiful Kentucky magazines is publishing our post cards and posters for free...and they were beautifully designed by Anna Gerrow (designbyanna@aol.com) Tonya Maryknell is completing a beautiful sign with carved impressions of Ferdinand and Exceller...Ann Sawyer of Create-A-Hat is donating a significant amount of her Derby hat take to Old Friends and Beverly Lengquist is creating a cozy for water bottles with the Old Friends message attached and she's donating a portion of the proceeds to us...We've invited ReRun and The Exceller Fund and the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation to each have a table...We'll have three bands...thanks to Sean Damron, who is also putting donated memorabilia up on e-bay for us...Kudos to Monica and everyone at www.equusmedia.com for their continuing expertise, patience and generosity. Thanks to Glen and Lisa at Midway Leather for providing all of our halters for nothing...They're even making a beautiful brass plate for Narrow Escape's stall...

Yesterday, Jason Walters and I met with Lynn Ashton and Sherry Crose, the President and Marketing and Development Director, respectively, at the Kentucky Derby Museum. They have agreed to put our beautiful Gallopalooza statue of Ferdinand at the Derby Museum...That's huge...Every visitor will get to look at our poster horse, as beautifully created by Lisa Bickford and D'Arry, as they visit the museum. They re also going to put Old Friends literature in the lobby. The Pendennis Club, in downtown Louisville, has agreed to have Sea Hero at their entrance..

Construction has begun on our stallion condominium at Afton Farm. The paint has arrived at the True Value in Versailles..thanks to Mary Tewhey and Mr. Cabel. It should be up and running by the Open House.

If you have any items you think might be good for our silent and/or live auction let us know..
Personally, I can't wait to meet everyone that I've come to respect over our brief but meteoric existence. Believe me, when you see Narrow Escape's gorgeous face in that paddock you'll realize it's just the beginning of a beautiful relationship between all of us new Old Friends and these deserving retirees.

2/26/04 - Some days I am so thankful just to wake up to all of your great ideas and unconditional generosity.

I just got back from visiting Narrow Escape with our great vet, Dr. Jorge Colon. He does great work for us and he does it for free. Our 21-year-old star is as healthy as she is beautiful.
We moved the date for our open house at Afton Farm from April 10 to the 17th. Our special guests (actually everyone who comes is a special guest) ...our surprise guests are Peggy Whittingham and Charlene Whittingham, widow and daughter of Charlie Whittingham, and Peggy's sister, Pat Judge. I am also trying to get Barbara Bayer to come from Japan. Barbara broke the tragic story of the great Ferdinand and deserved to win the Eclipse Award..It's expensive so if anybody has any ideas on how we can get Barbara out of Japan for a few days let us know..We can provide accommodations once she arrives. Our other visitor is Barbara Doughty of Franks Farm who arranged to donate Narrow Escape to Old Friends...I look at the free open house as a celebration of Charlie Hittingham, John Franks, Ferdinand, Exceller and, of course, Narrow Escape. We will raise additional funds through a silent and live action and with a percentage from vendor sales including Kentucky Ale and Create-a-Hat. But no one will pay to get in..it's for everyone who's interested in helping these retired thoroughbreds. Lori Neagle of ReRun and a representative from Exceller Fund will also have informational booths.

Mary from True Value, has beaded some more marvelous bracelets and barrettes with various horse's names. They are beautiful and will be available at the event. Tonia, a marvelous sign painter from Georgia, is sculpting our sign with images of Exceller and Ferdinand in the center. She went to Walker Art Supply and told Mr. Walker what she needed the special board for and he gave it to her for free. IIt usually costs $500. Kathleen Nygaard of Four Winds Farm paid us a visit and she plans to help. She gave a thumbs up to Narrow Escape and she plans to help with the possibility of getting Alysheba back to the U.S. .

Wendy from California did great things for us. First, she sent us the signed Alysheba certificates. Everyone who ordered one should have one by this weekend. I'm sorry I didn't put a note in with each one but the backlog was daunting so I just got them in the mail. Suffice it to say, we really appreciate your generosity and we're putting all the money to good use. Lisa from Iowa is painting Ferdinand and Sea Hero for the upcoming Gallopalooza Festival in Louisville..It was quite an outlay of money...$3500 per horse plus artists fees. But it'll be worth it when they're auctioned off after the Derby.

