OLDFRIENDSDec15A

JANUARY 2016 $10

OLD FRIENDS

Silver Charm

Barbara D. Livingston

OLD FRIENDS IS AN ACCREDITED AFTERCARE ORGANIZATION

THERE’S NOTHING LIKE

OLD FRIENDS

TOUCH GOLD GAME ON DUDE

1997 Belmont Stakes Adena Springs-bred son of
winner, former Adena Awesome Again; 8x Grade 1
Springs stallion winner of $6,498,893

ALPHABET SOUP

1996 Breeders’ Cup
Classic winner, former
Adena Springs stallion

www.AdenaRetirement.com

CONTENTS

OLD FRIENDS Barbara D. Livingston
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Welcome New home at Ky. Downs FEATURED HORSES
PRESIDENT
Michael Blowen There were many, many things to be Another Old Friends facility opened in the Afternoon Deelites.... 34 Hidden Lake.............. 52
thankful for this past year. Page 2 summer of 2015. Page 15 Alphabet Soup.......... 35 Johannesbourbon.... 53
VICE PRESIDENT Amazombie............... 36 Judge’s Case............. 54
William Van Den Dool A sanctuary and haven Life at Old Friends Arson Squad............. 38 Popcorn Deelites...... 55
Be Bullish................... 40 Rail Trip...................... 56
SECRETARY All the horses are loved, cherished, and Photos by Barbara Livingston. Page 19 Catlaunch...................41 Rapid Redux.............. 57
Diane White treated with kindness. Page 3 Commentator............ 42 Rumor Has It............. 58
Saying goodbye Daytona..................... 43 Sarava........................ 59
BOARD MEMBERS A day at Old Friends Diamond Stripes....... 44 Silver Charm............. 60
Dr. Steve Allday, Dennis Brida, Jeff To the Old Friends who passed. Page 23 Eldaafer...................... 45 Starspangled Heat.... 61
Burch, Barbara Fossum, Cindy Griso- A walk through the farm is a delight in the Euronfire.................... 46 Tinners Way.............. 62
lia, Corey Johnsen, Suzanne Mundy, company of Blowen. Page 8 The catbird seat Forte Dei Marmi........ 47 Touch Gold................ 63
Rosie Napravnik, Clark Nyberg, Mark Game On Dude.......... 48 Wallenda.................... 64
Otto, Ron Portell, Ron Wallace It takes a village How Timmy herds the cats. Page 24 Genuine Reward....... 49 War Emblem............. 65
Gulch.......................... 50 Yankee Fourtune....... 66
OLD FRIENDS MAGAZINE PRODUCTION An army of volunteers and workers are Little Silver Charm
Barbara Fossum needed to run the farm. Page 10 COVER
He answers his fan mail. Page 25
Old Friends at Dream Chase Farm One thing to know Dual classic winner Silver Charm.
1841 Paynes Depot Road MORE ABOUT US Photo by Barbara D. Livingston
Georgetown, KY 40324 Retirees tell you what you need to know
(502) 863-1775 about themselves. Page 12 How to get to Old Friends............... 26
How to help...................................... 30
DRF EDITORIAL Handicappers do their part Gift shop............................................31
Mark Simon, Breeding Editor; Jay
Hovdey, Executive Columnist; Marty Bettors like Michael Beychok step up ALSO
McGee, Staff Writer; Peter Thomas their role in aftercare. Page 14
Fornatale Jr., Tournament Editor; Roster of horses for all sites........... 32
Mary Simon, Freelance Writer; Hall of Fame horses......................... 67
Featured Horse remembrances writ- Past performances.......................... 75
ten by DRF Staff Editors and Writers
DAILY RACING FORM Old Friends PAGE 1
DRF DESIGN
Jenine Zimmers, Creative Director;
Jim Sewastynowicz, Photo Editor;
Chris Donofry, Designer

DRF SPONSORSHIP
Mandy Minger, VP, Marketing; Ben
Cambra, Senior VP, Business Devel-
opment/Sponsorship; Hal Moss,
Eastern/Midwestern Advertising;
Erin Perry, Breeding Advertising; Jon
Lindo, Western/Southern Advertis-
ing; Eric Wing, Advertising Director

Information pertaining to pedigrees and production
records of North American horses contained herein
©The Jockey Club (2015). All rights reserved. Data
provided or compiled by or for Daily Racing Form
LLC, Equibase Company LLC, and The Jockey Club
Information generally are accurate but occasionally
errors and omissions occur as a result of incorrect data
received from others, mistakes in processing and other
causes. Daily Racing Form LLC, Equibase Company
LLC, and The Jockey Club Information Systems
disclaim responsibility for the consequences, if any, of
such errors, but would appreciate their being called to
their attention.

All proceeds from the sale of this magazine go to Old
Friends.

Welcome By Michael Blowen

PAGE 2 Old Friends DAILY RACING FORM As each year passes, Old Friends has more
reasons to be thankful and more support-
ers to be thankful for ... the Japan Blood-
horse Breeders’ Association, Shadai Stal-
lion Station, caring owners, our visitors, our
staff, and, most of all, the great Thoroughbreds who make
Old Friends their home.

This year started with an Eclipse Award for Old Friends
and is ending with 159 Thoroughbreds living under our
banner. They include Silver Charm, Game On Dude, War
Emblem, Alphabet Soup, and Touch Gold. And there’s also
Archie’s Echo, a 27-year-old former New England claimer
whom trainer Lorita Lindemann picked up for pocket
change. Nobiz Like Showbiz, Ide, Sun King, and Northern
Spur are on the waiting list along with dozens of others. We
have reached an agreement to obtain the land all the way
to the traffic light at Iron Works Pike. Once we get our loan
approved from the bank, we can move forward, installing
the infrastructure and, most importantly, getting more
retirees to Old Friends.

We are happy to report that Old Friends was reaccredited
by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, an organization
that has exponentially improved the lives of thousands of
Thoroughbreds. We’ve expanded to Kentucky Downs race-
track so fans in southwestern Kentucky can visit Thornfield,
Sgt. Bert, Rumor Has It, and their pals, including Fonzie the
mini.

We’re extremely grateful to everyone at Daily Racing
Form for producing the fourth edition of this Old Friends
magazine and for publishing the TAA magazine that’s an
invaluable tribute to all the deserving aftercare organiza-
tions.

In 2016, we’re looking forward to more improvements.
And while I believe everyone at Old Friends has earned the
laurels they’ve received, this is no time to rest on them. It’s
an honor to be entrusted by owners, breeders, and fans with
these great athletes. I know that their trust in Old Friends
was earned over the past 12 years, and we look forward to
doing an even better job as we look ahead to unknown chal-
lenges in 2016.

Barbara D. Livingston

DEAR OLD FRIENDS ...
THEN AND NOW

Barbara D. Livingston

Old Friends has become one of the nation’s premier aftercare facilities and gets visitors daily from racing fans from around the country.

By Mary Simon tour and along the way, reunited me with two … down the wrong path.
well … old friends. Breeding, ultimately, is a game of chance.
I think I could turn and live with animals, they
are so placid and self-contain’d; The gregarious man was now-renowned Even legendary stallion-maker Leslie Combs II
Thoroughbred aftercare activist and innova- admitted as much. “No one knows where a good
I stand and look at them long and long. tor Michael Blowen; the horses were Sunshine stud comes from,” said the man who gave us
They do not sweat and whine about their condi- Forever and Ogygian, who at their best had Raise a Native and Prince John. The converse is
tion; touched on magnificent. Truth be known, I’d also true: No one can explain why a well-bred,
They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for never actually met them face-to-face, but felt an well-patronized, top-class racehorse underper-
their sins … indelible connection from years before when I’d forms as a sire. But often they do.
Not one is dissatisfied – not one is demented with written extensive ad copy touting their merits.
the mania of owning things; When Ogygian and Sunshine Forever failed
Not one kneels to another, nor to his kind that Back in 1992 there had been plenty to brag to fulfill early expectations, in 1995 they were
lived thousands of years ago about. As I scribbled out their highlights, they hustled off to Japan, where they remained for a
were two young stallions of incandescent decade. Interest eventually waned, and with the
– Walt Whitman potential, futures spread out before them like specter of Ferdinand’s grim 2002 fate in a Japa-
a banquet feast – residing at famed breeding nese slaughterhouse ever present, Blowen and
On an uncommonly beautiful morning eight farms, getting top-notch mares and the best of Old Friends stepped in to bring them home.
winters ago, I paid a visit to Old Friends at its physical care. But as they stood at the crossroads
original site near the historic rail-stop town of of promise fulfilled and hopes dashed, where So there we were. For me, the thrill was in
Midway, Ky. There, I was greeted by a cheerful success and disappointment diverge, at some seeing two who had once made my PR skills soar;
fellow who swept me off on an impromptu guided point Ogygian and Sunshine Forever ambled off
Continued on page 4

DAILY RACING FORM Old Friends PAGE 3

When Silver Charm Before leaving I was ushered over to a small Barbara D. Livingston
came to Old Friends, corral where Michael proudly pointed to the
Michael Blowen called unexpected sight of an 11-hand mini stallion. ing a 2014 Special Eclipse Award given to Old
it one of the best days The tiny gray, acquired years earlier for $40 Friends for extraordinary service to the indus-
of his life. He dotes on off a kill truck and named Little Silver Charm try. Different names, different faces populate
for Michael’s favorite racehorse, rocked a wild today’s pastures. Perhaps most important is Old
Silver Charm – and silvery blonde mane, the attitude of royalty, and Friends’s ever-increasing profile on the national
Little Silver Charm – as I soon witnessed, the soccer prowess of David stage, where it serves as an eloquently emphatic
Beckham. A spontaneous exhibition of skills response to accusations of industry abuse and
daily. with a ball left in his paddock had me laughing neglect put forth by groups like PETA.
and more than a little impressed.
Continued from page 3 Both of my “old friends” are gone. Twenty-
It was a day I would never forget. nine-year-old Sunshine Forever laid down in his
for them, the pleasure was clearly connected to paddock one night in 2014 and passed into eter-
Michael’s omnipresent bucket of treats. Today nal sleep; Ogygian was 32 when colic claimed
him this past March. Ruhlmann and Creator
They crowded the fence line of their respec- Much has changed at Old Friends since that also have galloped off to celestial pastures. It is
tive paddocks, craning over the high plank rails, winter. ever so … the nature of the game at Old Friends,
eyes sparkling with carrot lust. Ogygian ogled where since 2003 so many aging horses have lived
me with his one good eye – the other had been The facility has relocated from Midway to out their days in comfort and contentment. What
damaged in a breeding accident and would soon Dream Chase Farm near Georgetown, Ky., on does remain after all these years is a much-loved,
be removed – and opened his mouth like Jaws for expanded acreage along scenic Paynes Depot now-30-something gray pony, a mud-encrusted
a carrot. “I may be 24, but watch out anyway,” he Road off Interstate 64, and satellite facilities soccer ball, the endless bucket brigade of carrots,
seemed to say. Sunshine Forever, a sweet-natured have been established in upstate New York and Michael Blowen, and a rock-solid commitment
bay, waited quietly for Michael to slip him a mint. at Kentucky Downs. Tours are now organized at to providing the highest of quality aftercare for
As we progressed down the lane, French Group specific times, with a requested $10 donation. A Thoroughbreds.
1 winner Creator strutted alongside us, acting pair of Eclipse Awards grace the mantle – includ-
like he owned the place, while nearby a rugged In November, I drove out to Old Friends for an
dark brown fellow muscled up to the fence, head 11 a.m. tour. Fresh off 2 1/2 years of life in a one-
cocked peculiarly sideways, demanding his
share of the bounty, or perhaps a bit more. At 21,
Ruhlmann’s eyes still burned with the competi-
tive fire that had carried him to Grade 1 victories
and $1.8 million in earnings. As he pinned his
ears, stomped his feet, and stretched his neck out
impossibly far in my direction, I judiciously pock-
eted my hands and left carrot duty to Michael.

PAGE 4 Old Friends DAILY RACING FORM

Old Friends residents run the gamut from rich and famous to lowly and humble in terms of racetrack
achievement, but once on the premises they enter into an egalitarian, some might even say utopian,
society. All are loved, all are cherished, all treated with the same kindness and care.

bedroom New York City apartment and having with a palmful of carrots while rattling off the innocent look that seems to say: “I didn’t just do
moved back to Lexington, I was ready to stretch story of his record 70-1 upset in the 2002 Belmont that.” Then he does it again.
my legs and breathe deeply of the crisp, sweet Stakes, in which he wrote finis to War Emblem’s
bluegrass air of Central Kentucky. People were Triple Crown quest. Sarava’s two stakes winners The barn is quiet and empty but for two stalls.
gathering at the yellow house fronting Paynes (one in Panama) from 205 registered foals We’re greeted from inside one by Afternoon
Depot, home to Old Friends’s office and gift shop. prompted his 2012 retirement to Old Friends. Deelites, a sleek bay with matinee-idol looks,
Our tour guide would be a retired government a bright, intelligent eye, and an elegant head
employee from Michigan named Ellen Zehnder. On the other side of the lane, an ancient brown that harkens back to his Arab roots. Because
horse patiently awaits his shredded carrots. of current space limitations, the 23-year-old
Zehnder shows us a brief introductory video Patience was not a virtue Gulch was noted for four-time leading Louisiana sire who raced two
before leading our group of eight outside where when he dashed full tilt to an American sprint decades ago for famed songwriter Burt Bacha-
she provides some additional background. A championship more than a quarter-century ago, rach splits paddock time with newcomer Genu-
dozen years ago, Old Friends was one of the first but like many fortunate enough to live so long, ine Reward. Mornings and midday for Genuine
aftercare organizations to welcome stallions, but time has mellowed him. His steps today are care- Reward, afternoons and evenings for Deelites.
while today’s population includes 14 entire males, ful and measured, his outlook kindly. Unlike
the majority of the 100-plus current residents are Sarava, Gulch was an exceptional progenitor, Two doors away we meet 25-year-old Wallenda,
geldings – ranging from a multi-millionaire to his runners having banked $92 million while who arrived at Old Friends shortly after my
the most humble of career claimers. Seven mares winning some of the world’s most important initial visit and whose presence once drew
are pastured out back, among them 1997 Eclipse races. At 31, he is a grand patriarch here, hold- members of the Flying Wallendas circus troupe
champion Hidden Lake and Australian champ ing weight well for his years … appearing at ease to perform a fundraiser. Wallenda apparently
Bint Marscay. Geldings and mares are gener- with the world. has no idea how old – nor how damaged – he is.
ally assigned pasture buddies, a delicate balance His left hind is swathed thickly from ankle to
based on personality, temperament, and physi- Some outsized personalities populate Old hock to protect a destroyed suspensory from long
cal condition, and many form powerful bonds of Friends and one is practically turning himself ago. We are told it is almost miraculous he has
friendship as real as that of any humans. Stal- inside out as we head his way. If an equine could to this point avoided laminitis, a generally fatal
lions, of course, are land intensive, each requir- perform gymnastic backflips, Rapid Redux might disease that often develops in horses with seri-
ing a space uniquely his own. be doing just that. As it is, he shoves against the ous leg injuries. Upon seeing us, Wallenda spins
fence like a one-horse mob, making occasional our way, strikes the air with an impatient fore-
We are warned that while none of the horses charging forays at his more reticent paddock foot, then jams his head against the metal door,
we’ll see are overtly mean, caution should mate, ears pinned, mouth open, teeth flash- looking like anything but a geriatric hospital
always be exercised, particularly around stal- ing. All bark, no bite. The chestnut gelding had case. Carrots are carefully slotted through the
lions. Questions are welcomed from the visitors, been claimed for $6,250 in 2010 before launch- grating and Wallenda snatches them. The feisty
which include two retired educators from Long ing a modern-day American record 22-race win stallion provides a clear reminder that these are
Island and a couple from Detroit, non-racing streak that would earn him a Special Eclipse not all “cuddlable” horses. Especially those still
fans who seem downright giddy to be there. Award. That fierce will to win is still evident breathing fire through their nostrils.
Zehnder hoists the familiar green bucket of today, nearly four years after his final start.
orange chunks, topped by a bag of shaved carrots Never mind that he boasts no upper-case black Just down the road from the barn is another
intended for a few seniors missing teeth. When type while his pal, Amazombie, is a multiple structure, a smaller one. The tour doesn’t go
asked about candy treats, we are informed of Grade 1-winning millionaire sprint champion; there. It is set up for quarantine and inside, I
yet another change: by veterinary decree, occa- Rapid Redux, without question, is the alpha male know, is one of the notable American racehorses
sional sweets are no longer part of Old Friends’s in this equation. of the modern era, champion War Emblem, a
regimen. According to Zehnder, Game On Dude recent arrival from Japan, where for years he
was sorry to hear this, as he misses his purple Zehnder steers us next to a solid bay pastured had been less than enthusiastic about his stud
Jolly Ranchers; likewise dismayed was dual across the aisle, a horse unremarkable in looks duties. The fiery, opinionated Kentucky Derby
Whitney Handicap winner Commentator, whose but with few rivals in terms of name recognition and Preakness winner will eventually be turned
passion for mints had earned him the nickname and popularity. Through five racing seasons, out into a newly double-fenced paddock – some-
Com-MINT-ator. Game On Dude won three Santa Anita Handi- thing unique to Old Friends – built to ensure that
caps, two Hollywood Gold Cups, and $6.5 million guests can look but not touch. Needless to say,
before trainer Bob Baffert decided he had done War Emblem will not be receiving carrots from
enough and sent him to Michael late in 2014. Baby- visiting hands.
The tour faced Dude, eyes big as saucers, ambles over in
quest of goodies. At 8, he’s an Old Friends young- Outside the main barn we are surprised to
A handsome nearly black horse of average size ster (along with his 7-year-old pasture buddy, encounter Michael with Little Silver Charm,
arrives at the fence line near the tour’s starting Starspangled Heat), and so sweet, you would the two of them companionably hanging out,
point, head up and ears pricked, clearly beckon- never know him for the incorrigible addict he is. the pony on a lead shank, grazing late autumn
ing us to come on over. Friendly, outgoing Sarava While awaiting carrots Dude suddenly latches grass. We drift their way like a magnet to metal
provides the perfect “gateway” to Old Friends. onto the top rail, gripping it firmly between his – Little Silver Charm is simply irresistible, and
The 17-year-old stallion rests his head on the front teeth, and inhales deeply with a choking though he would demur the point, so is Michael.
upper rail and gazes expectantly at Zehnder, eyes grunt. Then he lets go while flashing us a slyly
on the prize like twin lasers; she rewards him Continued on page 6

