Old Friends

Fan-favorite Channel Maker (English Channel), the 2020 Eclipse Award-winning turf male who made a record six appearances at the Breeders' Cup, has taken up residence at Old Friends in Georgetown, Kentucky. The 9-year-old was donated to the farm by Adam Wachtel and his fellow owners. Bred in Ontario by Ivan Dalos's Tall Oaks Farm, Channel Maker was a stakes winner at two for trainer Danny Vella and took the 2017 Breeders' S. He was a Grade I winner each year from 2018 to 2020, scoring his first such victory in...

GISW Red Knight (Pure Prize) arrived safely at his new home on Tuesday, Nov. 7 at Old Friends in Georgetown, Kentucky, the retirement farm said in a release Friday morning. Bred, raced and donated by owner Tom Egan of Trinity Farm, the 9-year-old Red Knight was a stalwart campaigner over 38 races in which he was 12-9-2 with total earnings tallying at $1,886,338. The highlight of his lengthy career came this year when he won the GI Man o' War S. at Belmont Park May 13, becoming just the third...

MGSW Tom's Ready (More Than Ready) was euthanized on Monday, Oct. 30 at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky, due to complications following colic surgery, Old Friends Farm announced on Tuesday. The 10-year old dark bay stallion was donated to Old Friends by owner Gayle Benson in November of 2020. The $145,000 Saratoga Select Yearling amassed a career line of 21-5-4-3, $1,036,357 over three seasons and captured the 2016 GII Woody Stephens S. and GIII Ack Ack S., and the 2017 GIII Bold Ruler S. He also placed...

Popular 8-year-old gelding Spooky Channel (English Channel--Spooky Kitten, by Kitten's Joy) has been retired from racing and will be heading to Old Friends Farm, according to a post on X by trainer Jason Barkley. The four-time graded winner posted a career record of 31-13-6-1 and earnings of $1,380,142. Bred in Kentucky by Calumet Farm, the $10,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall yearling concluded his career for owner NBS Stable and Barkley with a runner-up finish in the GII FanDuel Kentucky Turf Cup S. at Kentucky Downs Sept. 9. Good as time as...

Old Friends Farm will hold its Fall Fundraiser on Monday, Oct. 16, the Thoroughbred retirement home said in a release Thursday morning. Before the fundraiser, at 11:30 a.m. (ET) the farm will pay tribute to MGSW Timely Writer, who lost his life in a breakdown at Belmont Park in 1982. Due to construction of a new synthetic track in Elmont, his grave has been exhumed and his remains will now be reinterred at the Nikki Bacharach Memorial Cemetery at Old Friends. There is no cost to attend the service. Gates...

Stormy Liberal is one of a select number of Breeders' Cup winners to repeat the feat. Always dead game, the former claimer's final half-dozen career victories had connections and fans regularly holding their collective breaths as his biggest margin was just a neck. The tough and classy veteran raced on three continents, earned an Eclipse as champion turf male in 2018, and retired to Old Friends after his 2019 season. "When owner David Bernsen retired Stormy to us, I was thrilled," said Michael Blowen, president of Old Friends. "The two-time...

Eclipse Award-winner and GI Breeders' Cup Sprint champion Amazombie (Northern Afleet) was euthanized on Monday, Sept. 18, at Old Friends in Georgetown, KY, due to a fractured ankle. The 16-year old gelding had lived at the retirement facility since 2014 thanks to his owners, trainer Bill Spawr and Thomas Sanford. "Amazombie was a lot of fun," Spawr said. "He was so much fun, you just can't imagine. And, you know, he died doing what he loved to do--run! You guys [at Old Friends] did a great job. We appreciated that."...

2002 GI Belmont S. winner Sarava (Wild Again) has died at Old Friends. According to the preliminary report from Dr. Colton Thacker at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital, he was euthanized due to complications from a leg fracture at the age of 24. The dark bay was the first Classic winner to be retired to the farm Sept. 29, 2012, thanks to his owners, Gary Drake, and Paul and Susan Roy of Great Britain. He upset the field of the 2002 GI Belmont S. at odds of 70-1, defeating Medaglia...

Oklahoma-bred millionaire and three-time Oklahoma Horse of the Year Welder (The Visualizer), Remington Park's all-time wins leader with 16, arrived at Old Friends in Georgetown, Kentucky, on Monday. The 10-year-old gelding was retired in 2021 and was moved to Old Friends after his owners, Re-Max Farms in Claremore, OK, ceased operations. Racing for seven seasons, Welder won 27 of 44 career starts, which includes 15 Listed stakes victories, for total earnings of $1,263,359. The gray sprinter, who will be inducted into the Oklahoma Horse Racing Hall of Fame at Remington...

MGSW Fearless (Ghostzapper) was welcomed to Old Friends, the Thoroughbred retirement farm in Georgetown, Kentucky on Wednesday, Aug. 2, the organization said in a release early Friday. The 7-year-old bay gelding, who was last seen running fifth June 10 at Belmont Park in the GII True North S., was retired to the farm by his owner, Mike Repole, a longtime supporter of Old Friends. According to Equibase he amassed eight wins over 19 starts and over $1.2-million in career earnings. "Fearless was a gutsy and determined racehorse with the perfect...

Old Friends in Georgetown, KY, will host a retirement celebration for Hall of Fame jockey Edgar Prado on Saturday, July 15, they announced Monday. The veteran reinsman was the regular pilot for two Old Friends residents--GI Belmont S. winners Sarava (Wild Again) and Birdstone (Grindstone)--as well as 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro (Dynaformer) and 2015 Breeders' Cup Sprint hero Runhappy (Super Saver). "It's an honor to be present at Old Friends," Prado said. "They really take care of the horses after their careers, giving them the best life possible every...

Fan favorite Rated R Superstar (Kodiak Kowboy), a 13-time winner of over $1.8 million in a career that spanned nine seasons at the racetrack, has been retired and will take up residence at Old Friends Farm in Georgetown, Kentucky, according to a series of tweets from Allison Caldwell, the wife of trainer Danny Caldwell. Rated R Superstar began his career in the barn of Ken McPeek and was third to Brody's Cause (Giant's Causeway) in the 2015 GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity before finishing unplaced behind Nyquist (Uncle Mo) in the...