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Grave Matters: Old Friends, Georgetown, Kentucky
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Photos by Kurt Lemke. © ©Kurt Lemke 2013; all rights reserved. |
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Top: Left--Fraise; Right--Precisionist
Bottom: Left--Ruhlmann; Right--Taylor's Special |
| OLD FRIENDS is a non-profit retirement facility and tourist attraction in Kentucky established in 2003 by Michael Blowen to care for retired Thoroughbreds, especially stallions whose working days are over. His inspiration was the death of Ferdinand, winner of the 1986 Kentucky Derby, who had been exported as a stallion to Japan and was reportedly sent to his death at a slaughterhouse there in 2002. To prevent more distressing losses for former high profile racehorses, Blowen leased some acreage at Afton Farm outside of Lexington and took in his first pensioner, the broodmare NARROW ESCAPE, coincidentally a daughter of Ferdinand. By 2005, the farm relocated to a portion of Hurstland Farm, and 2006, Blowen purchased Dream Chase Farm near Georgetown, Kentucky, its current location.
Old Friends' first big stars were OGYGIAN, FRAISE, SUNSHINE FOREVER and CREATOR, all of which had been stallions in Japan but had fallen out of favor. FRAISE had been gelded, was being used as a riding horse, but arrived in poor condition and did not survive long after his return. Old Friends has since been home to many racing greats, including champions BLACK TIE AFFAIR (IRE), GULCH, HIDDEN LAKE, PRECISIONIST, THE WICKED NORTH; and Grade 1 winners like RUHLMANN, OGYGIAN, COMMENTATOR, AFFIRMED SUCCESS, BULL INTHE HEATHER, and many others. It's also been home to BONNIE'S POKER (the dam of Champion SILVER CHARM), POPCORN DEELITES (one of several horses who played Seabiscuit in the Seabiscuit movie), and the tough claimer SWAN'S WAY, which Michael rescued at the end of his career at Suffolk Downs.
The cemetery at Old Friends is a hall of fame in its own right. Besides the memory of Ferdinand that looms large, there are two horses with markers at Old Friends who never made it there alive. The champion mare ESTRAPADE was set to be shipped to Old Friends/Hurstland when she died suddenly on January 1, 2005. Her remains were buried at the Hurstland division, and removed to the Dream Chase property when the operation moved there. There's also a marker for CRIMINAL TYPE, who arrival was being arranged when he died in Japan in March, 2005.
--A.P. |
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| OLD FRIENDS BURIALS
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| Stallions | Geldings | Mares |
Academy Award (c. 1986-2010)
Awad (c. 1990-2011)
Ballindaggin (c. 1985-2008)
Black Tie Affair (IRE) (c. 1986-2010)
Eternal Orage (c. 1987-2012)
Flying Pidgeon (c. 1981-2008)
Fortunate Prospect (c. 1981-2012)
Glitterman (c. 1985-2011)
Gold Spring (ARG) (c. 1988-2009)
Jade Hunter (c. 1984-2011)
Leave Seattle (c. 1988-2012)
Marquetry (c. 1987-2013)
Noor (c. 1945 - 1974)
Polish Navy (c. 1984-2011)
Precisionist (c. 1981-2007)
Proper Reality (c. 1985-2010)
Ruhlmann (c. 1985-2008)
Stage Colony (c. 1987-2009)
Taylor's Special (c. 1981-2006)
The Wicked North (c. 1989-2011)
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Benburb (g. 1989-2012)
Bingo (Connery) (g. 1988-2012)
Easy Ellis (g. 2001-2011)
Fraise (g. 1988-2005)
Marker: Criminal Type (c. 1985-2005)
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Bonnie's Poker (f. 1982-2010)
Cozy Miss (f. 1988-2011)
Estrapade (f. 1980-2005)
Invigorate (f. 2004)
Narrow Escape (f. 1983-2009) |
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