DAILY RACING FORM Old Friends PAGE 5

Continued from page 5 Barbara D. Livingston

We are regaled with a few classic Old Friends Game On Dude, three-time winner of the Santa Anita Handicap and earner of $6.5 million,
stories before the pair wander off on their own arrived at Old Friends in October 2014 and has charmed visitors with his kind personality.
to commune further with one another and
nature. … fered handful of shaved carrots … then another acre paradise with water all his own.
and another until the bag he shared with Gulch The tour ends too soon as far as I am
Old Friends residents run the gamut from is emptied. The one-time graded stakes winner
rich and famous to lowly and humble in terms flopped as a sire of racehorses and in 2013 was concerned. In a world on fire, burning from
of racetrack achievement, but once on the prem- intercepted after passing for $30 through a one horrific crisis to another, our trip to this
ises they enter into an egalitarian, some might Southern California livestock auction, some- living museum was balm to the battered soul –
even say utopian, society. All are loved, all thing that too often translates into slaughter an interlude of calm, an ode to life, an earthly
are cherished, all treated with the same kind- across the Mexican border. At 26, Ray is lovable testimonial to the twin virtues of equine grace
ness and care. When they reach the end of life’s and kind, a sweetheart who seems to glow with and human compassion.
road, each finds a final resting place in the farm gratitude at where he finds himself today.
cemetery near the house where Michael lives Residents here earned in excess of $60 million
with his wife, Diane White. But from a tourist’s Over there is Genuine Reward, a fairly recent and won nearly 50 Grade or Group 1 races. On
perspective, the stars stand out. arrival, thanks to bestselling author Laura this day, we were introduced to Eclipse Award
Hillenbrand, who was alerted to a $500 or best champions and Breeders’ Cup winners, classic
The pièce de résistance here these days, and offer ad on Craigslist for him last summer. heroes, foreign standouts, record-smashers,
also within view of the house, is a speckled white The flashy, masculine replica of his Hall of and one Hall of Famer … Thoroughbreds who
stallion who shifts into high alert at the sight of Fame dam, 1980 Kentucky Derby winner Genu- altered the very face of racing.
“the bucket.” Silver Charm remains a command- ine Risk, had been used to sire polo stock in
ing presence at age 21 … a Hall of Famer, dual Wyoming. There were also hard-trying claimers, one
classic winner, multi-millionaire, and global who raced to 15 before getting the retirement
superstar who seems to know exactly who and Here, crossing his paddock to greet us, is he so richly deserved. Some were charity cases,
what he is. He’s got swagger and then some, and 22-year-old graded stakes winner Delay of others donated by caring owners, but you
his easy rapport with visitors makes him an Game, a visible hitch in the gelding’s getalong would never know which is which from look-
out-of-the-park home run for Old Friends – the from a neurological disease known as EPM. ing at them. At Old Friends, they are all stars.
best four-legged ambassador imaginable. Even A few have dealt with EPM; one is blind from a
non-racing fans know of the Kentucky Derby And there is Star Plus, a 12-year-old stallion- progressive eye ailment; several bear physical
and are automatically drawn to this amiable turned-gelding, Argentine Group 1 winner, scars from their racing days. Secretariat’s last-
champion, offering him carrots with tentative and another big personality. He’s trouble, you born son lives off the beaten track because his
outstretched hands, smiling shyly as if in the can just tell as he trots saucily along the fence nerves can’t handle an onslaught of visitors; a
presence of a king, some even misting up a bit. line ahead of us, stopping every few steps to Breeders’ Cup-winning gelding insists on the
If a Derby-winning Hall of Fame champion isn’t stretch over the rail in quest of carrots, an company of goats – two of them; a pair of very
worth getting verklempt over, then what is? interactive game Zehnder humors him with the lame old stakes winners have become insepa-
entire length of the pasture. This bad boy was rable companions.
It’s hard tearing the group away from Silver recently removed from group quarters where
Charm, but it must be done. he had taken to guarding the water source All seem happy, proud, and healthy as their
from his paddock-mates, and banished to a one- life-clocks wind down, all at peace with their
Zehnder manages to lead us in the direc- world. Walt Whitman would have loved it here.
tion of two eager geldings standing in tandem
at their gate, wearing identical expressions of
high expectancy. Special Ring and Popcorn
Deelites are the best of friends, though polar
opposites on the racetrack – a multiple Grade 1
winner of nearly $1 million (Ring) and a former
$3,200 claimer-turned-Seabiscuit-movie star
(Pop).

Special Ring appears to be the “ring” leader,
more aggressive in demanding his due. He is
also a clown. On a command from Zehnder, he
flips his upper lip to display his racing tattoo.
With or without a command, Ring has figured
out that this lip-curling performance equates to
more carrots, so it is repeated nonstop until we
leave.

Stories one and all

There is a story in every paddock.
Zehnder pauses briefly at one to embrace the
handsome head of her own personal favorite,
a dark bay with a near perfect star and some
missing teeth, whose name means nothing to
anyone in the group. Silver Ray accepts a prof-

PAGE 6 Old Friends DAILY RACING FORM

BREEDERS’ CUP IS PROUD TO SUPPORT
THOROUGHBRED AFTERCARE ALLIANCE

AND OLD FRIENDS

BREEDERS’ CUP RUNNERS
RESIDING AT OLD FRIENDS

Affirmed Success Rail Trip
Amazombie Ruhlmann
Areyoutalkintome Shadow Caster
Awad Silver Charm
Behrens Special Ring
Black Tie Affair Starspangledheat
Bluesthestandard Sunshine Forever
Bonapaw Taylor’s Special
Commentator Thornfield
Daytona Thunder Rumble
Delay of Game Tinners Way
Diamond Stripes Touch Gold
Disturbingthepeace Wallenda
Elaborate War Emblem
Eldaafer Will’s Way
Estrapade You and I
Fabulous Strike
Fraise
Game On Dude
Geri
Glitterman
Gulch
Hidden Lake
Marquetry
Next Question
Polish Navy
Precisionist
Prized

15-400-073 BCWC Proud Supporter Ad Ad_9x10_OldFriends.indd 1 Photo of You and I at Old Friends
©Rick Capone

12/14/15 3:52 PM

You don’t have to be a star
to be loved at Old Friends

By Jay Hovdey Barbara D. Livingston

Come take a walk on a rainy day at Old Friends Michael Blowen with Afternoon Deelites, one of 14 retired stallions at Old Friends.
Equine with Michael Blowen. He doesn’t mind
getting wet.

Or muddy. Or tired. Or bitten, bonked, and
otherwise pushed around by some of the more
chummy retirees cared for in the paddocks and
fields of the sprawling Old Friends.

Blowen is a hands-on kind of guy who gets just
as much fun out of going a couple good-natured
rounds with a claiming campaigner like Duke
Ora (81 starts, $173,000 in earnings) as he does
cuddling up to a champion like Amazombie or a
classic winner like Silver Charm.

“Hey, Silver Charm, c’mere!” Blowen hollered at
a gray horse on the far side of a generous paddock.

Silver Charm, who arrived in December 2014
from Japan, looked in Blowen’s direction but did
not move.

“You’ve got to tell him he’s the greatest horse
who ever lived, or else he won’t have anything to
do with you,” Blowen informed a visitor.

“Hey, Silver Charm, you’re the greatest of all
time!” Blowen tried, and it worked. Silver Charm
– winner of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and
Dubai World Cup – came galloping to the fence
line, where Blowen met him with a handful of
carrot chunks.

“A horse like him you might know only by
reputation,” Blowen said. “And what a reputation
he had. Then here’s the real thing, and you wake
up every day hardly believing he’s here.”

Lucky him, along with the scores of other
pensioned Thoroughbreds cared for at one of
three Old Friends sites. The Lexington, Ky.,
area farm, established in 2003 by Blowen and
his wife, fellow journalist Diane White, is at the
heart of the operation with more than 100 horses
on 230-plus acres in Georgetown, Ky. The Old
Friends at Cabin Creek division is in upstate New
York, dedicated to the memory of the late Bobby
Frankel, its primary benefactor. And now there
are Old Friends retirees at the newly established
facility at Kentucky Downs, which marks the first
partnership with a racetrack.

Blowen is on the move again, this time to
the century-old tobacco barn, where the 1993
Pennsylvania Derby and Super Derby winner
Wallenda lives in a wide stall that accommodates
his restless soul. Wallenda is remarkable not
only because he was recovered in 2007 from a

PAGE 8 Old Friends DAILY RACING FORM

stallion career in Japan, or that the actual Flying Barbara D. Livingston
Wallendas brought their high-wire act to town for
a fundraiser when he arrived. Classic-winning racehorse and top sire Gulch is the senior resident at Old Friends.

“He’s also a medical miracle,” Blowen says. gorgeous white head. oughbreds. At least it is their final stop.
“That left hind hardly has any foot. His suspenso- “What a beauty he is,” Blowen said softly. “And Champion and Hall of Famer Precisionist was
ries went and his pastern dropped, so we’ve gone
through a lot of different shoes to try and keep the you know, I think we might be getting Touch Gold the first Old Friends horse buried there, in 2006.
joint up off the ground.” from Adena as well. Although I’m not sure how He was buried intact, the ground now appropri-
Silver Charm will feel about that.” ately marked by a chestnut sapling.
Sure enough, Wallenda was wearing what
amounted to a heel lift supporting the back of the See: Belmont Stakes, 1997, spoiled Triple Crown. The rest of the notables have been cremated,
ankle joint, fitted to a modified shoe sitting on a It is the retired stallions like Alphabet Soup, their grave markers arranged in concentric
durable rubber ski that allowed the old horse to Silver Charm, Gulch, Afternoon Deelites, Geri, circles around the chestnut tree. Among them are
take a natural stride. Sarava, You and I, and Wallenda who set Old Hollywood Gold Cup winner Marquetry, Santa
Friends apart from most retirement facilities. Anita Handicap winner Ruhlmann, Arlington
At 25, Wallenda’s age, you wonder if he’s worth They require particular handling on the part of Million winners Awad and Estrapade, and Horses
the trouble. In Blowen’s world, they are all worth Blowen, farm manager Tim Wilson, and their of the Year Criminal Type and Black Tie Affair.
the trouble. Santa Anita Derby winner Dinard is cadre of volunteers. Blowen stopped at the marker bearing the name
27. Champion mare Hidden Lake is 22. Hollywood Still, the majority of the population are geld- “Creator, 1986-2015.”
Futurity winner Afternoon Deelites is 23. Two-time ings – racehorses who have no economic value
Pacific Classic winner Tinners Way is 25. Sprint once their racing days are done. Visitors come to “He was Diane’s favorite,” Blowen said. “We
champ and Breeders’ Cup winner Gulch is 31. Old Friends eager to ogle the winners of Breed- lost him in March. He was a Group 1 winner in
ers’ Cup events, Triple Crown races, and major France and one of our founding stallions, coming
“Funny story about Gulch,” Blowen began. stakes. But more often than not they end up here from Japan with Sunshine Forever in 2004.”
“When he was retired from stud duty in 2009 and falling hard for honest old battlers like Porfido (79
we inquired about having him here, a representa- starts, 15 wins), Judge’s Case (104 starts, 16 wins), There was more than a moment of silence.
tive from Lane’s End came out to look the place and Mikethespike (126 starts, 12 wins). “I always told her I thought she liked that horse
over. The visit ends at the Old Friends cemetery, which more than me,” Blowen said. “Without missing
is better described as a museum of fond memories. a beat, she’d say, ‘Well, he’s bigger, he’s stronger,
“It was December – wet, cold, and muddy,” There is no avoiding the actuarial fact that Blowen he’s smarter, he’s made a lot more money. And
Blowen went on. “It was a far cry from what he and his crew will bury a lot of very special Thor- he’s better looking.’”
was used to at Lane’s End. I was worried they’d Blowen sighed.
think it was a little late in life for such a change. “At least she didn’t mention he had more hair.”
But then the manager called and said they’d be
sending him over. He said it wouldn’t hurt to let
Gulch just be a horse and get a little muddy.”

Gulch was at that moment in the middle of
his own big pasture, enjoying the rain. Not far
away, poking his head out of a turn-in shed, was
Futural, 19, known for winning the Hollywood
Gold Cup and then losing it on a DQ. Rail Trip,
Early Pioneer, and new arrival Game On Dude, all
Gold Cup winners, have the class not to rub it in.

“War Emblem just arrived from Japan, but he’s
still in USDA quarantine,” said Blowen, rightfully
proud of the latest high-profile Thoroughbred to
find sanctuary at Old Friends. “But wait till you
see who we’ve got in here.”

