Horse Racing
LLADRÓ CAPTURES IN PORCELAIN THE TENSION, MOVEMENT AND EXQUISITE BEAUTY OF A HORSE RACE
Lladró, the world renowned creator of fine porcelain sculptures, presents Horse Race, a stunning composition in white matte porcelain depicting the tension and movement of two Thoroughbred horses and their jockeys in the defining moment of a race.
Inspired by the famous Kentuky Derby, this limited edition of 3,000 units not only faithfully reproduces the anatomy of these "hot-blooded" horses, known for their agility, speed and spirit, but also captures the excitement and energy of the race in a technically difficult composition. The horses seem to be suspended in the air, and to achieve this visual effect, a thorough meticulous previous study was required. Although both horses are jointed, only one is connected to the wooden base that acts as a support and as the counterweight that guarantees the stability required by a piece of this size and characteristics.
Feb 9, 2010, 09:05
Horse Racing
Kentucky Derby Hat Auction Benefiting Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Continues With ‘The Will’s Way.’
"Hats off to the Horses: The Road to the Derby,” an online auction of couture Kentucky Derby hats, continues tonight with the fourth of seven hats on the block to benefit Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Facility in Georgetown, KY.
Old Friends has now open bidding on yet another stunning chapeau by Cape Cod milliner Sally Faith Steinmann of Maggie Mae Designs®. Multiple-stakes winner Will's Way, who has been retired at Old Friends since 2007, inspired this latest, one-of-a-kind, hat.
Feb 9, 2010, 08:21
Horse Racing
Angie Dickinson Donates Academy Award to Old Friends!
Celebs contribute to the retirement of Secretariat’s son
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
Jan 29, 2010, 14:15
Horse Racing
CHAMPION STAKES WINNER GULCH TO RETIRE AT OLD FRIENDS
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| CHAMPION STAKES WINNER, GULCH. Photo by Rick Capone |
Gulch, the six-time Grade 1-winning son of Mr. Prospector, arrived 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.
Jan 19, 2010, 01:07
Horse Racing
OLD FRIENDS TO OPEN AUXILIARY FARM IN NEW YORK
Michael Blowen, founder and president of Old Friends, is pleased to announce the opening of his organization’s first satellite facility for retired Thoroughbreds. Cabin Creek, a 40-acre farm just outside Saratoga in Greenfield Center, NY, will begin receiving horses immediately. An official opening and celebration is planned for July 22, 2010.
This premiere auxiliary space will be named in honor of trainer Bobby Frankel, who passed away earlier this week after a battle with leukemia. A native New Yorker, Frankel was a long supporter of the Old Friends mission and earned many of his greatest victories at New York racetracks. The farm will formally be known as “Old Friends at Cabin Creek: The Bobby Frankel Division.”
Nov 19, 2009, 09:24
Horse Racing
State Fair Park to Host Equine Event with an Estimated $340,000 in Purses
The world's most talented horses and cowboys take center stage July 6 in Oklahoma City to battle it out for top honors at the inaugural Battle in the Saddle competition. State Fair Park and the American Quarter Horse Association have teamed to present this first-of-its-kind equestrian event. Battle in the Saddle, owned by Oklahoma State Fair Inc. and managed by AQHA, will be a premier equine competition showcasing five western disciplines.
Nov 16, 2009, 07:31
Horse Racing
HAWTHORNE RACE COURSE DEBUTS VEGAS-STYLE PLAYERS’ CLUB
Hawthorne Race Course recently announced the opening of The Platinum Players Club, a new luxurious space offering personalized VIP service to the Platinum members of its nationally renowned Club Hawthorne rewards program. The Platinum Players Club accommodates 80 patrons, and is open seven days a week, opening at 11:00 a.m. until close for top players looking to wager in style. The renovation is part of an ongoing celebration of the Carey family’s 100th anniversary of ownership and operation of Hawthorne, and the start of its signature fall thoroughbred racing season.