Most importantly, we're still working on getting Sunshine Forever and Creator back here by mid-April. It's hard to create a new route while explaining that we're not in the horse business but the horse retirement business. I'm sure if we offered $50,000 we'd have them by now.

I hope that many people can come to Midway on April 17. It's going to be a great elebration with great people. I can't wait to meet everyone in person. Thanks again for everything. Michael.

2/14/04

And her name is NARROW ESCAPE....

Who would have thought that the first first famous stallion to enjoy the luxury of Old Friends at Afton Farm would be neither a stallion nor famous. Instead, we have a 21-year-old mare. Where to start? First, in order to bring the stallions home they first need to be retired. And, while negotiations with the Turkish Jockey Club are going very well, it looks as if Sea Hero and Strike the Gold will be working for a few more years. Our on-going negotiations over Sunshine Forever, Creator and others is also taking time. But, since we have a great facility through Philip and Betty Sue Walters Afton Farm, we didn't want to wait any longer.

On Thursday, we received several e-mails from friends of Old Friends. Dr. Staci Speidel, who
was instrumental in getting help to the thoroughbreds trapped in Karachi, Pakistan a few years ago, and Bonnie Mizrahi, of the Exceller Fund, let us know that there were a couple of Exceller mares in the Franks Farm reduction sale at Fasig-Tipton in Lexington. Since Exceller and ReRun and so many other quality groups are filled to the rafters with re-trainers and retirees, they asked Old Friends if we could help. Bill Van Den Dool, a longtime horseman and a member of the Old Friends Board of Directors, called Fasig-Tipton and found out that one mare was sold to a farm in Arkansas but there was one left. Hip number 539. A daughter of Exceller out of Gantlette (IRE). Barn 13. aisle A. Stall 7. For $1000, we could have her.

I know our mission is retired stallions and our attention is focused on these guys because it fills a void. But there was no way in hell we would let this mare go. I got the number for the Franks Farm and explained to Barbara Doughty, the longtime farm manager for the Franks, that we were going to buy the mare and then Diane White, my wife and I drove the 15 miles over to Fasig-Tipton. Barbara told me to ask for Nessa Joyce when I arrived. When we got there the place was practically empty. The employees were packing up for the next sale at Calder and the barns, that had been filled with more than 500 thoroughbreds, were practically empty. We went in and asked for Nessa. This delightful woman appeared and I asked her who to make the check out to. She smiled and said there would be no charge. It had all been arranged. I was happier than if I'd won the Derby. Diane and I went over to see the old mare and she looked great. Calm with big brown eyes. She looked a lot like her sire. Believe it or not, our first Old Friend has the most prescient name - Narrow Escape. (SEE HER PEDIGREE) You can't make it up. Thank you all from all of us.

I called Barbara and thanked her for her generosity. She thanked us. We thanked her. You know how that goes. I asked her if she would send a good photo of the Franks' silks so we could get some made. She said she would. The next day, we picked up the mare and brought her to her new home at Afton. She settled in with Phillip and Reynaldo and one of our volunteers, Susan Cooke, was giving her a great grooming when we left. When we got home there was a Fed Ex package from Barbara. Inside were the glorious silks of Mr. Franks.

Then, Diane heard those terrifying words, "I have an idea." Here it is. Cong. Ed Whitfield and Connie Harriman Whitfield have promised that Mr. Keck would donate a Ferdinand mare to Old Friends. We are going to put these daughters of Exceller and Ferdinand in the front paddock at Old Friends. We will have a beautiful facility with their silks and a monitor where their fathers' races can be viewed and everyone can visit. When we get the stallions, we'll just expand. Like with Old Friends, the females are the trailblazers. These two mares will stand as reminders that what happened to their sires should never happen to any horse much less these great champions.

You made this moment of pure joy possible. One other footnote, the folks at Fasig-Tipton said they wouldn't let the few remaining mares go anywhere. Just in case, I left them our number.
We continue to work with Exceller, ReRun and any other group that appreciates what these great athletes have given to us. All the Best,

Michael.