He led his visitor into a small barn by the
main road leading to the back forty. There, in a
double-wide stall, was the whitest Thoroughbred
these eyes had ever seen. It was Alphabet Soup,
age 24, winner of the 1996 Breeders’ Cup Classic
over Cigar and only recently pensioned from his
career as a stallion up the road at Adena Springs.
Blowen slipped inside the stall and caressed the

DAILY RACING FORM Old Friends PAGE 9

It takes a village ...
and 13,000 pounds of carrots

By Tim Wilson

With more than 100 horses located at Old Sarava has his eyes on volunteer John Bradley and a very big bag of carrots. Barbara D. Livingston
Friends’s home base in Georgetown, Ky., it takes
a village of talented, dedicated people to make Old makes generous donations of the supplement to The Kentucky Equine Management Intern-
Friends “go.” Here are just a few who help meet Old Friends horses to help their joints. ship program is a comprehensive educational
the challenge of keeping our horses happy and experience for college students pursuing a career
healthy. In a horse population that includes more than in the field of equine management. Program volun-
400 hooves, it takes a small army of farriers to teers are knowledgeable and skilled, helping Old
Assistant farm manager Carole Oates, origi- maintain a regular trimming and shoeing sched- Friends managers with horse handling, medica-
nally from Pitman, N.J., has more than three ule. Trimming and shoeing is handled by three tions, and other care.
decades of experience with performance horses, groups: the Kentucky Horseshoeing School,
including racing and eventing. Fraley Equine Podiatry, and private farriers. One indelible mark of Old Friends in the field
Most horses at Old Friends are in the field and is the group of volunteers who let nothing deter
Antonio Marin serves as field staff and is the barefoot, and Kentucky Horseshoeing School them from providing support to their beloved
back support of Old Friends. Beyond the daily handles the five- to six-week trimming schedule. equine friends. Testament to this work is found
feeding, barn maintenance, and fence work, he is in all aspects of upkeep and improvement, time
a good horseman. From quietly catching individu- Dr. Bryan Fraley and his team work wonders and skill, donations of materials, funding, farm
als running in herds to holding strong in times of on some of Old Friends’s toughest podiatry cases. vehicles, and equipment. On all days, volunteers
emergency, the horses consistently respond to his Among the horses owing soundness, mobility, and devote quality time to the horses and serve as
patient handling. comfort to Fraley Equine Podiatry are Delay of grooms, faithful friends, and confidants to a grate-
Game, Wallenda, and Bull Inthe Heather. ful group of Old Friends residents.
With decades of maintenance experience
in large-scale projects and a magician’s touch Teamed with quality, the cornerstone of the Old Oh, and don’t forget the carrots. Our tour guides,
conducting a backhoe, Wade Houston tackles the Friends feeding program is horse feed from Trib- visitors, and volunteers feed on average 13,000
farm’s big jobs that give the grounds of Old Friends ute Equine Nutrition, which is sold at a discount pounds of carrots annually to keep our Old
their look and functionality. A skilled problem and generously delivered each week by Woodford Friends happy!
solver, Houston further distinguishes himself by Feed. Looking out for Old Friends’s hay interest is
being doggedly averse to paying too much money Tracy Hilander of Hilander Feed Co., in George- Farm manager Tim Wilson is a Kentucky native who has spent more than
for anything purchased for and used by the farm. town, Ky. Hilander keeps an eye out for the best two decades working with Thoroughbreds in Central Kentucky at farms,
Sellers of raw materials beware! quality hay and prices on behalf of the farm and sales, training, and racing.
sells and delivers at a discount.
Dr. Bryan Waldridge is Old Friends’s primary
veterinarian, freely giving untold hours to the care
of our horses. A noted internal medicine specialist
and practitioner, Waldridge is a patient, natural
educator to everyone around him at the farm.

Dr. John C. Park and Park Hospital gener-
ously contribute routine veterinary care for the
Old Friends population and work with us on more
extensive medical needs.

We enjoy a strong working relationship with
Dr. Brad Tanner of nearby Rood & Riddle
Equine Hospital in Lexington. Anyone wishing
to see what cutting-edge dentistry looks like need
look no further than Tanner’s customized mobile
field cart. The apparatus is battery powered
and features a float with vacuum and irrigation
system. Bringing this capability out to the field is
a tremendous benefit to our horses, greatly aiding
the logistics of their treatment.

Veteran licensed equine dentist Cooper Rawls
combines an extensive skill set honed over three
decades in the business with a naturally disarm-
ing personality that makes him the perfect fit for a
population treated primarily in the field.

Dr. Steven Allday is the co-developer of the
popular LubriSyn liquid joint supplement and

PAGE 10 Old Friends DAILY RACING FORM

Photos by Barbara D. Livingston

Tim Wilson, above, helps
oversee the Dream Chase
Farm operation and its 100
horses, field staff, and bevy
of volunteers. The Kentucky
Horseshoeing School, left, is
one of three farrier operations
that come to the farm to help
keep all the horses’ hooves
trimmed and healthy. The two
are working on million-dollar-
earner Kudos.

DAILY RACING FORM Old Friends PAGE 11

One thing to know about us

The equine residents of Old Friends are BARBARA D. LIVINGSTON
always ready to share their thoughts and
opinions on everything! When we asked, Eldaafer, top, professes to love a number of things – besides his best goat buddies Yahoo and
“What is the one thing you want your fans Google – specifically his desire to follow what other horses have to say on Twitter. Hidden Lake,
to know about you?” we got a variety of bottom, has had her share of problems recently but has faced them all with a resolve and perse-
thoughtful, entertaining and to-the-point verance that is the hallmark of her character.
replies.

GULCH, 1988 Eclipse Award champion sprinter
I’m Gulch, and you’re not!

HIDDEN LAKE, 1997 Eclipse champion older female
I am usually a mare of few words, but this

is important to me. I want people to know
that throughout my life I have always tried
my best. I remember That Race at Saratoga.
You know the one. It was hot, and as I ran
around the turn and came into the home-
stretch in front of all those cheering people,
I didn’t know how much more I had left to
give. But something deep down inside me,
something true champions have, simply
would not let me lose that race. I didn’t. I can
be very stubborn!

The horse who ran head-to-head with me
that day was my stablemate Flat Fleet Feet.
She tried her best, too, and I remember being
so proud of her. When it was time to leave the
racetrack behind and start a new career as
a broodmare, I wanted to be a good mother
and role model to my seven foals (two fillies
and five colts). And now that I reside here at
Old Friends, it’s important to me to be a good
ambassador for the farm and for Thorough-
bred aftercare. It’s what champions do. We
always try our best.

RAIL TRIP, multiple graded stakes winner
I’m cute. Really, really cute. Really! I’ve

heard rumors of another cute horse on the
farm, but, really, he couldn’t possibly be
cuter than me. Really!!!!!

ELDAAFER, winner of the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Marathon
I have a confession to make. I am addicted

to Twitter. With goat companions named
Google and Yahoo, you might guess that I
am an Internet-savvy kind of gelding. And
you would be right. But it’s worse. This
summer, I, um, “borrowed” Rail Trip’s
Hoofpad. I admit it. I was curious, looking
to broaden my horizons beyond my paddock
fence. And then, I found Twitter. And
although I haven’t gotten up the courage to
set up my own account and actually tweet
my thoughts for the entire world to see, I’m
addicted.

PAGE 12 Old Friends DAILY RACING FORM

Rail Trip, top, loves to challenge his paddock mates in races around the paddock, and he always Who are my favorite Tweeps? Well, I
looks good doing it because he’s so cute. Wallenda, bottom, has bandages on his back fetlocks must admit to having a huge crush on the
down to his hooves, plus is outfitted in special shoes due to serious injuries from years ago, but he immensely talented @Beholder_Mare, one
is one of the toughest horses around and thrives despite all his infirmities. of the true trailblazers for horses on Twitter.
#Ionlyhaveeyesforyou. And then, there’s
@Jubacolt. If I didn’t own this absolutely
stunning bay coat, I would want to be gray,
just like Juba. #Jubamakesgraycool. And
finally, there is the canoe-dwelling @Sara-
togaGoose. My secret fantasy came true at
our Breeders’ Cup celebration party last
November when the Goose flew to George-
town, landed in our pond and asked to meet
ME! #popularwiththegoosecrowd. I’ve got
the best fans in the world! #Hopingtogeta-
Hoofpadtocallmyown

GERI, Grade 1 stakes winner
I hate horses who are taller than me. Espe-

cially the very tall Porfido.

WALLENDA, winner of the Grade 1 Super Derby
I am the toughest horse on the farm. I

know. Michael says so!

LITTLE SILVER CHARM, spokeshorse for Old Friends
In spite of what others say, I really am a

humble, self-effacing little horse. More so
than any other horse on the farm. Or maybe
anywhere. If you don’t believe it, just ask me!

SANTONA, 1997 champion turf mare in Chile
I want you to know that you all are invited

to my paddock any time to admire me. After
all, everything at Old Friends is all about
me. Don’t you agree?

SILVER CHARM, 1997 Kentucky Derby and Preakness
winner

As the supreme ruler of Old Friends, I
don’t mind sharing with other members of
my kingdom. However, every once in a while
I get a little ticked off when my entourage
takes advantage of my largesse. I did sneak a
peek at a paper in Michael’s pocket the other
day and it was filled with one very revealing
statistic. Visitors at Old Friends have practi-
cally doubled since my arrival.

Now, I don’t begrudge sharing, but with all
the photos people have snapped and souve-
nirs with my likeness sold at the gift shop, I
think I’m due a piece of the action. I’ve hired
super-agent Ron Anderson to represent my
interests. I promise that I’ll continue to be
available to my fans and feigning modesty.
Bring your cameras, carrots, and money.

DAILY RACING FORM Old Friends PAGE 13

Bettors help retired horses

By Peter Thomas Fornatale Jr. Michael Beychok claimed Glorious Dancer and gave her a new life after racing. Rochelle Beychok

Since I’ve been covering handicapping contests that continues to this day. Players’ Challenge in South Dakota – he used some
for Daily Racing Form, I’ve had the opportunity to When he won the prestigious NHC Tour in 2013 of it to support retired racehorses.
write about a lot of great people and fun stories. But
my favorite stories are the ones about a topic that is – a yearlong interconnected series of contests – he “I pledged a donation and mention it solely to
near and dear to me: the connection between horse donated $5,000 to the Second Chance Ranch. In his urge others to consider even a modest contribution
racing contests and Thoroughbred aftercare. speech at the NHC awards dinner in 2014, he also after a nice hit,” Koury said. “It really is the least
made an impassioned plea to his fellow players to we can do for these amazing athletes.”
When Michael Beychok won the National Hand- think about the equine athletes and what happens
icapping Championship in 2012, it changed his life to them when their racing days are done. This trend of successful contest players looking
forever. And it wasn’t just the $1 million payday he out for the horses they bet on shows no signs of
got for finishing first that made the difference. His “They don’t have a retirement fund, like many of slowing down, and it’s catching steam among the
whole attitude about the game he loved changed us do,” Sumja said. “I know some of the breeders, younger generation of contest players. Jonathon
after that. Consider the circumstances. He won the owners, and trainers are great people who look out Kinchen, 32, the heavy favorite to win the NHC
contest by a mere dollar, by the nose of an $8,000 for them. But I believe that as bettors, we have a Tour this year, has already said that if he’s fortu-
claimer named Glorious Dancer in the final race of responsibility. They give us so much joy. We should nate enough to hang on and win the Tour, he’ll be
the tournament. give something back.” donating a portion of his NHC profits to two chari-
ties: one to a breast cancer charity (his wife is a
“For years, I was guilty of taking for granted Other players have started following the lead of breast cancer survivor) and one to Old Friends.
what these horses do every day on the track,” Beychok and Sumja. Joe Koury is one of the most This will be an interesting story because should
Beychok said. “We derive so many gains from well-liked and respected players in the tourna- he win the Tour, Kinchen will be playing for a top
them, both financial and recreational. They get ment world. He has been playing in contests for prize of $2.75 million in January at the NHC. Now
oats, carrots, and if they’re lucky, get treated as more than 15 years. Earlier this year, when he had that will be a really fun story to write.
pets. We owe them more than that. From a horse- his biggest ever win – a $100,000-plus score in the
player perspective, we don’t pay them enough
attention.”

Beychok made the decision to claim Glori-
ous Dancer. “I started thinking about the cheap
claimer, and what could happen. She was a few
races away from being off the track.”

At first, it was more of a sporting gesture. “I
thought, ‘Hey, wouldn’t it be fun to own the horse
that won me $1 million?’ ” he explained. “We ran
her; she won; and we had fun. Then I thought,
‘Why am I running her? She changed my life.’
Then a light bulb clicked: She had nothing more to
do on the track. I know you can’t save them all, but
for starters, I personally wanted to save this one.”

With the help of the Louisiana Horse Rescue
Association, he found Glorious Dancer a new
career and home as a polo pony, under the care
of Dr. Lori Summers in Folsom, La. Beychok has
made it a point to always talk about Thoroughbred
aftercare in interviews, everywhere from local
Louisiana newspapers to the pages of Daily Racing
Form to the New York Times.

In doing so, he has done as much as any horse-
player ever has to raise the awareness of the
importance of horse rescue organizations like
Old Friends amongst his peers. Heading into the
2013 NHC, he pledged 10 percent of any contest
winnings to aftercare groups, and he has encour-
aged others to do the same.

Brent Sumja, a former trainer who amassed
more than $13 million in purse earnings from 1992
to 2004, is another big supporter of aftercare. Even
though he describes himself as “a numbers guy at
heart,” he worked with Thoroughbreds every day
and developed a deep bond with his horses – a bond

PAGE 14 Old Friends DAILY RACING FORM

New home started
at Kentucky Downs

Rick Capone

Dan Ware, left, Franklin-Simpson Tourism Commission director, and Lisa Salmon, far right, Old Friends at Kentucky Downs horse manager, with
horses at the new Old Friends facility at Kentucky Downs that opened in the summer of 2015 in Franklin, Ky.

By Marty McGee adjacent paddocks at Kentucky Downs. As many spend virtually all of their time turned out
as 10 horses could soon live there in an evolv- in any of the roomy paddocks situated on the
Kentucky long has been closely associated ing concept that combines all that is good with western edge of the property, although there is
with Thoroughbreds, but as you rolled north- horses and humanity. always someone on call to lead them to shelter in
ward across the Tennessee line into Kentucky nearby barns in case of inclement or oppressive
on heavily traveled Interstate 65, where was the “We are thrilled with becoming a team with weather.
proof? Kentucky Downs and the tourism commission to
avail people to these special animals,” said Old Already, these horses are showing their
There, to your right, sat the pristine campus Friends founder Michael Blowen. “We welcome personality: Tour of the Cat and Sgt. Bert rarely
of Kentucky Downs: a lush, green, grassy haven everyone to share in the joy we all feel when leave each other’s side, not unlike BFFs on the
that seemed perfectly suited to horses. But we’re around them.” playground.
where were they?
Old Friends at Kentucky Downs is easily “They’re like two fish in their own little
Old Friends at Kentucky Downs and the accessible from I-65, situated only about a mile school,” said Rick Albright, the Kentucky Downs
Franklin-Simpson Tourism Commission have from the main highway off Exit 2. Once there, racing development manager who is overseeing
come up with some terrific answers. visitors will find themselves in a far less hectic the day-to-day development of the new venture.
world, one where horses are celebrated for their “It’s so cool to watch them interact. If they’re out
A new branch of Old Friends opened at service on the racetrack and for their strong but there loping along and one of them swerves one
Kentucky Downs in the summer of 2015, and gentle nature as creatures of the Earth. way, so does the other.”
folks are being welcomed with open arms to visit
with retired racehorses, up close and personal. The seven retirees, all males, are Ball Four, Twice-a-day tours (11 a.m. and 4 p.m.) of about
As of late fall, seven horses had taken up perma- Hussonfirst, Lusty Latin, Rumor Has It, Sgt.
nent residence in the spacious stable area and Bert, Thornfield, and Tour of the Cat. They Continued on page 16

DAILY RACING FORM Old Friends PAGE 15

Rick Capone

The retirement facility at Kentucky Downs is part of the sprawling complex at the unique track that is located close to the Tennessee border.

