Brereton Jones

Noted rebounded from a disappointing ninth-place showing in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile last month to score his second stakes victory of the season in the Pulpit S. Victorious in Monmouth's Sapling S. in August after breaking his maiden at Saratoga, he missed graded victory by a nose Oct. 8 in Keeneland's GII Bourbon S. and finished way back in the field last month at the Breeders' Cup. Breaking as the 6-5 favorite and bumping with the outside runner, Noted settled in seventh for the lion's share of the race...

Grade I winner Zandon (Upstart--Memories Prevail, by Creative Cause) has been retired and has arrived at Spendthrift Farm in Kentucky ahead of stallion duty in 2024, the farm announced. The dark bay will stand for $12,500 stands and nurses and will participate in Spendthrift's "Share the Upside" program on a limited basis for a fee of $15,000 for two years. "We are excited about Zandon and the ability to offer a Grade I winner with his physical through our Share The Upside program. He's what they should look like," said...

Anyone who ever knew Brereton C. Jones can stop reading now. I won't be telling you anything new. He was smart, kind and compassionate. And that is a rare trifecta. But he was so much more than that. Nearly two decades ago, when I first started Old Friends, I made an appointment to see him at Airdrie Stud, a farm as modest and forthright as he was. "Let me get this straight," he said. "You're going to get these horses, including stallions from Japan, and you're not going to race...

Former Kentucky Governor Brereton C. Jones will lie in state in the rotunda of the Kentucky State Capitol from 10:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. this coming Monday, September 25.  The family will receive visitors there from 3:00-7:00 p.m. His funeral will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 26, at Forks of the Elkhorn Baptist Church, 840 Duckers Road, Midway, Kentucky, followed immediately by a private burial. Jones died Monday at the age of 84 at home after a lengthy illness. Jones served as the Commonwealth's 58th governor from 1991-95 and...

One of the first horsemen I met when hired to cover the Thoroughbred industry full time in 1984 was Brereton Jones, who with his wife, Libby, owned Airdrie Stud on Old Frankfort Pike. As journalists, we must always keep a distance from those we cover, in order to remain neutral in our coverage. But when reporting and writing about a specific topic day in and day out, you can't help but become friends with some of those you encounter. Brere and I instantly became friends. We had many on-the-record conversations,...

First Row Partners and Team Hanley's Prerequisite went wire-to-wire to take the rescheduled GII Wonder Again S. in just her third career start at Belmont Park Sunday. Sent off at 7-1, the bay filly rushed up to take the lead into the first turn and she was tracked by Spansive (Karakontie {Jpn}) through fractions of :23.67 and :47.94 in a strung-out field down the backstretch. She scampered away into the lane and was clear in upper stretch, but was all out to hold off the late-closing Be Your Best. "I...

Bret Jones is the vice president at Airdrie Stud located in Midway, KY, a 2,500-acre breeding operation founded in 1972 by his parents, Governor Brereton Jones and his wife, Elizabeth. He is a graduate of the University of the South (Suwanee) and has formally been a member of the team at Airdrie since 2006. He also serves on the Board of the Breeders' Cup, a position he's held since 2011, and was a commissioner on the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission from 2016-2020. He currently serves on the board of trustees...

A lot of you will know the feeling. Day three of the January Sale, back ring, and your horse is coming back out after a matter of seconds. The digital board had stalled at $2,500, and then cleared. Bret Jones exchanged a grimace with farm manager Ben Henley. Pretty terrible, no getting away from it. But what can you do? It wasn't the first time Airdrie has had to cut its losses on a horse, and nor would it be the last. As his father has always told Bret: "Better...

Our community couldn't have started the most momentous week of its calendar more auspiciously than by absorbing the wit and wisdom--or a sample, at least, of those infinite resources--of Arthur B. Hancock, III of Stone Farm, most deserving Honor Guest at the Thoroughbred Club of America's 89th Testimonial Dinner Monday. But I suspect that we'll need to heed his example and counsel rather more closely, over the coming years, if we are still to invite the world beyond our parish to judge us by the showcase we present the first...

The share in Upstart which sold to Mike Freeny for $450,000 at the Keeneland April Horses of Racing Age Sale last Friday, has been approved by the syndicate, Keeneland confirmed Wednesday. "Everyone involved with the Upstart share was delighted with the result of the sale on Friday," Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said. "We are happy to confirm that the contracts were fully executed promptly last Saturday and all parties are very satisfied. The successful sale of this share was made possible by the efforts of many, most...

SURFER GIRL S., $203,000, Santa Anita, 10-3, 2yo, f, 1mT, 1:34.27, fm. 1--CAIRO MEMORIES, 120, f, 2, by Cairo Prince 1st Dam: Incarnate Memories, by Indian Charlie 2nd Dam: Witness Post, by Gone West 3rd Dam: Most Likely, by Fappiano 'TDN Rising Star' 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. ($50,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-David A. Bernsen, LLC & Schroeder Farms LLC; B-Brereton C. Jones (KY); T-Robert B. Hess, Jr.; J-Kent J. Desormeaux. $120,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $162,000. *Full to Cariba, SW, $221,750. 2--Helens Well (Ire), 120, f, 2, Kodi Bear (Ire)--Ever Evolving (Fr),...

6th-Ellis, $46,200, Msw, 8-30, 2yo, 6 1/2f, 1:16.52, ft. UPSTRIKER (c, 2, Upstart--Casanova Striker, by Smart Strike) opened with the money on but drifted up to a generous 11-1 at the off while looking to become his first-crop sire's fifth winner and second in as many days after the impressive unveiling Saturday at Saratoga of pricey Founder. Showing good speed to chase in second, the dark bay confronted pacesetter Bluegrass Pharoah (American Pharoah) after a :45.98 half. He went by willingly at the top of the lane, and widened at...