12/4 - We hope that the holidays are treating everyone as generously as you've treated Old Friends. Things are moving so quickly that we'll start issuing updates every week. Mary Tewhey of Cary Illinois works for True Value paint and they've offered to supply all the paint we need for barns, fences, etc. that we will need...We are currently seeking out the best value for paddock construction. Betty Sue and Philip Walters, along with their sons, David and Jason, are working very hard at Afton Farm to make sure everything is up and running by our target date of March 2, 2004.
We are currently raising money on e-bay. This money will be used for fencing and supplies, etc. These are donated items such as stallion halters and stuff that volunteers have contributed as well as items from my personal collection - items that were just taking up space that can now go to a great cause.

Patricia Van Den Berg is negotiating a deal for Creator and Sunshine Forever, two stallions currently in Japan, to come to Old Friends. KLM has offered us a generous discount which we may accept if we can't get a better arrangement with an American carrier. It's just a little strange to have a Dutch airliner returning our American stallions home from Japan.

Congressman Ed Whitfield and his wife, Connie Harriman Whitfield, have just been unbelievably helpful. They continue to work diligently for Old Friends and to get the anti-slaughter bill out of Committeee and on to the house floor. As I mentioned before, they got a young filly off the track and are paying for her upkeep at Afton Farm. Thanks also to Dr. Jorge Colon who is a great photographer and a terrific veterinarian who is taking care of some of our retirees at Afton, already. Thanks so much to Bonnie Mizrahi and the Exceller Fund for their efforts as well. Thoroughbred Charities of America has a terrific fundraiser on Saturday night at the Cross Gate Gallery in Lexington if anyone is in the area...

Thanks to Ashford Stud and Hopewell Farm for their generous donations of halters. Those items have raised nearly $2,000.

In Louisville, they're arranging for Gallopalooza, a celebration of Kentucky derby winners. All the Derby winners will be done in fiberglass, much like similar exhibits in Lexington and Saratoga. Old Friends has reserved Ferdinand for sponsorship thanks to Penny Chenery and Leonard Lusky. We are honored to have this great Derby winner representing Old Friends, especially since he's really our patron horse.

We have Sea Hero certificates, signed by Hall of Fame trainer Mack Miller, available and we're sending the Alysheba certificates out to California for Jack Van Berg's signature...We still have a few Strike the Gold certificates left.

I'd also like to reiterate my thanks to Barbara Livingston whose book and photos are our constant inspiration and to Eclipse Press for their generosity in allowing us to adopt their beautifully designed Old Friends logo as our own. Also, thanks to William Van Den Dool of Midway for his great advice as the head of our Board of Directors and to Anna Gerrow who does countless hours of work for us for free at Annabydesign@aol.com. And, of course, to Monica and Marcelo at Equus Media who keep the Website up and have never accepted a dime. What can I say? We'll never be able to repay all these marvelous people.

Thanks so much for everything...I promise we won't let you, or these great retired athletes, down.

Until next week, I remain your grateful servant,

Michael

7/11-More good news....Old Friends has met another magnificent benefactor. Yesterday, Philip and Betty Sue Walters signed a five-year lease granting Old Friends several magnificent pastures for our retirees at Afton Farm. The rent? $1 per year. It doesn't get much better than that.

In celebration, Betty Sue held a great party at Afton for more than 30 old friends and it didn't cost us a dime. And she served beef tenderloin. They don't come much better than the Walters family. Their sons, David and Jason, have been extremely helpful. Jason is serving on the Old Friends board....

Secretariat owner Penny Chenery came out to Afton to check it out and exclaimed that it was perfect....

We went over the $15,000 (net) mark when Sigrid Wallace of Saratoga Springs made another donation and asked that we send a Strike the Gold certificate to Chris Antley's mother in South Carolina..

.Mack Miller, Hall of Fame trainer of Sea Hero, is now signing Sea Hero certificates and they will be available next week...We will have the Alysheba certificates ready to go on December 1....