Continued from page 15 ◗ Rumor Has It had a mostly nondescript ment, which allows them the freedom to roam
racing career except for one glorious after- and do as they choose,” Salmon said. “They
30 minutes are being offered, as guided by the noon right here in September 2008 at Kentucky are great athletes who have given their all and
horses’ daily caretaker and full-time farm Downs, when he won the track’s showcase race, deserve the best of care.”
manager, Lisa Salmon, who will be happy to the Kentucky Turf Cup, as a 59-1 shot.
further explain the histories and idiosyncrasies “We are absolutely delighted to be a part of
of the individuals (visitors are kindly requested ◗ Sgt. Bert was a turf-sprint specialist who the Old Friends network,” said Kentucky Downs
to make a $5 donation). Visitors arriving at other won the top race in the turf-sprint category president Corey Johnsen. “With everything
times of the day are free to call over the horses at the Keeneland spring meet, the Woodford these great horses and the Thoroughbred indus-
to pet and feed them along the paddock fencing. Stakes, in back-to-back years (2005-06) as part of try in Kentucky have done for us, this is the least
At this advanced stage of their lives, the horses a 40-race career during which he earned almost we could do to give back to these remarkable
have left behind the competitive urges that $360,000. animals.”
made them winning racehorses and are content
to commune with their human visitors. ◗ Thornfield was the Horse of the Year and a Old Friends
divisional Sovereign Award winner in 1999 in
A newly constructed gift shop also is open, his native Canada when capturing such major Blowen, a retired film critic for the Boston
with a video loop of all the resident horses’ events as the Canadian International and earn- Globe and a longtime racing fan, opened Old
best races available for viewing and a variety ing more than $1.2 million. Friends in 2003. It now harbors many famous
of books, souvenirs, and other knickknacks for racehorses among its 100-plus residents at its
sale. Free carrots and apples are stored outside ◗ Tour of the Cat earned more than $1.1 136-acre main campus in Georgetown, Ky.,
the shop for visitors to take to the horses. million while making 79 career starts, winning including 1997 Kentucky Derby winner Silver
10 stakes races in his native Florida from ages 3 Charm. The farm operates on a seven-figure
The accomplishments of the Old Friends resi- to 6 before finally being retired as an 11-year-old. annual budget that receives no government
dents at Kentucky Downs surely are largely funding while subsisting primarily on dona-
unknown to the general public, although some ◗ The facility also has a miniature horse tions, grants, sponsorships, and private support.
hard-core racing fans might remember and named Fonzie.
appreciate what they did: During peak months (April to October), as
At the fall meeting in 2015, the new Old many as 1,000 visitors a week will come to the
◗ Ball Four won stakes races at Hollywood Friends branch was recognized through a vari- main Old Friends facility to enjoy seeing their
Park, Keeneland, and Turfway Park, earning ety of activities and tributes, including the first former racetrack favorites. On its website,
$730,470 in 31 starts while racing through age 10. running of the $150,000 Old Friends Stakes on oldfriendsequine.org, it is written: “Our guests
Old Friends Day, Sept. 16. come to visit a few ex-racehorses, but they often
◗ Hussonfirst, a New York-bred son of leave having been touched by the heart of a
Hussonet who won one of seven starts. Old Friends at Kentucky Downs opened for Thoroughbred hero.”
business on July 17, with a ribbon-cutting cere-
◗ Lusty Latin, a stakes-winning California- mony held Aug. 18. The hope from all parties is In recent years, with its main farm having
bred who made 50 career starts and earned for the site to flourish for years to come as a tour- become so populated, Old Friends began leasing
$439,729, finishing third in the 2002 Santa Anita ist attraction and as a living monument to the
Derby. majesty of the Thoroughbred.

“These horses are in a stress-free environ-

PAGE 16 Old Friends DAILY RACING FORM

additional outside acreage while also expanding casting, have allowed the track to offer some of Franklin-Simpson Tourism Commission
into New York in 2009 with its Bobby Frankel divi- the largest race purses in North America during
sion at Cabin Creek near Saratoga Springs. And a live race meet held annually on five September Blowen and Johnsen are quick to credit the
now comes the new Kentucky Downs division. dates. The 2015 stakes program, worth as much as role of the tourism commission, led by Dan
$3.6 million, was supported by unheard of purses Ware, in helping to create newfound aware-
In regard to the new branch at Kentucky in supporting events: $120,000 for maidens (non- ness in the immediate area of Old Friends at
Downs, Blowen said: “The horses already are winners) and $135,000 for allowance races, with Kentucky Downs.
loving it here.” payouts weighted to favor Kentucky-bred horses.
“The tourism commission has posted signage
Kentucky Downs The ontrack experience for race-goers differs in the area and placed brochures in facilities
considerably from more conventional tracks. The that typically attract a large number of guests,”
There is no other track like Kentucky Downs turf-only track is asymmetrically shaped and Johnsen said. “Their contributions have been
in the entire racing universe. Its uniqueness is undulating, and there is no rising grandstand critical in getting people to notice what we’ve
mostly a result of location and circumstance, from which to watch races. Blankets and make- got going on here.”
its history having unfolded in curious spurts, shift picnic tables have been standard equip-
settling now into an eclectic mix of old-world ment for what long has been likened to being at Rick Albright of Kentucky Downs said the
charm and glitzy modernity. a county fair. guest book in the gift shop already has been
signed by visitors from faraway states such as
The track was formerly known as Dueling Kentucky Downs’s involvement with Old Utah, New York, New Jersey, “and dozens of
Grounds because 19th-century pistol duels were Friends came nearly by accident, according to others in the lower 48,” he said. “In a few short
held on the 260-acre property. Its ownership Johnsen, as the idea came during the course of a weeks, we’ve already received a great response,
switched hands several times before Johnsen and casual conversation with Blowen. and I think a lot of that is due to the awareness
partners bought it in 2007, hoping to capitalize on created by the tourism commission.”
its proximity to Tennessee, where gambling in “After kicking it around with Michael for a
basically all forms is illegal. few years about what a great notion it would be Tourist attractions in the immediate area
for them to expand to Kentucky Downs, we got have been somewhat limited. For non-gamblers,
With its implementation in 2011 of what was it done to everyone’s satisfaction,” Johnsen said. the historically significant Sanford Duncan Inn
known as Instant Racing – slots-like parlor “We have the acreage and facilities here, but has served as the featured destination for those
games now being euphemistically called “pari- more importantly, we wholeheartedly agree with looking for something to do. Now, there’s the
mutuel wagering on historical racing” by John- everything Michael is doing with retired race- opportunity to sidle up next to a real live race-
sen – Kentucky Downs has hit the veritable horses. We’ve been looking to do something that horse.
mother lode. Windfall revenue from these games, gives back to the horse industry, and we’re in this
combined with proceeds from offseason simul- with him for the long haul.” “They’re as excited about this new venture as
we are,” Johnsen said.

DAILY RACING FORM Old Friends PAGE 17

ROOD & RIDDLE IS Boerjan and Kalamos
PROUD TO SUPPORT THE are a unique pair
WORK OF OLD FRIENDS
Edward “Bo” Boerjan doesn’t know how long he’ll be around, but no need to
A WORLDWIDE LEADER IN EQUINE get morbid here. Boerjan was diagnosed six years ago with colon cancer and
VETERINARY HEALTH CARE still suffers from its remnants, a condition he blithely waves off while living life
PROVIDING SERVICES IN: to the fullest.

AMBULATORY, DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING, Boerjan, 61, is self-made and proud of it. His hard work and good fortune have
INTERNAL MEDICINE, PODIATRY, afforded him and his wife a lifestyle that includes Thoroughbreds roaming
REPRODUCTION, SUGERY their farmland in Ft. Wayne, Ind., where Boerjan rides and trains a small stable
AND SPORT HORSE of horses when he isn’t working his semi-regular job as a construction pipefit-
ter. His attitude is remarkably upbeat, partly because of this: Boerjan hit the
PAGE 18 Old Friends DAILY RACING FORM proverbial home run in September when his stable star, Kalamos (nicknamed
“Tom”), won a fat purse and more at Kentucky Downs.

“Tom paid the house off and bought me an F-450 truck,” Boerjan said recently
from his farm. “And he’s also got a good home for life.”

Boerjan bought Kalamos for a mere $3,000 from a dispersal auction at Keene-
land in November 2014. Since then, the 6-year-old horse has more than doubled
his career earnings by bringing home $124,537, with $89,175 of that coming
when he won the inaugural Old Friends Stakes on Sept. 16 at Kentucky Downs.

But wait, there’s more.
By virtue of that victory, Kalamos earned an expenses-paid place at Old
Friends, the multi-location retirement operation founded in 2003 by former
Boston Globe film critic Michael Blowen. Old Friends has become an iconic
brand among the multitudes of equine retirement facilities that have sprung up
in recent years across North America.
“I think that meant more to me than the money, knowing he’ll be taken care
of when the time comes,” Boerjan said. “Michael and his staff do a tremendous
job caring for these horses. It’s a real honor knowing Tom will be living along-
side some great horses like Silver Charm and Game On Dude.”
Kalamos comes from royal bloodlines and was cut out to be a top horse, but
injury curtailed his potential. Bred and owned by Juddmonte Farms, the son
of Empire Maker began his career in France before being sent back to these
shores to Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. At some point along the line, a screw
was inserted into the horse’s right ankle to repair a fracture, although Boerjan
said it is no longer of consequence.
“He’s as fit and sound as they come,” said Boerjan, who grew up on an Iowa
farm. “I train him right here on my farm, ride him up and down hills. He loves
it here. He thrives on it. He could run a three-mile race if you asked him to.”
Boerjan said he has fielded inquiries for Kalamos as a stallion prospect, but
he isn’t sure how much demand there might be for his services. In any case,
when the horse’s retirement comes, he has a nice spot waiting.
The founding premise of Old Friends, according to the organization’s mani-
festo, is to provide a safe harbor and dignified retirement to at-risk racehorses
– those whose racing and breeding careers had come to an end – while encour-
aging the public to come visit. Old Friends is the only Thoroughbred retirement
facility that accepts stallions, and according to Blowen, “We take exceptional
pride in our pensioned champions.”
While Boerjan tries to figure out exactly when Kalamos will wind up at one of
the three Old Friends facilities, he intends to focus on his own health.
“I haven’t been to the doctor in a while,” he said. “I know my cancer’s not
gone, but I’m afraid to hear all the details. I had extensive surgery and two kinds
of chemotherapy when they first diagnosed me. Something’s not right. One day
soon I’m going to have to deal with it again.”
Clearly, Boerjan takes comfort living day-to-day with his horses. His health
concerns, meanwhile, are tempered by knowing he won’t have to worry about
Tom. That, for now, makes him happy.
“I’ve been on a hell of a ride,” he said.

– Marty McGee

A Old Friends has some 100 horses at
REFUGE its main farm, Dream Chase Farm
in Georgetown, Ky., and Eclipse
FOR Award-winning photographer
ALL Barbara Livingston spent several
days there this past spring and fall
capturing the moments that make
it such a special place.

BARBARA D. LIVINGSTON

DAILY RACING FORM Old Friends PAGE 19

PAGE 20 Old Friends DAILY RACING FORM

Opening page: The chestnut gelding Commentator
and the gray gelding Marshall Rooster at Dream
Chase Farm.
Opposite page: Daytona, top, commands a large
paddock. Bottom left, visitors at Old Friends
reach out to Rapid Redux, left, and Amazombie.
Newcomer Genuine Reward in the glory of autumn
in the Bluegrass, bottom right.
This page: Getting ready for a pedicure in the barn,
left. Horse tags being sold in the gift shop, below.
Three Old Friends residents enjoy the quiet of the
farm, bottom.

DAILY RACING FORM Old Friends PAGE 21

The sun sets on the cemetery
at Old Friends. Right, John
Bradley with Hidden Lake.

PAGE 22 Old Friends DAILY RACING FORM

Old warriors treated with respect

Barbara D. Livingston

This photo of Old Friends Hall of Famer Mixed Pleasure was taken the day before he died at the age of 30 on Oct. 26, 2015.

By Michael Blowen One Dance will be memorialized. Our eulogist, back, trying to get one more trip to the winner’s
Eclipse Award-winning writer Bill Mooney, circle, trying to beat all the rest of the consistent
Just a few hours before I planned to start writ- will extol his virtues, his fans will say a kind claimers at Suffolk and Rockingham. From his
ing Saying Goodbye, Dr. Bryan Waldridge called word or two, Bucky Sallee will blow the last call first start in 1986 until his last in 1995, he earned
me. He was in the paddock between Tinners to post on his bugle and we’ll pay our respects $163,352 and won 19. Like many racehorses, not
Way and Dinard with Do One Dance, or, as we to our old friend. The horses in surrounding good, not bad.
called him, Francis. This gelding was at the end paddocks will gather at the fences expressing
of his long and rigorous life, and we assembled curiosity, and maybe more. This scene has been Like so many before him with superior careers
to make sure his final moments were as relax- repeated every year since we started, with each – Ogygian, Precisionist, Sunshine Forever,
ing and anxiety-free as possible. After the first horse remembered with poignant details about Marquetry, Black Tie Affair, Invigorate, Klassy
injection, he settled gently to the ground, seem- their lives on the track and after. Briefcase ... too many to mention – we’ve always
ingly relieved of the burden of his recent mala- tried to do what’s best for the horse at the time of
dies. Do One Dance was 31 years old when he died. their greatest need – to treat them with the same
But I remember him when he was young and dignity and respect that they earned. Physically
Dr. Val Nicholson, his longtime and dedi- racing in claimers at Suffolk Downs, being they are gone. But never forgotten.
cated caretaker, and her husband, Bret, were consistently beaten by another late Old Friends
with him along with Carole Oates, who held his retiree, Eternal Orage. During his 129 starts, Do As Carole slowly closed his eyes for the final
head. Come On Flip, his paddock friend, waited One Dance was ridden by Hall of Famers Julie time, there were tears and grief and an abiding
until we all left before edging over and nuzzling Krone, Chris Antley, Edgar Prado, and Jerry sorrow. But, behind the tears, there’s the deep
his late pal. Two hours later, the horse hearse Bailey at Gulfstream and the Meadowlands. understanding that we did our best when he
arrived. But most of his life was spent with journeymen needed it most. It doesn’t make it any easier for
such as Hoogie Drexler and Henry Ma on his us to say goodbye, but I would like to think we
On Memorial Day, as happens every year, Do made it easier for him to let go.

DAILY RACING FORM Old Friends PAGE 23

The Catbird Seat

By Timmy Barbara D. Livingston

I’m the senior cat here at Old Friends.
I’ve been working here longer than any
of the other cats. I take my responsibili-
ties very seriously.

I greet visitors, help with the tours,
allow myself to be petted, pose for
photographs, and generally act as Old
Friends’s feline goodwill ambassador.

My most important job, though, is to
see that the 15 other cats who live on the
farm don’t stray from their assigned
orbits – that the house cats stay in the
house, the office cats stay in the office,
and the “roamers” don’t roam too far
from where they belong.

You’ve heard the expression “herd-
ing cats”? Well, that’s what I do, or try
to do. Because chaos can erupt when
you have a bunch of cats encroaching
on each other’s domains. You know how
territorial we are. We’re famous for it.