Sep 27, 2009, 12:07
Horse Racing
HAWTHORNE RACE COURSE CELEBRATES 100 YEARS OF FAMILY-OWNED RACING
The Nation’s Oldest Family-Owned and Operated Race Track Launches Fall Meet and Hosts a Variety of Special Events to Commemorate a Century of Success in Sporting Entertainment
Hawthorne Race Course, 3501 S. Laramie, the live racing horse track home to the Annual Illinois Derby, has long been a forerunner of the regional racing business and continues to deliver thrills in its 100th year of family ownership. Under the proprietorship of the Carey family, the anniversary distinguishes Hawthorne as the oldest continuously family-owned and operated race track in the nation. Over the last century, Hawthorne has hosted over 100,000 races and employed 250,000 people. One million miles of track have been run by at least 1,000 jockeys and 100,000 horses and over $1 billion worth of winnings have been happily collected at the longest running sports venue in Illinois. Hawthorne Race Course continues to be an integral player in the legendary heritage of Chicago sports entertainment and is proud to take a look back over a century of success as well as look ahead to the next 100 years with its next meet as well as two special events: Chicago’s Biggest Family Reunion and Oktoberfest.
Sep 10, 2009, 10:43
Horse Racing
Black Tie Affair to Old Friends
2009 Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Facility, is pleased to make a very formal announcement: Black Tie Affair, who captured the Breeders’ Cup Classic and subsequently the Horse of the Year crown in 1991, will be pensioned at its Georgetown, KY farm.
Jul 29, 2009, 11:15
Horse Racing
Derby Winner Calvin Borel is Coming to Old Friends
Michael Blowen, president and founder of Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement facility, announced today that Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks-winning jockey Calvin Borel will make a special appearance at the farm on Tuesday June 30.
Borel will be on hand to celebrate his incredible Triple-crown series, meet-and-greet with local fans, and to show his support for Old Friends’s 50 retirees, including former mount Mark of Success.
Jul 29, 2009, 11:15
Horse Racing
Furosemide and Thoroughbreds
A groundbreaking study to be published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) shows that furosemide does more than enhance performance in Thoroughbred racehorses; it also has beneficial effects on the health and welfare of those horses.
Most countries ban the race-day use of furosemide because it improves performance in racehorses. Only the United States, some South American countries, including Brazil, and some tracks in Canada, allow the use of furosemide on race day.
Jul 17, 2009, 10:24
Horse Racing
Fans Gather for “Calvin Borel Day” at Old Friends
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| Equisport Photos. Borel signs photos of Mine That Bird and Rachel Alexandra |
Calvin Borel, the affable Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks-winning jockey, paid a visit yesterday to Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Facility, and was met by nearly 200 admiring fans.
Borel made the trip from Louisville to the Georgetown, KY farm with fiancée Lisa Funk and agent Jerry Hissam. Arriving just after 4 pm, he was greeted by three TV news crews, various reporters, and fans anxious to shake hands, get autographs, and talk about what it’s like to ride the great Rachel Alexandra. (“She’s something else,” he told one devotee.) Some fans traveled from as far away as Michigan and St. Louis to meet the rider.
Jul 13, 2009, 11:35
Horse Racing
Jade Hunter, Son of Mr. Prospector and Sire of the Great Azeri, Retires to Old Friends
Old Friends, the non-profit Thoroughbred retirement facility, announced today that Jade Hunter, the 25 year old sire of 2002 Horse of the Year Azeri, will be permanently pensioned at the organization’s Georgetown farm.
On the racetrack, Jade Hunter (Mr. Prospector-Jadana (IRE), by Pharly) was campaigned by trainer Richard Lundy for owners Bruce McNall and Allen Paulson. He won 6 of his 14 starts, including the G1 Donn Handicap and the G1 Gulfstream Park Handicap, but retired in 1988 at the age of 4 after he fractured his right front cannon bone during a workout. His lifetime earnings total $407,260.
Jul 9, 2009, 14:34
Horse Racing
ILLINOIS HORSERACING VINDCATED IN U.S. SUPREME COURT
On Monday, the US Supreme Court denied a petition by riverboat casinos in Illinois to further withhold funds guaranteed to the Illinois horseracing industry, a legal battle that has been waged for the last three years. Defense of the “Molaro Bill” was championed by Hawthorne Race Course.