Most importantly, we have a great ally in Congressman Ed Whitfield (R, KY) and his wife, Connie Harriman Whitfield. The Whitfields have done more for Old Friends in a few weeks than we could have done in a year. Congressman Whitfield founded the Turkish caucus in Congress and he has already spoken to the Turkish Ambassador to the United States about returning Strike the Gold, Sea Hero and Manila when their stallion careers are completed. He's also co-sponsoring the horse anti-slaughter bill with Cong. John Sweeney of New York and others. He also took part in a press conference last week with Nick Zito and myself announcing a coalition formed to end horse slaughter in the United States.

Connie Whitfield is completely committed to Old Friends. She has several great ideas and she's smart, diligent and tenacious enough to get them done...

One of our good contacts in Japan has retired but two of our great volunteers - Patricia Van Den Berg and P.J. Newman have been working to keep those lines of communication up and running...

We've begun talks with Bank One about financing and grants. They seem very amenable to the idea. Bank president Glenn Leveridge toured Afton Farm earlier this week....

Thanks so much to Susan Cooke and Leslie Marceau for their volunteer efforts and thanks so much to all of our wonderful supporters...It seems that every time we need another piece to help complete our mission the missing section falls into place..

I also would like feedback on an idea I have about Afton...Since they've allocated enough space to comfortably house 8 stallions in 1 1/2 acre paddocks, we have about 10 acres left over and I thought we might put a few hardknocking geldings and mares in that space...It would be a good reminder to guests that we need to retire as many Thoroughbreds as possible, not just the champions. It's your money we're using so I'd appreciate some advice on that idea.

Thanks again to Barbara Livingston whose generosity is as boundless as her talent and to Monica and Marcelo at Equus Media who continue to run our website at no cost. And, of course, to Rick Trontz and Richard Vimont of Hopewell Farm and Twila Brooks of Vimont and Wills who is pushing our 501 (c)3 status through the IRS. ...

We were thinking of inviting Penny Chenery and Mack Miller and Nick Zito and a Hall of Fame jockey to a fundraiser at Holly Hill Inn, a great restaurant here in Midway. Let me know if there's interest in this as a fundraiser...And, of course, thanks to the horses that continue to bring us so much unconditional pleasure.

9/20/03 - Great news on all fronts thanks to all of Old Friend’s friends.

We have a home...and it’s a beauty…
Phillip and Betty Sue Walters, owners of the spectacular Afton Farm (www.aftonfarm.com) have agreed to lease us some of their land. We’ll erect some fencing, waterers, run-in sheds and stalls and other accoutrements befitting these great retirees. We’ll start with four two-acre paddocks adorned with the star’s racing silks, the logo from the farm where he last stood and a television monitor where visitors will view the stallion’s career highlights. Afton Farm is in a perfect spot, just across the street from Shadwell, on the Georgetown Road just inside Franklin County. It’s only about ten minutes from Midway. Phillip Walters, a trainer, currently accepts boarders and lay-ups. If you have a horse that needs his services in the Lexington-Frankfort area call him at the farm. If everything goes right, we hope to have the Old Friends section up, running and open to all of our old friends by March 1, 2004. We’d like to get each paddock sponsored so all of your donations can go toward the acquisition and care of our retirees. If you know of any company that might be interested please let us know.

Kim Zito is getting closer and closer to getting Strike the Gold home. I’d like to provide more specific details but, because negotiations are ongoing, I don’t want to interfere. Suffice it to say, Strike the Gold is much closer to returning to us than he was a few months ago. And it’s due to all of you who purchased certificates, an enlightened trainer and owner and a shipping company, Horse America, which has offered to bring this champion home at cost. Several television networks, along with The Boston Globe and other newspapers have indicated a strong interest in following Strike the Gold back from Turkey when the time comes.

One of our highest obstacles is the cost of transportation. We’ve been in touch with KLM but if anyone knows anyone connected to international horse shipping we’d love to explain our goals. It seems to me that an ad campaign for Fed Ex or UPS or any of the international shipping companies featuring these great champions would do wonders for their images. Can you imagine the phrase “Bringing the Champions Home” on the side of all their trucks? Just a thought.