Which brings me to the two kittens
who recently moved into the Old
Friends office. They were part of a litter
of six kittens that the broadcaster Caton
Bredar found living next to a dumpster
in the parking lot of a motel during
the Breeders’ Cup. She gathered them
up, along with their mother, had them
neutered, named them after two of Ken
Ramsey’s horses, and found homes for
them. That’s how Stephanie’s Kitten
and Bobby’s Kitten came to Old Friends.

I’ve observed that kittens tend to
lower the level of discourse and that
is exactly the effect they have had on
our three established office cats. Lucy,
Selena, and Buddy have been combin-
ing their efforts to make the kittens
as miserable as possible in hopes that
they will disappear. But these are tough
little cats. They’re not going anywhere.
When you’re born next to a dump-
ster, you’re not going to let a bunch of
pampered prima donna office cats push
you around.

Laura Battles Laura Battles

That’s me, Timmy, on top, where I rightfully belong since I oversee the feline population here at Old
Friends. The two below me are Bobby’s Kitten, left, and Stephanie’s Kitten, right, a couple of recent arriv-
als via a motel parking lot of all places, and they’re fitting in pretty well, though they’re being given a hard
time from some of the cats around here.

PAGE 24 Old Friends DAILY RACING FORM

The little one has all the answers

Little Silver Charm is the official spokeshorse for BARBARA D. LIVINGSTON
Old Friends, and resides at the farm’s headquarters
in Georgetown, Ky. I’ve got the looks, the book, and generally the run of the place here at Old Friends. If you ever met
me, you know why I’m so widely admired.
Every week Little Silver Charm receives fan
letters asking intimate – occasionally rude and Liberty Nussbaum, Camphorweed, N.J. DAILY RACING FORM Old Friends PAGE 25
intrusive – questions about his personal life and A: My adoration of Zenyatta is a matter of record,
soliciting his opinion on a variety of issues. Here-
with is a sample. a source of great pleasure and pain to me person-
ally. I worship her from afar, which is about as
Q: Whatever happened to your autobiogra- close as I can ever hope to get. Recent rumors of
phy, “A Charmed Life”? – Arthur C.D. Pipkin, a romance between me and Littleprincessemma
Chaff, Ohio. have been greatly exaggerated. We are merely
Facebook friends, nothing more. And yet, each
A: The short answer is that my ghostwriter never night before I go to sleep I gaze across the road and
finished it. Some Boswell she turned out to be. But I seem to see a light flickering in the mare barn at
why be bitter? Happily, I am now in a bookstore near Summer Wind Farm. Is it her light? Did she leave it
you with a perfect gift for any occasion, thanks to on for me? I feel more Gatsby-like by the day.
my good friend and fellow artist Dan Rhema, who
has written an adventure story starring Yours Q: Have you ever won any major awards? –
Truly. “Little Silver Charm” is fiction, a specula- Buffy Froebel, Scratch, Pa.
tive account of how I came to be in charge here at
Old Friends. It’s fast-moving, funny, and captures A: It has always been my position that awards
my personality. I give it Four Hooves Up! Best of all, are not the true measure of anyone’s worth, and
it’s suitable for children, unlike my heartbreaking not just because, like Cary Grant, I have never
but ultimately triumphant real-life story. won any. That said, I would be less than honest if
I did not mention that last year I was recognized
Q: Is it true that Donald Trump’s hairdo for playing a major role in Old Friends winning a
is inspired by your wild, luxuriant mane? – Special Eclipse Award. I treasure this award above
Damien Quince, Thrashley, S.C. all others because it is not just about me, although
it could be, but about everyone here at Old Friends
A: It’s possible that The Donald is trying – and – horses, humans, felines, and, yes, even goats –
obviously failing – to achieve my “look,” but he working together to make, as the award says, an
doesn’t have the natural assets that I have to work extraordinary contribution to the Thoroughbred
with. My mane may appear to be wild but in fact it is industry.
almost always under control, thanks to the efforts
of my personal stylist, Mr. John of John Bradley
Horse Hair Designs International Ltd. He cuts
my mane on an angle to achieve a look of soft full-
ness around my face that emphasizes my beautiful
brown eyes and minimizes my Jay Leno-esque jaw
line. The highlights are my own, and completely
natural. I’m not sure the same can be said of Donald
Trump’s.

Q: What do you believe are the qualities that
have enabled you to rise to the top? – Pepin
Larky, Passepartout, La.

A: I am a very humble little horse. I don’t claim
to have any special qualities that have made me
the superstar I am today. Of course, I can’t put it
all down to luck, either. My astonishing success
may have something to do with my superior intel-
ligence, my ability to empathize with others, my
athletic skills, my handsome face and form, my
gorgeous mane and tail, and, of course, my obvi-
ous modesty. Or it may be that it just happened. The
public seems to need someone to put on a pedestal.
Better me than yet another Kardashian.

Q: Are you in a relationship? – Thisbe Shim-
mer, Dry Run, Ky.

A: If you are asking if I am in a meaningful, exclu-
sive relationship, the answer is no. I’m available.

Q: Are you still in love with Zenyatta? –

Old Friends
Dream Chase Farm

ADDRESS Dream Chase Farm
1841 Payne’s Depot Road
Georgetown, KY 40324 Lexington

PHONE DIRECTIONS FROM BLUE GRASS AIRPORT
(502) 863-1775
1. Head southeast on Terminal Dr toward Air Freight Dr 0.1 mi
WEBSITE
Oldfriendsequine.org 2. Continue straight onto Air Freight Dr 0.2 mi

EMAIL 3. Slight right onto Terminal Dr 0.1 mi
[email protected]

TWITTER
@Oldfriendsfarm; @OF_LSilverCharm

TOURS
Reservations Required

ADMISSION
$10 adults; children 12 and under free

TOUR TIMES
March – October 10 a.m. • 1 p.m. • 3 p.m. daily
November – February 11 a.m. daily
Group tours by appointment

VISITOR CENTER
Hours 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

A visit to Old Friends includes a guided walking tour of
approximately one hour. You will meet our equine residents
and learn about their careers and lives. Each horse has a very
individual story that will be lovingly told by your tour guide.
Come on out, our champions love company!

4. Take the 1st left onto Man O War Blvd W 0.3 mi

5. Take the 1st right onto Versailles Rd 1.5 mi

6. Merge onto KY-4 N/New Circle Rd via the ramp to I-75/I-64 0.6 mi

7. Continue onto KY-4 N/US-60 Bypass W/New Circle Rd 2.2 mi

8. Take exit 7 for US-421 toward Frankfort/Lexington 0.2 mi

9. Turn left onto US-421 N/Leestown Rd 7.2 mi

10. Turn right onto US-62 E/Paynes Depot Rd 4.0 mi

11. Turn left onto Neel Lane

12. Arrive at Old Friends

16.6 mi, 31 mins

PAGE 26 Old Friends DAILY RACING FORM

Old Friends at
Kentucky Downs

ADDRESS Kentucky Downs
5565 Nashville Road
Franklin, KY 42134 Lexington, KY
Franklin, KY
PHONE Nashville, TN
Tour reservations (270) 586-3040
Gift Shop (270) 586-7335 FROM THE NORTH (BOWLING GREEN):
Follow I-65 southbound to Exit 2 in Kentucky (Franklin, KY –
Website Highway 31W exit). Turn left off the exit ramp and drive south on
Kentuckydowns.com Highway 31W 2.0 miles to the entrance to Kentucky Downs.
FROM THE SOUTH (NASHVILLE):
Twitter Follow I-65 northbound to Exit 2 in Kentucky (Franklin, KY –
@OldFriendsatKD Highway 31W exit). Turn right off the exit ramp and drive south on
Highway 31W 1.8 miles to the entrance to Kentucky Downs.
Tour
Reservations recommended

ADMISSION
$5 adults; children 12 and under free

Tour Times
January – February 11 a.m. Tuesday through Sunday; closed Monday
March – December 11 a.m. • 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday;
closed Monday
Group tours by appointment

DAILY RACING FORM Old Friends PAGE 27

Old Friends
at Cabin Creek Farm

ADDRESS Cabin Creek Farm
483 Sand Hill Road
Greenfield Center, NY 12833 9N
9N
PHONE
(518) 698-2377 Saratoga
Springs
WEBSITE
Oldfriendsatcabincreek.com

EMAIL
[email protected]

TOURS
Saturdays 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. year-round
During the Saratoga summer race meet, tours are open-house
style, from 11:00 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and
Saturday. Other tours by appointment

(518) 698-2377

DIRECTIONS FROM DOWNTOWN SARATOGA SPRINGS

1. Head west on Lake Ave toward Broadway 72 ft

2. Continue onto NY-9N N/Church St

3. Continue to follow NY-9N N 2.9 mi

4. Turn left onto County Rd 21/Middle Grove Rd 4.1 mi

5. Turn right onto County Rd 19/N Creek Rd 1.4 mi

6. Turn left onto Sand Hill Rd, Destination will be on the right

9.1 mi, 18 mins

PAGE 28 Old Friends DAILY RACING FORM



How to help Old Friends

DONATIONS • Receive a plaque with your name on his ‘HISTORY OF OLD FRIENDS,’ BY RICK CAPONE
paddock.
Our mission at Old Friends is to provide a • Foreword by Michael Blowen
dignified retirement for our Thoroughbreds, • Fence sponsorships are available for $20 per • 50 percent of proceeds benefit Old Friends.
champions, and unknowns alike. Your tax- month.
deductible gift will help ensure that we not only Call us to order.
continue to provide for the care of these marvel- SPONSOR A PADDOCK
ous athletes, but also will help us to continue WISHLISTWEDNESDAY ON TWITTER
to expand our facility for more horses. Below • Sponsor a paddock for $5,000.
is a listing of the various ways to support Old • Engraved plaque with your name on the • Follow @Oldfriendsfarm and look for our
Friends. If you would like to make a donation, wish-list items every Wednesday!
you may donate online with PayPal, through paddock.
Networkforgood.org, call us directly to contrib- • Receive major-donor recognition on the Old CREATIVE IDEAS TO HELP
ute via credit card, or send a check:
Friends VIP list, complimentary admission • Special Horse Organization Winners
Old Friends to all Old Friends events. Program. Save your Southern States and
1841 Paynes Depot Road • The personal satisfaction of knowing that Triple Crown feed proofs of purchase and
Georgetown, KY 40324 you have made possible a retirement home send them to us.
Phone: (502) 863-1775 for your favorite champion!
Website: www.oldfriendsequine.org • Think Out of the Stall! Have a party (Derby
SPONSOR A STALL or otherwise). Invite 10 friends to your
SHARE CERTIFICATES home, each contributing $10, and then
• Sponsor a stall for $2,000. donate for a share certificate in the Old
Donate $100 and sponsor an Old Friends • Receive an engraved plaque with your name Friends resident of your choice! Gifts are
retiree. Donors receive a personalized certifi- 100 percent tax deductible.
cate and an 8”x10” color photograph. Certifi- in the barn.
cates are available for all horses. They make • Receive major-donor recognition on the Old • Yard Sales – get rid of some clutter and
great gifts for the horse lover in your life! Call donate the proceeds!
us to order. We accept checks, credit cards, and Friends VIP list, complimentary admission
money orders, or you can use the PayPal dona- to all Old Friends events. SHOP TO HELP
tion form on our website. • The personal satisfaction of knowing that
you have made possible a retirement home • Check out the eBay Old Friends Store. eBay
MEMBERSHIP for your favorite champion! auctions also benefit Old Friends.

Donate $150 and receive a free gift! Help SPONSOR A WATERER OR HAYRACK • Order birthday and holiday gift boxes from
continue our mission to provide dignified and Old Friends.
safe retirement to Thoroughbreds whose racing • Sponsor a waterer ($1,000) or hayrack ($400).
and breeding careers have ended. Call us for • Engraved plaque with your name on the • You can support Old Friends by shopping
more information. at Kroger through the Kroger Community
paddock. Cares program. Sign up at Krogercommuni-
FEED FOR A DAY CALENDAR • The personal satisfaction of knowing that tyrewards.com or visit OldFriendsEquine.
org for details.
Choose a date on our calendar and sponsor you have made possible a retirement home
to help feed our horses. For a $100 donation for your favorite champion! • Sign up at Igive.com. Your searches and
(or more, if you choose), you can have a name purchases generate donations. Hundreds
printed on the calendar for the day of your SPONSOR A RUN-IN SHED and hundreds of stores you may already
choice, on a first-come, first-served basis. You shop at.
also get a free calendar. Honor a loved one, a • Visit our website for information on our new
pet, your favorite horse, or a memorial date. Give Me Shelter My Old Friend run-in shed • Amazon will donate 0.5 percent of the price
Just send the tax-deductible donation to Old campaign. of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to
Friends, write “Calendar” on the check, and Old Friends whenever you shop on Amazon-
include the wording you would like for the PLANNED GIVING Smile. Go to smile.amazon.com for details.
calendar date. You can also donate with PayPal
or call the office with credit-card information. Planned giving integrates a donor’s chari-
table gift with his or her overall financial and
DO FENCE ME IN PROJECT estate planning goals to maximize benefits to
both the donor and Old Friends. Planned gifts
• Sponsor a 16-foot section of horse fence for typically come from a donor’s assets rather
$150. than income and can be either outright or
deferred. It is recommended that donors consult
• Receive a plaque with your name in the Old with their own tax or legal advisers prior to
Friends main barn. making a planned gift. Your generosity will
ensure that Old Friends continues to make a
• Sponsor an eight-foot panel of Little Silver difference in the lives of retired racehorses.
Charm’s paddock for $99. Some types of gifts include:

• Wills
• Living trusts, charitable trusts
• Real estate
• Life insurance
• Mutual funds

PAGE 30 Old Friends DAILY RACING FORM

Gift shop INTERSTATE INTERSTATE

Profits from the gift shop at Old Friends help support our efforts to 64 75
give our Thoroughbred retirees a comfortable life.

We are pleased to have noted equine photographer Barbara
Livingston’s line of photographs featured in our shop. She has some
magnificent photos of our horses, including Silver Charm and Game
On Dude, available for purchase, as well as a selection from American
Pharoah’s Triple Crown.

We have Old Friends embroidered caps in various colors, celebrat-
ing individual horses, including War Emblem, Silver Charm, Game
On Dude, Gulch, Genuine Reward, and Sarava. These caps feature the
horse’s silks emblazoned on the back.

T-shirts embroidered with the Old Friends logo are available in a
variety of styles and colors and sizes from small to XXL.

Journalist and horse lover Rick Capone’s book History of Old
Friends, featuring a foreword by Old Friends founder Michael
Blowen, and author Dan Rhema’s Little Silver Charm, a fictionalized
account of Little Silver Charm’s life before he met Michael, are both
available for purchase. Fifty percent of the sales of both books benefit
Old Friends.

Our “Meet an Old Friend – Volume 1” DVD is the next-best thing to
a personal visit to Old Friends. Michael teamed up with videographer
Tim Wilson to create a very entertaining series of profiles of some
of our horses. Michael tells stories and introduces racing highlights
and footage of Old Friends retirees lounging around the farm. The
first of a projected series, this DVD features Commentator, Creator,
Fortunate Prospect, Hidden Lake, Kiri’s Clown, Marquetry, Ogygian,
Popcorn Deelites, Special Ring, Summer Attraction, and Sunshine
Forever.

Our annual calendar, featuring photographs of our horses taken by
various photographers, is a best-seller. In addition, our Calendar Proj-
ect offers supporters the opportunity to “buy a day” on the calendar
for $100 to commemorate a special occasion or a special friend.

Visitors to the gift shop rave about our handsome and sturdy
Deneen Pottery mugs with the Old Friends logo, in a variety of styles
and colors. They make excellent gifts. You can also custom-order a
mug with a photograph of your favorite Old Friends horse. Please call
us and we will provide you with the details.