Jun 17, 2009, 13:09
Horse Racing
PETA thwarts efforts to bring home racehorses
As reported today on ESPN’s Outside the Lines, PETA has inserted itself into the issue of American racehorses being slaughtered in Japan. The slaughter of Kentucky Derby winner Ferdinand in 2002 brought outrage to American horse owners and was the catalyst for anti- slaughter awareness in America.
The Program reported on two thoroughbreds, War Emblem and Charismatic who are both standing stud in Japan. ESPN interviewed Michael Blowen, owner and founder of Old Friends, A Kentucky Facility for Retired Thoroughbreds and Kathy Guillermo, vice president of laboratory investigations for PETA.
Jun 10, 2009, 12:51
Horse Racing
Old Friends Announces Winner of “Name that Horse” Challenge
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| "Escape From New York" |
It has been chosen. A panel of judges has spoken, and a winner has been selected from the more than 100 entries received last week in Old Friends “Name that Horse” challenge.
For the competition, participants were asked to submit a name for the five-year-old horse recently rescued by Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Farm in Georgetown, KY , from Ernie Paragallo’s Upstate New York stable. The horse was one of 177 Thoroughbreds found in various states of neglect.
And the winning entry is: Escape From New York, submitted by Fred Jones of Lexington, KY. The apt moniker is borrowed from the 1981 John Carpenter action-thriller starring Kurt Russell.
Jun 10, 2009, 10:55
Horse Racing
DASHED DREAMS FOR VIRGINIANS AT UPCOMING DERBY
Quality Road, a strong Derby contender prior to developing a quarter crack in his front hoof this week and being withdrawn from the Derby, was seeking to become the fifth Virginia-bred horse to win the Kentucky Derby.
That stellar group of Virginia winners includes Triple Crown winner Secretariat (1973), Pleasant Colony (Derby and Preakness 1981), Sea Hero (1993) and Reigh Count (1928), but it leaves out other important Derby winners with Preakness connections.
The trail from Commonwealth to Commonwealth (Virginia to Kentucky) for the most famous horse race in America starts in 1918 when Kentucky-bred Exterminator (aka Old Bones) won the Derby for Virginian Willis Sharpe Kilmer.
May 1, 2009, 09:38
Horse Racing
HAWTHORNE RACE COURSE THROWS CHICAGO’S BIGGEST KENTUCKY DERBY PARTY
Catch the "The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports" at the Nation’s Oldest Family-Owned and Operated Race Track
On May 2nd, Hawthorne Race Course, 3501 S. Laramie, will feature a weekend of festivities to celebrate the most prestigious horserace of the year. In celebration of 100 years of family-owned racing, Hawthorne is hosting Chicago’s biggest Kentucky Derby Party featuring live music, an outdoor barbecue and beer fest, a charity chili cook-off, and tent lounges with dozens of high-definition flat screen TVs so fans can watch and wager on the “Run for the Roses” in style.
For a mere $4.00 admission, Kentucky Derby fans can experience Hawthorne Race Course’s expansive grounds and exciting line-up of events offering the next best thing to being on the infield at Churchill Downs. Guests can also opt for a $50.00 VIP Pass for two which includes admission, program and a barbecue and beer package and a commemorative Mint Julep glass. Gates will open at 8:00 a.m. for those hoping to catch the first race at 9:30 a.m., while the outdoor party will kick off at 11:00 a.m.
Apr 20, 2009, 15:38
Horse Racing
218 Two Year-Olds offered In The John Franks Memorial Sale
Sale administrator Stemmans Inc. has cataloged a total of 218 two year-old thoroughbred horses for the 2009 edition of the John Franks Memorial Two Year-Old in Training Sale. This total is an increase of more than 14.1% from last year's total of 191. The sale, held in the racing paddock at Evangeline Downs Racetrack & Casino, is scheduled for Sunday, March 22, beginning at noon (CT). In addition, there will be a Preview Gallop Show on Saturday, March 21, which will begin at Noon (CT). Both the sale and the Preview Gallop Show are free and open to the public.