The Japanese racing community is being very helpful. Their breeding magazine, Futurity, gave Old Friends a full page, full color ad for their October issue. It was brilliantly designed by Anna Gerrow (e-mail designbyanna@aol.com) and features Barbara Livingston’s evocative photo of Kris S and Larry Whaley silhouetted against a beautiful sunset at WinStar Farm. It says “When Their Stud Careers Are Over....We’d Love to have Them Back”

One of our dedicated volunteers, Patricia Van Den Burg, has worked very hard creating some very productive links to the Japanese racing community. In fact, her intervention in the sale of a marvelous racer named Creator, may lead to our first Old Friend. More details later. Again, the negotiations are on-going.

Also, the first hip number sold at Keeneland in the September Yearling Sale was purchased by a group called Old Friends for $55,000. They are not us. We are fully incorporated in Kentucky as Old Friends, Inc. And Richard Vimont, our attorney, has put them on notice. Believe me, the last thing we want to do with your donations is enter the horse business. We are strictly in the horse retirement business.
This weekend we’re holding a joint fundraiser with ReRun. This signals a working relationship we hope to also establish with other Thoroughbred organizations whose goals are to support these former athletes.

We have netted more than $13,000 in just a couple of months thanks to your overwhelming generosity. I feel so privileged to get to read your amazing letters. I can’t thank you enough for everything. All of us are really looking forward to a beautiful spring afternoon at Afton Farm gazing into a pasture filled with champions enjoying their well-deserved retirement.

UPDATE: In just a few short weeks Old Friends has become a lightening rod for the two most neglected, and most necessary groups in racing --the horses and the fans.The response to getting these stallions back from overseas is overwhelming. Kim and Nick Zito have generously spearheaded the movement with their efforts to assure their Derby winner, Strike the Gold a fine home when his stud career in Turkey is over...And Mack Miller and Suzee and Jerry Bailey have added their support for Sea Hero's return...Donations.range from a marvelous poem and $5 to a check for $735 from a wonderful group called The Round Table at Thoroughbred Champions (www.thoroughbredchampions.com). Fans from all over the world have written to express their concern and support. ..Michelle Velasquez, Jorge Velasquez's daughter and a lawyer with the New York Racing Association, called to find out about Proud Truth's status in Panama..We have communicated with the owners of Colonial Affair who is on his way to Argentina that we'd like to provide the 1990 Belmont winner with a home when his career at stud is over..Two volunteers have visited Japan and Turkey to provide updates on the condition of several champions. They came back with reassuring reports...Check out the latest issue of The Blood-Horse for an update on the Turkish National Stud...Thanks to Susan Cooke and Leslie Marceau, two Old Friends volunteers, who have done all the hard stuff while the rest of us get credit...We are proceeding with our 501(c)3 application..Thanks to the law office at Vimont & Wills for all thei help...Thanks to Steve Haskins of The Blood-Horse, Murray Evans of the Associated Press, Ed Fountaine of the New York Post, Bill Nack of ESPN.com, Rick Snider of the Washington Times, Mark Beech of Sports Illustrated, Bob Vlach of The Woodford Sun, Midway Exchange and all on the Lexington television stations together with WAVE in Louisville..., The media have been great in getting the word out...If you know anyone who'd like to buy a magnificent farm on the Brandywine River in Chad's Ford, PA, let us know. The owner has pledged $1 million to Old Friends if she gets her $3 million asking price...Also, if you know of any appropriate property in Woodford County as a future home for Old Friends let us know. We're looking..We've gone into a second printing on the Strike the Gold certificates..They are $50 and Nick Zito took time from his pressing schedule to sign them all...You can get one by sending a check to Old Friends, c/o Michael Blowen, 411 Mill Rd. Pl., Midway, KY 40347...You can also call 859 846-9995. We have sent all the certificates out for those who ordered them...If you've sent a donation and haven't received one ,e-mail us and we'll make sure one arrives promptly....We'll be issuing certificates for Alysheba and Sea Hero soon...Based on the machine gun style of this note, it's hard to believe I once worked for The Boston Globe but things are moving at such a rapid pace that there's hardly time to re-write...Again, thanks to everyone. Old Friends is working very hard on the behalf of both the horses and their fans to make a difference.

Michael Blowen

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