Our gold-tone, engraved halter tags are available for a wide array of
Old Friends horses. Used as a key chain, they are a great way to keep
your favorite horse with you all the time.

We have a limited supply of bracelets fashioned from our horses’ tail
hair. At any given time we may or may not have a bracelet made from a
particular horse’s hair. Availability depends on several factors. Some
of our horses don’t have enough hair to harvest. Some are more coop-
erative about “donating” than others. If you want a bracelet made of
hair from an Old Friends horse please let us know and we will attempt
to fill the order – or explain to you why we can’t.

Please drop in and shop!
We are open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
You can call us, too:
(502) 863-1775
Many of the items in the gift shop are available to order online at
our eBay store, which is linked to our web page at: www.oldfriends
equine.org

DAILY RACING FORM Old Friends PAGE 31

GSC-1026 GrTrLeader_1-2PgAd-Oct 2015 Final.indd 1 9/8/15 1:55 PM

Old Friends roster

OLD FRIENDS AT DREAM CHASE FARM I’M CHARISMATIC ....................... 3/18/2001.....................G........Dark bay/brown......$201,298
JOHANNESBOURBON.................. 1/25/2009.....................G........Bay...........................$68,053
HORSE BIRTHDATE SEX COLOR EARNINGS JUDGE’S CASE ............................ 3/12/1997.....................G........Gray .......................$707,618
KUDOS......................................... 4/17/1997.....................G........Bay......................$1,238,935
AFFIRMED SUCCESS .................. 4/2/1994.......................G........Bay......................$2,285,315 LION HUNTER.............................. 5/4/2009.......................G........Bay....................................$0
LITIGATE ...................................... 4/21/2008.....................G........Chestnut ................$186,718
AFTERNOON DEELITES ............... 2/28/1992.....................H........Dark bay/brown...$1,061,193 LITTLE SILVER CHARM ............... unknown.......................H........Gray/roan......................... NA
MARSHALL ROOSTER (GB)......... 5/29/1999.....................G........Gray/roan...............$205,881
AL THE BINGEL (SIENA) .............. 3/19/2005.....................M.......Chestnut ...........................$0 MASSONE.................................... 2/28/2006.....................G........Chestnut ................$576,592
MAYBESOMAYBENOT ................. 1/27/2008.....................G........Bay.........................$155,738
ALPHABET SOUP......................... 3/31/1991.....................H........Roan ...................$2,990,270 MIKETHESPIKE............................ 3/11/2000.....................G........Gray/roan.................$85,301
MISS DU BOIS............................. 4/23/1994.....................M.......Chestnut ..................$25,535
AMAZOMBIE................................ 4/18/2006.....................G........Bay......................$1,920,378 MISS HOOLIGAN ......................... 4/11/2005.....................M.......Dark bay/brown..........$2,325
MISSZOEY BELLE........................ 3/20/2005.....................M.......Bay...........................$70,075
ARCHIE’S ECHO........................... 5/8/1989.......................G........Chestnut ..................$32,324 NORTHERN STONE ..................... 3/15/2004.....................G........Bay...........................$54,527
PHOTON ...................................... 4/30/2009.....................G........Dark bay/brown......$305,455
AREYOUTALKINTOME ................. 2/3/2001.......................G........Bay.........................$985,417 POPCORN DEELITES ................... 4/19/1998.....................G........Bay...........................$56,880
PORFIDO (CHI) ............................ 8/17/2002.....................G........Bay.........................$756,876
ARSON SQUAD............................ 4/2/2003.......................G........Dark bay/brown...$1,190,181 RACKETEER ................................. 3/5/2003.......................G........Bay.........................$412,190
RAIL TRIP..................................... 1/31/2005.....................G........Bay......................$1,516,520
BALANCE OF POWER .................. 4/21/2010.....................G........Chestnut ................$233,138 RAPID REDUX.............................. 2/24/2006.....................G........Chestnut ................$361,069
READYS ROCKET......................... 4/6/2003.......................G........Dark bay/brown......$261,636
BINT MARSCAY (AUS)................. 10/15/1990...................M.......Chestnut .. $1,034,821 (AUS) REGAL SANCTION ....................... 3/15/1999.....................G........Chestnut ................$485,158
RIVA WAY..................................... 4/24/1998.....................G........Chestnut ................$109,915
BOBBY SANDS ............................ 3/13/2005.....................G........Bay.........................$300,319 SANTONA (CHI)........................... 10/7/1994.....................M.......Bay...........................$43,438
SARATOGA EPISODE ................... 4/5/2001.......................G........Chestnut ..................$75,665
BONAPAW.................................... 4/13/1996.....................G........Bay......................$1,158,752 SARAVA ....................................... 3/2/1999.......................H........Dark bay/brown......$773,832
SARBONNE .................................. 4/19/2007.....................G........Bay...........................$27,639
BOULE D’OR ................................ 3/22/2001.....................G........Dark bay/brown......$598,571 SEA NATIVE ................................. 4/2/1999.......................G........Chestnut ..................$64,760
SEAN AVERY................................ 3/8/2006.......................G........Bay.........................$398,640
CAPPUCINO KID.......................... 2/22/1998.....................G........Bay.........................$248,951 SEEK GOLD.................................. 4/2/2000.......................G........Bay.........................$902,636
SHADOW CASTER ....................... 2/13/1996.....................G........Chestnut ................$477,653
CATLAUNCH................................ 3/18/2001.....................G........Bay......................$1,122,309 SILVER CHARM ........................... 2/22/1994.....................H........Gray/roan............$6,944,369
SILVER RAY.................................. 5/23/1989.....................H........Dark bay.................$268,532
CHERONO.................................... 5/5/2002.......................G........Dark bay.....................$4,040 SLAMMING.................................. 3/21/1993.....................G........Dark bay.................$206,021
SOKITUMI SAMURAI ................... 3/31/2009.....................G........Bay.........................$260,222
COME ON FLIP ............................ 2/15/1991.....................G........Bay.........................$126,029 SPECIAL RING ............................. 3/9/1997.......................G........Bay.........................$915,023
STAR PLUS .................................. 7/18/2003.....................G........Bay.........................$176,053
COMMENTATOR .......................... 3/27/2001.....................G........Chestnut .............$2,049,845 STARSPANGLED HEAT ................ 11/22/2008...................G........Chestnut ................$476,685
STORMY PASSAGE ..................... 4/27/2005.....................G........Bay...........................$23,845
COUNT THE GOLD....................... 3/18/2006.....................G........Bay.........................$126,029 SUMMER ATTRACTION ............... 5/26/1995.....................G........Bay...........................$28,214
SWAN’S WAY............................... 2/3/1989.......................H........Dark bay/brown........$64,175
DANTHEBLUEGRASSMAN........... 3/31/1999.....................G........Chestnut ................$423,794 TINNER’S WAY............................. 5/25/1990.....................H........Chestnut .............$1,846,546
TOUCH GOLD .............................. 5/26/1994.....................H........Bay......................$1,679,907
DAYTONA (IRE)............................ 4/21/2004.....................G........Chestnut ................$991,690 UKIAH .......................................... 3/5/2002.......................G........Gray .........................$91,150
UNACCOUNTABLE....................... 3/15/2005.....................G........Dark bay/brown......$298,860
DELAY OF GAME ......................... 1/23/1993.....................G........Dark bay/brown......$809,023 VICTOR COOLEY ......................... 3/31/1993.....................G........Dark bay..............$1,320,475
W.C. JONES ................................. 3/22/2005.....................G........Bay...........................$15,292
DIAMOND STRIPES ..................... 2/2/2003.......................G........Gray/roan............$1,478,014 WALLENDA.................................. 4/24/1990.....................H........Dark bay/brown...$1,205,929
WAR EMBLEM ............................. 2/20/1999.....................H........Dark bay..............$3,491,000
DINARD........................................ 4/6/1988.......................G........Dark bay/brown......$590,250 YANKEE FOURTUNE .................... 2/24/2007.....................G........Gray/roan...............$391,975
YOU AND I ................................... 2/14/1991.....................H........Dark bay/brown......$701,235
DISCREET HERO.......................... 3/13/1998.....................G........Dark bay/brown......$681,591 Z DAGER ...................................... 3/26/2009.....................G........Bay.........................$158,001

DISTURBINGTHEPEACE .............. 3/29/1998.....................G........Bay.........................$666,020

DUKE ORA ................................... 4/10/1994.....................G........Bay.........................$173,626

EARLY PIONEER........................... 2/17/1995.....................G........Chestnut .............$1,156,815

EASY GRADES ............................. 4/13/1999.....................G........Dark bay/brown......$559,744

EL BRUJO .................................... 3/11/2006.....................G........Bay.........................$721,439

ELABORATE ................................. 3/29/1995.....................G........Chestnut ................$565,852

ELDAAFER ................................... 3/13/2005.....................G........Dark bay..............$1,031,835

EURONFIRE.................................. 4/21/2008.....................M.......Chestnut ..................$64,684

FABULOUS STRIKE...................... 4/4/2003.......................G........Dark bay/brown...$1,447,804

FALCON SCOTT........................... 2/20/2003.....................G........Bay...........................$68,905

FANTASTIC DAY .......................... 5/25/2000.....................G........Bay.........................$360,424

FERGUS MAC ROICH .................. 3/31/2007.....................G........Chestnut ..................$52,595

FEROCIOUS WON........................ 4/11/2003.....................G........Chestnut ................$503,627

FIGHTING CITY HALL .................. 3/4/2003.......................G........Dark bay.................$268,199

FLICK (GB)................................... 4/19/1992.....................G........Bay.........................$515,826

FORTI DEI MARMI (GB) ............... 3/30/2006.....................G........Bay......................$1,054,061

FUTURAL ..................................... 2/6/1996.......................G........Chestnut ................$816,107

GAME ON DUDE .......................... 4/26/2007.....................G........Bay......................$6,498,893

GASCONADE ............................... 2/11/2004.....................G........Bay...........................$75,287

GENUINE REWARD ......................5/15/1993.....................H........Chestnut ...........................$0

GERI............................................. 2/5/1992.......................H........Chestnut .............$1,707,980

GERONIMO (CHI)......................... 10/22/1999...................G........Chestnut ................$464,150

GULCH......................................... 4/16/1984.....................H........Bay......................$3,095,521

HIDDEN DARK ............................. 2/22/1990.....................M.......Dark bay...................$20,750

HIDDEN LAKE .............................. 4/2/1993.......................M.......Bay.........................$947,489

HIGHLAND ACK........................... 3/24/1989.....................G........Chestnut ...........................$0

PAGE 32 Old Friends DAILY RACING FORM

OLD FRIENDS AT KENTUCKY DOWNS BLACK TIE AFFAIR (IRE).............. 4/1/1986.......................H........Gray ....................$3,370,694
BLUESTHESTANDARD................. 4/24/1997.....................G........Bay......................$1,041,618
HORSE BIRTHDATE SEX COLOR EARNINGS BONNIE’S POKER......................... 3/30/1982.....................M.......Dark bay/brown......$153,960
BULL INTHE HEATHER................. 3/22/1990.....................H........Gray .......................$508,338
BALL FOUR.................................. 2/27/2001.....................G........Bay.........................$730,470 BUZZOVERTOMYHOUSE ............. 4/26/1987.....................M.......Gray ...........................$2,540
CHARMING DREAMER ................ 5/9/1983.......................M.......Chestnut ..................$16,400
FONZI........................................... unknown.......................G........Pinto ................................ NA CHINA BANK................................ 5/27/2005.....................H........Bay................................$400
CLEVER ALLEMONT .................... 2/11/1982.....................H........Dark bay/brown......$316,329
HUSSONFIRST............................. 6/27/1905.....................G........Chestnut ..................$58,610 CONNERY .................................... 5/17/1988.....................G........Bay.............................$1,605
COZY MISS.................................. 3/11/1988.....................M.......Bay...........................$95,400
LUSTY LATIN ............................... 3/26/1999.....................G........Gray .......................$439,729 CREATOR (GB)............................. 6/1/1986.......................H........Chestnut ................$550,537
CRUSADER SWORD .................... 4/7/1985.......................H........Bay.........................$327,476
RUMOR HAS IT............................ 5/1/2001.......................G........Dark bay/brown......$303,316 DANCIN RENEE............................ 3/8/1992.......................M.......Bay.........................$490,258
DO ONE DANCE........................... 2/19/1984.....................G........Dark bay.................$163,352
SGT BERT .................................... 2/8/2001.......................G........Bay.........................$359,021 DUSTY FIELDS ............................ 2/1/1990.......................G........Bay...........................$14,696
EASY ELLIS.................................. 3/22/2001.....................G........Dark bay/brown........$64,408
THORNFIELD ............................... 3/15/1994.....................G........Chestnut .............$1,206,074 ESCAPEDFROMNEWYORK.......... 7/4/2005.......................G........Bay....................................$0
ESTRAPADE................................. 3/31/1980.....................M.......Chestnut .............$1,937,142
TOUR OF THE CAT....................... 5/3/1998.......................G........Bay......................$1,106,955 ETERNAL ORAGE ......................... 3/24/1987.....................H........Bay.........................$336,116
FLYING PIDGEON ........................ 4/13/1981.....................H........Bay......................$1,154,337
OLD FRIENDS SATELLITE LOCATIONS FORTUNATE PROSPECT.............. 2/24/1981.....................H........Dark bay/brown......$439,875
FRAISE......................................... 4/13/1988.....................G........Bay......................$2,613,105
HORSE BIRTHDATE SEX COLOR EARNINGS GABFEST ..................................... 4/12/1979.....................M.......Bay...........................$47,331
GET LUCKY.................................. 4/6/1988.......................M.......Bay.........................$157,760
BAIE PROSPECTOR ..................... 4/15/1990.....................H........Bay...........................$11,779 GLITTERMAN............................... 4/27/1985.....................H........Bay.........................$473,194
GOLD SPRING (ARG)................... 9/30/1988.....................H........Chestnut ................$394,830
BLACK TIE COUNTESS................ 3/31/1995.....................M.......Bay...........................$47,514 INVIGORATE................................. 3/27/1992.....................G........Chestnut ..................$98,327
JADE HUNTER ............................. 2/22/1984.....................H........Chestnut ................$407,260
BON MARIE.................................. 3/8/2001.......................G........Bay.........................$417,506 KANO DOBLE............................... 4/12/1999.....................G........Gray .........................$22,119
KEY CONTENDER ........................ 2/15/1988.....................H........Chestnut ................$839,261
BONFANTE................................... 3/21/2001.....................G........Bay.........................$768,220 KIRI’S CLOWN ............................. 4/11/1989.....................H........Bay......................$1,005,469
KLASSY BRIEFCASE.................... 4/15/1985.....................M.......Chestnut ................$362,959
BURRWOOD................................. 3/29/1994.....................G........Bay...........................$43,666 LEAVE SEATTLE........................... 4/15/1988.....................H........Bay....................................$0
MAGIC DOT ................................. 2/26/1987.....................M.......Bay....................................$0
CAPTURE THE POWER ................ 2/14/2007.....................G........Bay................................$480 MARQUETRY ............................... 1/30/1987.....................H........Chestnut .............$2,857,886
MAX A MILLION .......................... 5/31/2000.....................G........Bay.........................$101,951
CHIEF EXPORT ............................ 2/25/2002.....................G........Bay.........................$406,960 MISS DOCUTECH........................ 4/12/1992.....................M.......Bay...............................5,240
MIXED PLEASURE ....................... 5/20/1985.....................H........Chestnut ................$140,175
DOMINANT JEANNES.................. 3/4/2007.......................G........Bay.........................$317,913 NARROW ESCAPE ....................... 3/22/1983.....................M.......Bay...........................$72,090
NEW EXPORT (BRZ).....................7/20/2001.....................G........Bay.........................$261,125
GALLAPIAT’S MOMENT............... 3/17/1990.....................G........Bay.........................$425,260 OCCASION................................... 4/30/1982.....................M.......Bay...........................$10,330
OGYGIAN ..................................... 3/17/1983.....................H........Bay.........................$455,520
GRYLLS ....................................... 3/14/2005.....................G........Bay...........................$53,397 PATTON ....................................... 4/19/1991.....................H........Dark bay/brown......$237,462
PERSONALIZED ........................... 4/7/1990.......................M.......Bay.............................$1,050
H.G. WILD SWALE ....................... 2/28/1994.....................G........Chestnut ..................$12,051 POLISH NAVY.............................. 5/14/1984.....................H........Bay......................$1,118,076
PRECISIONIST ............................. 2/28/1981.....................H........Chestnut .............$3,485,398
HALO AMERICA........................... 3/29/1990.....................M.......Gray ....................$1,460,992 PRIZED......................................... 5/20/1986.....................H........Bay......................$2,262,555
PROPER REALITY ........................ 2/9/1985.......................H........Dark bay/brown...$1,701,650
HE LOVES ME NOT...................... 3/26/2003.....................G........Bay.........................$198,888 RICHARD’S LASS......................... 4/16/1988.....................M.......Chestnut ................$375,670
RUHLMANN................................. 4/22/1985.....................H........Dark bay/brown...$1,824,154
HI SPEED CHASE......................... 3/25/2011.....................G........Dark bay...................$36,972 STAGE COLONY........................... 4/14/1987.....................H........Dark bay/brown......$327,908
STEEL ROBBING .......................... 3/7/1980.......................H........Dark bay/brown......$157,677
HOLY ESTRAPADE ....................... 3/29/2000.....................H........Bay....................................$0 SUNSHINE FOREVER................... 3/14/1985.....................H........Dark bay/brown...$2,084,800
TAYLOR’S SPECIAL...................... 4/14/1981.....................H........Bay......................$1,065,805
KEG O DYNAMITE........................ 3/18/1982.....................M.......Chestnut ....................$3,283 THE NAME’S JIMMY.................... 5/3/1989.......................H........Chestnut ................$404,090
THE WICKED NORTH................... 5/25/1989.....................H........Chestnut .............$1,180,750
KING JAMES................................ 3/27/1992.....................H........Bay.........................$162,363 THUNDER RUMBLE ..................... 3/31/1989.....................H........Dark bay/brown...$1,047,552
WILLIAMSTOWN ......................... 3/8/1990.......................H........Dark bay/brown......$360,884
MAGIC TIGER .............................. 3/8/2007.......................G........Chestnut ................$126,954 WINDUNDERMYWINGS............... 1/27/1989.....................H........Bay.........................$100,192
ZUPPARDO’S BIG BOY ................ 3/11/1991.....................G........Chestnut ..................$15,360
MAKE LUCK................................. 4/25/1985.....................H........Bay.........................$196,493

