Patch Settles Into the Sweet Life of Retirement

“There are two things that I refuse to die from,” Michael Blowen said as he strode along the fence line at Old Friends Farm in Georgetown, Kentucky. “The first is shoveling snow, because I'm from New England and I hate snow. And the second is boredom.”

The founder and president of Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Farm weaved among the paddocks, stopping to distribute carrots to Ide (Forty Niner), the winner of four consecutive Grade III stakes in 1995 and 1996, and then breaking into a sprint along the paddock of 1997 GI Belmont S. and GI Haskell Invitational H. winner Touch Gold (Deputy Minister). The 26-year-old millionaire cantered eagerly alongside.

Finally, Blowen stopped in front of a paddock with a one-eyed bay gelding whose ears were pricked towards the bucket of carrots in Blowen's hand. Patch, the newest arrival to Old Friends, already knew the routine.

“He's pretty smart,” Blowen remarked. “It took him about five seconds to learn that I was the bald guy that walked around with the carrots.”

Patch arrived at Old Friends Farm Jan. 20 after a thorough check-up at Park Equine Hospital earlier in the year.

“Since the day he arrived, he's been really cool,” Blowen said. “With some of these horses, you hear stories about them at the track and then their private personality doesn't fit their public persona. But with Patch, you can do anything. You can tell he's received great care.”

Bred and owned by Calumet Farm, Patch was training as a 2-year-old under Todd Pletcher when his left eye suddenly developed swelling and tearing. Although the eye was treated, it continued to worsen and eventually had to be removed.

Despite the setback, the son of Union Rags went on to break his maiden at second asking as a sophomore. He then ran second in the GII Louisiana Derby before becoming the fan favorite in the 2017 GI Kentucky Derby.

“When he was heading into the Derby, it made for a great feel-good story,” Blowen recalled. “How's a one-eyed horse going to run in the Derby? This isn't the first one-eyed racehorse, but for some reason Patch captured the imaginations of thousands of racing fans. Plus he sees better with one eye than I do with two.” (Ed's note: the one-eyed Pollard's Vision ran, but was unplaced in the 2004 Derby)

Fourteenth in the Kentucky Derby, Patch went on to register a third-place finish in the GI Belmont S. and added a Belmont allowance and a third-place effort in the Alydar S. at Saratoga. He retired at five with earnings of over $500,000 in 14 starts.

“I got a call from Calumet asking if we would like to have Patch,” Blowen said. “Of course I knew he was going to be popular, and one of the important things with us is to be able to draw visitors. I knew he had a huge fan base, so I immediately said yes. He's the perfect candidate for us.

“The response has been unbelievable,” he continued. “He's gotten thousands of likes on our Facebook page and we've received hundreds of comments from people already making plans to come out to the farm. I would guess that he will raise anywhere from $25,000 to $50,000 a year for us, which is just huge. I'm very grateful to Calumet for allowing us to share his story.”

Although it started out with just a few horses, Old Friends has grown immensely as “Horse Racing's Living History Museum.” The original location in Georgetown, Kentucky, was founded in 2003, and has grown in acreage and number of retirees over the years. Locations in Franklin, Kentucky, and Greenfield Center, New York, have also been added. Blowen reported that in total, there are currently 246 retirees among the different locations, with a wait list of over 40 horses hoping to be added to the roster soon.

“Our goal is just to let them be horses again,” Blowen said. “Most of them haven't been out in a paddock with other horses since they were babies. It's really amazing to watch them greet each other and run around. You can tell they are gleeful.”

On top of the benefits provided to the horses, Blowen talked about the education the farm offers to racing fans. “Every time visitors come out, we get to say, 'Look, this is the way we treat our horses.' And people get to see how these horses are sweet and extremely intelligent and how well they are cared for.”

Blowen recalled some of the visitors who left with a new appreciation for the animals. “DeMarcus Cousins came to visit once and he was afraid of the horses at first. Even someone who's as big and athletic as him, if you're not used to being around horses it's definitely scary. But after a while, he got used to them.”

As the farm continues to expand, Blowen challenged the rest of the racing world to help change the perception on racing and aftercare. “I think the perception beyond racing, which isn't very good right now, would change immensely if they knew that most people in horse racing adore these animals and will do anything for them. We have to get the message out.

“We need more facilities like this, and thanks to the TAA, TRF, New Vocations, and other great organizations, there are people doing everything they can to find something for these retirees to do that gives them pleasure and gives us pleasure, and still provides income. The better it is for the horses, the better it is for the sport.”

As for Patch, he continues to settle into his new home, enjoying daily mud rolls and naps. Blowen said that every evening at sundown, Patch, Ide and Touch Gold race each other along the fence line. In another few weeks, Patch will join a few more retirees in a larger paddock. The team at Old Friends is also looking forward to a “Welcome Home, Patch” celebration to happen sometime in the next few months, allowing his huge fan base to throw him a proper retirement party.