Mar 9, 2009, 11:05
Horse Racing
Texas Thoroughbred Association Executive Director's Update from Dave Hooper
TEXAS HORSE OF THE YEAR, DIVISIONAL CHAMPIONS TO BE HONORED SATURDAY, JANUARY 10TH
The Texas Thoroughbred Association will honor the owners and breeders of the 2008 Texas Horse of the Year and the respective divisional champions at its annual awards banquet at the Westin Park Central in Dallas on Saturday evening. There will also be several individual awards presented, including the Allen Bogan Award for TTA member of the year and the T. I. “Pops” Harkins Award for lifetime achievement.
Kirk Robison’s fleet Stealth Cat will be honored as the 2008 Texas Horse of the Year and Texas Champion Older Mare. Jann K. Jones and James S. Kenney bred Stealth Cat in partnership. Stealth Cat’s dam, Dixie’s Integrity, will be recognized as the 2008 Broodmare of the Year.
Jan 9, 2009, 10:14
Horse Racing
2009 Lone Star Park Thoroughbred meet features 32 stakes worth more than $3.5 million
Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie announced that the track’s 2009 Spring Thoroughbred Season will feature 32 stakes, including five Grade 3 races, worth a total of $3.55 million in purses. The 65-day meet is scheduled for Thursday, April 9 through Sunday, July 26, 2009.
The season’s centerpiece is Lone Star Million Day – Texas’ richest day of Thoroughbred racing with stakes purses totaling $1.1 million – to be staged for the 11th consecutive year on Memorial Day, Monday, May 25. Three graded stakes events top the holiday card -- the Grade 3, $400,000 Lone Star Park Handicap (3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles); Grade 3, $200,000 Dallas Turf Cup Handicap (3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles on turf) and Grade 3, $200,000 Ouija Board Distaff (fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, at one mile on the turf).
Jan 9, 2009, 10:12
Horse Racing
THE GREAT RACEHORSE RUHLMANN, DEAD AT 23
Ruhlmann, the eight-time stakes winning stallion and winner of the 1990 Santa Anita Derby, died on Christmas Eve. He was 23. The news was announced today by a saddened Michael Blowen, founder and president of Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Facility in Georgetown, KY, where the distinguished stallion had been pensioned since 2004.
Ruhlmann was found just shortly after being brought up from his paddock for the night. Veterinarian Dr. Doug Byars arrived within minutes, and, judging by the virtually undisturbed nature of his stall, concluded that the horse died instantly, most likely from an aneurysm. A full autopsy report is pending.
Dec 28, 2008, 22:46
Horse Racing
STAKES WINNING STALLION FLYING PIDGEON EUTHANIZED
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| FLYING PIDGEON 1981 - 2008 |
The people of Old Friends said farewell to a dear friend, millionaire Flying Pidgeon.
Winner of the Grade 1 Hollywood Invitational and member of the Calder Hall of Fame, Flying Pidgeon was humanely euthanized at Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Facility in Georgetown, KY due to the infirmities of old age. The 27-year-old son of Upper Case out of Miss Minnesota was retired to Old Friends by Jane White and the Flying Pidgeon Syndicate in October 2006.
Dec 16, 2008, 08:42
Horse Racing
Important Track Change... Houston race days now to run at Retama Park
Retama Park has agreed to add 43 days of racing to its present meet in response to the recently cancelled meet at Sam Houston Race Park. The Texas Racing Commission has scheduled a special meeting for Wednesday, October 29, at Sam Houston Race Park at 11am, “to consider proposals to modify the 2008/2009 live horse racing schedules as a result of Hurricane Ike damages to Sam Houston Race Park’s facility.” It is understood that there will be an opportunity to tour the grounds and view damage resulting from the high winds and heavy rain to the grandstand, the old simulcast building, Barn Q and the dormitory rooms on the backstretch.
Oct 27, 2008, 09:43
Horse Racing
Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame
Bill Allen was asked a quarter-century ago why he was putting up 12 percent of the $3 million purse to supplement his Wild Again in the inaugural Breeders’ Cup Classic at Hollywood Park when the thoroughbred had no chance.
Allen, who organized and led Black Chip Stables, promptly predicted his horse was going to win and he was betting on it, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Oct 23, 2008, 10:11
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