MAKORS MARK........................... 2/18/1997.....................H........Chestnut ................$430,753

MYTHICAL PEGASUS.................. 3/3/2005.......................G........Dark bay.................$126,003

NAPOLI EXPRESS........................ 4/21/1994.....................G........Dark bay...................$43,243

OUR REVIVAL .............................. 4/1/2000.......................M.......Chestnut ................$150,367

PAY WRIGHT................................ 4/2/2004.......................M.......Bay.........................$218,469

PRESIDENTIAL FLING.................. 7/29/1997.....................G........Dark bay...................$80,535

RIVERSRUNRYLEE....................... 3/28/2004.....................G........Dark bay.................$441,580

ROTTERDAM................................ 4/21/2006.....................G........Gray/roan...................$7,427

SAY FLORIDA SANDY.................. 3/29/1994.....................H........Bay......................$2,085,408

SMOKIN CANDY.......................... 5/16/2009.....................G........Dark bay.................$152,328

TOP SURPRIZE ............................ 4/29/2008.....................G........Bay.........................$139,939

VERSAILLES ROAD...................... 4/30/2006.....................G........Bay.........................$165,754

WESTMORELAND ROAD ............. 2/14/2000.....................G........Bay...........................$86,835

OLD FRIENDS AT DREAM CHASE FARM – DECEASED

HORSE BIRTHDATE SEX COLOR EARNINGS

A. P. SLEW ................................... 4/28/1999.....................G........Chestnut ..................$88,994

ACADEMY AWARD ...................... 3/18/1986.....................H........Chestnut ................$226,943

APPYGOLUCKY ........................... 3/15/1997.....................G........Dark bay/brown......$127,799

ASCENDING HAZE....................... 5/11/1980.....................M.......Chestnut ..................$33,691

AVALOTTAHOPE .......................... 2/27/1987.....................M.......Bay.............................$8,712

AWAD........................................... 1/25/1990.....................H........Bay......................$3,270,131

BALLINDAGGIN ........................... 3/27/1985.....................H........Chestnut ................$946,894

BEHRENS..................................... 2/24/1994.....................H........Bay......................$4,563,500

BENBURB (CAN).......................... 2/9/1989.......................G........Gray ....................$1,159,949

DAILY RACING FORM Old Friends PAGE 33

Afternoon Deelites PEDIGREE: 1992, h., by Private Terms—
Intimate Girl, by Medaille d’Or
BARBARA D. LIVINGSTON
EARNED: $1,061,193
On a December afternoon in 1994, the Daily Racing Form Christmas gathering at Turf Paradise was a
mix of business and pleasure. While enjoying a cocktail or two, we huddled around the televisions for busi- STAKES WON: Hollywood Futurity (G1), Malibu
ness to watch the Grade 1 Hollywood Futurity. We saw a shooting star. (G1), San Felipe (G2), Commonwealth Breeders’
Cup (G2), Hollywood Prevue Breeders’ Cup (G3),
Afternoon Deelites was a sight to behold. In the Futurity, he bided his time, came with a powerful move, San Vicente Breeders’ Cup (G3)
seemingly effortlessly moved up on the far turn, took command, opened up, and won in a romp, and all
the while, rider Kent Desormeaux just sat there. It set him up as the early favorite for the following year’s MILESTONES: Four-time leading sire in Louisi-
Kentucky Derby. ana, runners have earned more than $21.7 million;
sire of Old Friends movie star Popcorn Deelites,
While Afternoon Deelites’s Derby dreams evaporated turning for home on Churchill Downs’s long one of the horses who played the title role in the
stretch, his star was not extinguished. He would show his versatility in winning the Grade 1 Malibu later movie “Seabiscuit”
that year and finished his career with a sharp second in the Grade 1 Met Mile in 1996.
TWITTER HANDLE: @OF_adeelites
– MICHAEL HAMMERSLY
Michael says: Owned by composer Burt Bacharach, Afternoon Deelites stunned the racing world with THREE WORDS: Whole - Lotta - Horse
his dominating victory in the 1994 Hollywood Futurity and also won the 1995 San Felipe and Malibu stakes
in a career cut short by injury. Eighteen years later, he’s munching grass and greeting visitors – and he’s HORSE TALK
still fast.
BETH SHANNON, TOUR GUIDE
PAGE 34 Old Friends DAILY RACING FORM
Afternoon Deelites is a lotta horse. I
mean a whole lotta horse. In every way
he’s just bursting with horse. What a
runner he was when he beat Thunder
Gulch in the 1994 Hollywood Futurity,
and when he won the 1995 San Vicente
drawing away, and that year’s San Felipe
and Malibu, and the next year when he
showed ’em (including War Emblem’s
dad) what was what in the Common-
wealth at Keeneland. As his Hall of Fame
jockey Kent Desormeaux told us, in terms
of raw speed, Afternoon Deelites was the
fastest animal he ever sat on in his life.
At 23, Afternoon Deelites is as magnifi-
cent looking as ever. Maybe more so
because these days he’s got the presence
of self-assured wisdom. He’s smart, all
right. Smarter than he wants you to real-
ize. He’s a studly guy, but he’s kind. Sure,
he nips, he’s a spirited stallion, and also
one of the most sunny-natured, affection-
ate horses I know. Afternoon Deelites is
just a whole awesome lotta horse.

PATH TO OLD FRIENDS

We are grateful to Clear Creek Stud
in Folsom, La., for allowing us to retire
Afternoon Deelites.

Alphabet Soup PEDIGREE: 1991, h., by Cozzene—Illiterate, by
Arts and Letters
BARBARA D. LIVINGSTON
EARNED: $2,990,270
It wasn’t just his white coat and a shocking upset of Cigar in the 1996 Breeders’ Cup Classic that made Alpha-
bet Soup stand out. STAKES WON: Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), San
Antonio (G2), San Pasqual (G2), Del Mar Breed-
In nearly three full seasons of racing, Alphabet Soup earned just under $3 million, with a stakes résumé ers’ Cup (G2), Pat O’Brien (G3), Native Diver (G3),
among the best of his era. Under the guidance of the savvy David Hofmans, the son of Cozzene won or placed in Harry F. Brubaker
12 graded stakes and hit the triple-digit mark on the Beyer scale in 12 of his last 13 starts.
THREE WORDS: Alert – Beautiful - Courageous
The Breeders’ Cup Classic field he gamely defeated at nearly 20-1 in 1996 was one of the best in the history of
the race. In addition to Cigar, that year’s Classic included Louis Quatorze, Editor’s Note, Will’s Way, and Formal HORSE TALK
Gold.
LAURA BATTLES, TOUR GUIDE
Alphabet Soup was retired following a bang-up second to Gentlemen in the 1997 San Antonio Handicap and & PHOTOGRAPHER
was shipped off to co-owner Frank Stronach’s Adena Springs in Kentucky. It was one of a number of stops the
handsome stallion made in a stud career that spanned nearly two decades. Alphabet Soup’s recent arrival on the
farm has put a couple of our other stallions
After standing his final season back at Adena Springs, Alphabet Soup, still as sound and good-looking as ever, on alert. He is just gorgeous, and is giving
heads to his new home at Old Friends, giving fans a chance to see a Breeders’ Cup Classic winner in the flesh. Silver Charm and Afternoon Deelites a run
for their money in the good-looking depart-
– IRWIN COHEN ment. Did I mention he was gorgeous? I’ve
Michael says: The three-horse photo finish in the 1996 Breeders’ Cup Classic was heart-stopping. And, if you only really had a chance to photograph
were Cigar or Louis Quatorze, heartbreaking. Because the white horse between them, guided by a perfect ride him a couple of times, but even when visit-
from Chris McCarron, was none other than Alphabet Soup. He’s also the sire of longtime Old Friends resident ing him at Adena Springs, he was quite
Watchem Smokey. photogenic and posed for the camera. He
appears to be a stallion who wants to know
what is going on around him and if he were
an old man, would probably be the neigh-
borhood gossip. So – good looking, nosy,
almost white, and a Breeders’ Cup Classic
winner. Charm had better watch out!

PATH TO OLD FRIENDS

Adena Springs’s Jack Jeziorski first
visited the farm several years ago. I
inquired about the possibility of retiring
some of the great Adena stallions to Old
Friends and Jack said he’d look into it.
Nothing happened for a while but, early in
2015, Adena’s manager, Mike Rogers, came
to see Old Friends and I inquired, specifi-
cally, about Alphabet Soup and Touch
Gold. A few months later, accompanied by
a generous donation from Frank Stronach,
the most gorgeous horse who ever stepped
foot on the farm arrived.

DAILY RACING FORM Old Friends PAGE 35

Amazombie PEDIGREE: 2006, g., by Northern Afleet—Wilshe
Amaze, by In Excess
BARBARA D. LIVINGSTON EARNED: $1,920,378
STAKES WON: Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1), Bing
In case there was ever any doubt, Amazombie proved that it is okay to fall in love with a racehorse. Just ask Crosby (G1), Ancient Title (G1), Potrero Grande
his trainer, Bill Spawr, who owned him with his racing buddy Tom Sanford. (G2) twice, Sunshine Millions Sprint S., Tiznow S.
THREE WORDS: Fast – Faster – Fastest
Spawr will tell you Amazombie was honest as a sunrise and durable as a Maytag. As a young horse he
was a giveaway, tossed in with the purchase of a barnmate. He needed time, but eventually he settled into a HORSE TALK
beautiful groove, repeating his races over and over to the delight of his Zombie-loving fans. CINDY GRISOLIA, BOARD MEMBER

Which Amazombie performance tasted best? Most will call up the 2011 Breeders’ Cup Sprint in which he Amazombie is what you call a late
beat the best the game could offer, or the race before that in the Ancient Title, when he circled the field to bloomer. Sidelined by a minor injury
seal the score. early, the bay son of Northern Afleet was
just a pasture ornament on the farm of
There is support for his 2012 Bing Crosby, a thrilling re-affirmation of class. And then there was the 2011 co-owner and trainer Bill Spawr until
Sunshine Millions Sprint, when he tipped his destiny by winning a three-way photo while shading 1:08. he was nearly 4. (Spawr, by the way,
bought the horse in a dispersal for the
Amazombie earned just shy of $2 million, no small sum for a free horse. In return, he has been given the amazing 2-for-1 bargain price of $5,000.)
gift of a life at Old Friends Equine. The exchange rate seems about right. In his first start, Amazombie finished
sixth and then, presumably, he was tired
– JAY HOVDEY of just horsing around. He went on to
Michael says: Amazombie and Rapid Redux are pals. Sort of. They’re like Ralph and Alice Kramden of capture five of his next eight starts en
“Honeymooners” fame. They argue a lot but they’re inseparable. Amazombie is so kind that he allows Rapid route to a victory in the 2011 Breeders’
to boss him around. Mike Smith adores Amazombie. And that’s good enough for me. Cup Sprint. He earned an Eclipse Award
for his efforts. We’re in awe of him, for
sure. Though his bossy Old Friends
paddock mate, North American modern
win-record holder Rapid Redux, seems a
whole lot less impressed. “Breeders’ Cup,
schmeeders’ cup! Call me when you’ve
won 22 in a row.”

PATH TO OLD FRIENDS

When trainer Bill Spawr decided to
retire Eclipse Award champ Amazombie,
the timing couldn’t have been better. We
had just made arrangements to fly Game
On Dude to Old Friends from California,
and Amazombie got to hop aboard the
same flight. Tex Sutton flew them both to
Kentucky for free.

PAGE 36 Old Friends DAILY RACING FORM
PAGE.AMAZOMBIE [P&W]

THANK YOU to OLD FRIENDS FARM

for taking great care of 2011
Breeders Cup Sprint winner

AMAZOMBIE

SINCERELY, THE BILL SPAWR RACING STABLE

Arson Squad

BARBARA D. LIVINGSTON PEDIGREE: 2003, g., by Brahms—
Majestic Fire, by Green Dancer
First, there was the name, Arson Squad – way cool, especially since his momma was Majestic Fire. Sam EARNED: $1,190,181
Siegel didn’t care if he was a gelding when she bought him. He was a yearling and didn’t know better. She STAKES WON: Swaps (G2), Strub (G2),
wanted a racehorse and got one, 35 starts’ worth, $1.1 million, and a trip to Dubai for the big dance in the Meadowlands Cup (G2), Skip Away (G3),
desert. I watched him run many times, and I grieved when the tracks in California went synthetic. Arson Alysheba (G3), San Pedro, Mighty Forum
Squad went east – but not before he won my all-time favorite race, the Strub Stakes, against horses who had THREE WORDS: Light – My – Fire
won or would win the Hollywood Gold Cup, the Godolphin Mile, the Donn Handicap, the Santa Anita Derby,
and two runnings of the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. When he was hurt and Siegel said she would do whatever it HORSE TALK
took to fix him, you just knew everything would turn out okay. Lucky Arson Squad today, living the life at LISA Q. WOOD, TOUR GUIDE
Old Friends.
As a former paramedic/firefighter, I
– JAY HOVDEY thought it trite declaring Arson Squad
my “favorite” based on his name.
Michael says: Arson Squad was a terrific racehorse, but his job at Old Friends may be more important However, I quickly learned about him
than his victories. He’s the paddock companion of I’m Charismatic, who’s blind. It’s amazing to watch how and my admiration for him continues
Arson has become I’m Charismatic’s eyes, never letting him out of sight, leading him to the fence to greet to grow. As a racehorse, he gave his all;
tourists and crunch on carrots. a standout millionaire with a success-
ful career. After a catastrophic injury,
he triumphed with an arduous journey
to recovery. Today he is inseparable
from his blind paddock mate. Arson has
helped I’m Charismatic learn comfort
without his sight. He has confidence
and strength with Arson’s guidance and
protection. Arson has shown courage,
patience, and loyalty to his blind friend.
Arson is a team player! When I’m Char-
ismatic swipes a bite, Arson steps aside
with calm resolve. It is okay, I’m Char-
ismatic can be the boss. Ironic. Arson
has qualities of a great firefighter. He is
a sure, steady friend; an amazing horse.
Love the name, but I truly love him!

PATH TO OLD FRIENDS

Arson Squad’s career ended prema-
turely when he was injured in a train-
ing accident on New Year’s Eve in 2011
at Gulfstream Park. Owner Samantha
Siegel sent him to Dr. Larry Bramlage at
Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, where
the 9-year-old gelding survived extensive
surgery. We were thrilled when, with
Samantha’s wholehearted enthusiasm,
a recovering Arson Squad arrived at the
farm about a month later.

PAGE 38 Old Friends DAILY RACING FORM
PAGE.ARSONSQUAD [P&W]

Thank You ARSON SQUAD
Old Friends

for taking such great care of my children
ARSON SQUAD and RAIL TRIP.

It is great to know they have a fantastic
home and get the attention they deserve.

Sincerely;
Samantha Siegel -Jay Em Ess Stable

RAIL TRIP

Be Bullish PEDIGREE: 2005, g., by Pure Prize—Smart
Holly, by Smarten
RONNIE BETOR
EARNED: $1,106,288
He was an eye-catcher with his dappled, rapidly whitening coat … and a heart-grabber with the courage and
grit to hit the board nearly 80 percent of the time in 87 lifetime starts. Be Bullish was flashy, fast, and fun, a STAKES WON: Mr. Nasty, Hollie Hughes twice,
much-loved public favorite in New York where he had been bred and where he plied his trade over nine rigorous Leon Reed Memorial, Appealing Guy, Sir Keys
seasons.
RESIDES: Old Friends at Cabin Creek
The industrious gelding won six Big Apple stakes and placed in 16 others, primarily statebred events, once
hooking and tenaciously outdueling future star Haynesfield a year before that one conquered Blame in the THREE WORDS: Big – Beautiful - Beguiling
Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup. Along the way he compiled a million-dollar bankroll – and was claimed 11 times.
HORSE TALK
On May 17, 2015, Be Bullish handily won for $16,000 at Belmont Park in what turned out to be his final career
start. The son of Pure Prize and Smart Holly was claimed that afternoon by Repole Stable and to the applause of JOANN PEPPER, CABIN CREEK
fans across the state, promptly retired. Eleven days later, his van would pull into Old Friends at Cabin Creek.
Be Bullish became the 30th New York-
“He’s put in his time and is going out on top,” Mike Repole told Daily Racing Form. “If every horse could have bred to win $1 million or more in his 84th
an ending like this, the sport would be in a much better place.” start and is one of five horses to win multi-
ple editions of the Hollie Hughes Stakes at
– MARY SIMON Aqueduct. He won his last four races – and
Michael says: Who couldn’t adore Be Bullish? I saw him twice at the track and once since he retired to retired with a career record of 19-26-14 in
Joanne and Mark at Cabin Creek. The big, gray son of Pure Prize had a huge New York-based fan club when he 87 starts with $1,106,288 in earnings. Be
raced for David Jacobson and Drawing Away Stables. And he still does. Bullish came to Old Friends through the
efforts of Mike Repole, who claimed him
back in his last race and retired him to
Cabin Creek. Hats off to Mr. Repole, who
bought Be Bullish for the sole purpose of
retiring him while he was still at the top of
his game. We’re very grateful to have him
and look forward to having all of his fans
visiting him at the farm. Be Bullish gave
his all to racing. Now we’re giving our all
to him.

PATH TO OLD FRIENDS

Be Bullish was placed on the Old Friends
radar by longtime supporter Kathy Dell
Salla. The 10-year-old multiple stakes
winner had won 19 of 87 starts and was still
crossing the wire in front. In fact, he had
won his last four starts when Mike Repole
generously claimed him and retired him to
Old Friends at Cabin Creek. His previous
owner, Drawing Away Stables, also has
contributed to his aftercare.

PAGE 40 Old Friends DAILY RACING FORM

Catlaunch PEDIGREE: 2001, g., by Noble Cat—Skilaunch,
by Relaunch
Barbara D. Livingston EARNED: $1,122,309
STAKES WON: Best of Ohio Endurance twice,
Let’s be clear, a sport can’t survive without global superstars. Horses like American Pharoah and California Governors Buckeye Cup twice, Babst/Palacios
Chrome are as critical to horse racing as Michael Jordan and LeBron James are to basketball. Memorial 3 times, Michael F. Rowland Memorial
5 times, Ruff/Kirchberg Memorial 3 times, George
That said, what makes any sporting endeavor truly enjoyable is the local legend – the competitor who goes Lewis Memorial 3 times, Sydney Gendelman
almost unknown outside of his local sphere, but you look at him and say, “That’s my guy.” Memorial 4 times, Samuel H.
MILESTONES: Three-time Ohio Horse of the
Catlaunch was “my guy” for many fans on the Ohio circuit, hitting each stop on the state’s handicap division Year; earned more than $1.12 million racing almost
schedule like clockwork over the course of a decade, and winning a lot of them. Of the Ohio-bred program’s exclusively in Ohio.
three million-dollar earners, only one had his own T-shirt during his ontrack career, and it wasn’t Harlan’s THREE WORDS: Clear – The - Decks
Holiday.
HORSE TALK
Catlaunch raced 108 times, with all but two of those starts coming in his home state, and he won in stakes
company up to age 12. In an era of superstar horses that are too fragile or valuable to run more than a carefully LAURA BATTLES, TOUR GUIDE
charted handful of times, Catlaunch was a local institution, and he continuously rewarded those who went & PHOTOGRAPHER
along for the ride. That’s what makes “my guys” special. That’s what makes Catlaunch special.
Catlaunch is a horse who made his living
– JOE NEVILLS the hard way, winning over a million
Michael says: Catlaunch is the Lou Gehrig of Old Friends – an Iron Horse. In 108 starts over a 10-year career, dollars in Ohio-bred races. Standing 17
he won 40 and earned $1,122,309. He was victorious numerous times in virtually every Ohio-bred stakes race. In hands, he is one of the largest horses on the
2011, he won the E. Babst Memorial ($50k) at Beulah on May 2, the M.F. Rowland ($50k) at Thistledown on May farm, and also one of the nicest. Anyone
30, and the Grendelman ($50k) at River Downs on June 13. The gelded son of Noble Cat earned every penny of who visits him falls a little in love with the
his retirement, which they celebrated at Beulah with a special Catlaunch Day. gentle giant as he politely takes carrots
from their hands. I like to call him “kitty
cat” as he is so nice to be around and you
just want to stroke him. He is also quite
imposing to photograph and always makes
a nice photo.

PATH TO OLD FRIENDS
Catlaunch is the Thoroughbred King of
Ohio. At the old River Downs (now Belterra
Park), he was the most popular horse of
the decade. After trainer Ivan Vasquez and
jockey Megan Fadlovich delivered him to
Old Friends in 2013, he settled right in. In
fact, he’s become one of the kindest, sweet-
est horses at Old Friends.

DAILY RACING FORM Old Friends PAGE 41

Commentator PEDIGREE: 2001, g., by Distorted Humor—
Outsource, by Storm Bird
BARBARA D. LIVINGSTON
EARNED: $2,049,845
Far too often, speed is considered cheap in the modern Thoroughbred. That could have something to
do with the glut of races at six furlongs or shorter at most bread-and-butter tracks in the U.S., along with STAKES WON: Whitney (G1) twice, Massachu-
the well-reasoned belief that if you’re going to breed a good Thoroughbred, it should be able to get at least setts Handicap, Perryville, Mugatea, Richmond
a mile. More likely, it has to do with the fact that speedy horses have only one way to go to lose a race, and Runner, Suffolk Downs, Kashatreya
that’s backward, as if they didn’t have the guts or breeding to go any farther. Commentator, a New York-
bred gelding, never had cheap speed. MILESTONES: Set track record at Gulfstream
Park for a mile in 1:33.71
I was standing on the sun-drenched rail at Saratoga for the 2005 Whitney Handicap on a busman’s holi-
day, perfectly free to cheer, when Commentator went to the lead going into the first turn in 23.56 seconds. THREE WORDS: Brilliant – Smart – Fast
Up by three, he did the half in 46.41. Now up by five, he went six furlongs in 1:09.76. The Horse of the Year
Saint Liam came to get him at the top of the stretch, but Commentator kept going. He won the 1 1/8-mile HORSE TALK
race by a neck, with the rest of the field at least nine lengths behind. Nothing cheap about it. Those in the
know greeted Commentator at the winner’s circle, applauding luxuriously. RICK CAPONE, PHOTOGRAPHER

– MATT HEGARTY Commentator, or “Tator” as he is nick-
Michael says: To have a great athlete like Commentator, with his huge fan base, come to Old Friends is named, had his own paddock his first few
like having Elvis in the building. Commentator grows on you. Initially, he seems very intimidating, with years at Old Friends. He just seemed to
his imperious manner and pinned-back ears. But he doesn’t really mean it. He’s very smart and knows who be a horse that wanted to be on his own.
he is. However, we all learned differently when
Old Friends farm manager Tim Wilson
placed a few other horses in his paddock.
Turned out, he just loved the company.
Tator’s first paddock pal was Escaped-
fromnewyork, one of 177 horses rescued
from Ernie Paragallo’s farm in 2009.
The two of them, both New York-breds
– one a graded stakes winner and the
other a horse that almost didn’t live, let
alone race – really enjoyed each other’s
company. The two made a great pair and
were inseparable until, sadly, Escaped-
fromnewyork passed away in 2015. While
Commentator really missed his paddock
pal, he adjusted and now enjoys his
days with his buddies Fabulous Strike,
Marshall Rooster, and Sarbonne.

PATH TO OLD FRIENDS

Commentator was donated to Old
Friends by Tracy and Carol Farmer.
Both Tracy and Carol visited Old
Friends before deciding to trust us with
their blazingly quick two-time Whitney
winner.

PAGE 42 Old Friends DAILY RACING FORM

Daytona PEDIGREE: 2004, g., by Indian Ridge—Kyka, by
Blushing John
BARBARA D. LIVINGSTON
EARNED: $991,690
Daytona is an Irish-bred lad who made a name for himself in southern California. A private purchase
brought him stateside, and he developed into a multiple Grade 1 winner while residing in the barn of trainer STAKES WON: Hollywood Derby (G1), Shoe-
Dan Hendricks. But beyond Daytona’s wins in races like the Shoemaker Mile and Hollywood Derby, he was an maker Mile (G1), Oak Tree Derby (G2), Arcadia
unforgettable personality on the track. (G2), San Gabriel (G2), Fair Grounds H. (G3)

“Daytona was a great character,” Hendricks said of the horse who retired in 2010. “He had a way about him THREE WORDS: Speed – Speed – Speed
that you had to respect him, more than most horses. He was just full of himself, and the kind of horse that
showed it on the track.” HORSE TALK

Daytona won his maiden in his third career start in England and made his way to southern California. He JOHN BRADLEY, TOUR GUIDE
went on an incredible stakes tear from October 2007 through May 2008, winning six graded races from seven I was thrilled when Michael informed us
starts.
Daytona was retiring to the farm. Maybe
“It started with the Oak Tree Derby,” Hendricks recalled. “His next race, the Hollywood Derby, he stretched it’s because I’m a fan of turf runners, or
out to a mile and a quarter and showed a lot of quality.” my love of chestnuts. More than likely
it’s a combination of both. I already knew
Hendricks said another memorable race for Daytona was the Grade 3 Fair Grounds Handicap, noting he he was a multiple graded stakes winner,
shipped to Louisiana and won over a course that did not favor his running style. A few starts later Daytona but the first time I saw him I was amazed
would pop a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 108 for his front-running effort in the Shoemaker Mile. how beautifully conformed he is. Once we
started getting acquainted with each other,
“He was a lot of fun, and very, very enjoyable for the partnership,” Hendricks said. I realized he always makes me smile. He
– MARY RAMPELLINI has a warm and friendly personality, but
he also has a playful and mischievous side.
Michael says: Daytona (Ireland), not to be confused with Daytona (Florida), is one of the kindest, gentlest He waits and watches and at the perfect
retirees of all time. On the track, he was a monster, winning six graded stakes. He was injured running against moment gives you a little nip, similar to
Goldikova in the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Mile. how siblings pick on each other. However,
his trust and loyalty are unwavering.
Anytime I pass his paddock, he always
comes over to visit. I know he was a barn
favorite when stabled with trainer Dan
Hendricks. It’s easy to understand why.

PATH TO OLD FRIENDS

Jocelyn Morgan, the president of Ivy
Green Farm in Lexington, called us in 2014
and asked if we’d like to retire Daytona. I
was delighted. Jocelyn sent a detailed list
of his medical needs, personality quirks,
and hoof-trimming history. She also said
that if Daytona didn’t work out at Old
Friends, she’d gladly take him back. His
trainer, Dan Hendricks, was very happy
that Daytona was retired with us and peri-
odically checks on him. Now, 11, Daytona’s
very fortunate to be adored by his previous
owner and lots of fans.

DAILY RACING FORM Old Friends PAGE 43

Diamond Stripes

BARBARA D. LIVINGSTON PEDIGREE: 2003, g., by Notebook—Romantic
Summer, by On to Glory
Diamond Stripes started his racing career quickly, winning four straight races. But at the end, when he
returned to competition in 2011 following a 20-month layoff, he didn’t have much left to give. Fortunately, his EARNED: $1,478,014
final owner, the Blackhawk Stable, which had claimed him for $15,000, donated him to Old Friends and paid his
travel from New Mexico to Kentucky. STAKES WON: Godolphin Mile (G2),
Meadowlands Cup (G2), Pegasus (G3)
Diamond Stripes, a gelded son of the Florida stallion Notebook, began his career undefeated in three starts at
age 3, with wins at Belmont, Saratoga, and the Grade 3 Pegasus at the Meadowlands. THREE WORDS: Smart – Sharp – Grateful

He would go on to win the Grade 2 Meadowlands Cup in the fall of his 4-year-old season. His career high point HORSE TALK
came at age 5 in Dubai, when he won the Group 2, $1 million Godolphin Mile at Nad Al Sheba racecourse for
trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. LAURA BATTLES, TOUR GUIDE
& PHOTOGRAPHER
Diamond Stripes was off for almost two years after the Godolphin Mile. He finished fourth in a Gulfstream
Park optional-claiming race while making his final start for Dutrow. Diamond Stripes was good enough as a
racehorse to travel to Dubai and win on the
It would be close to another two years before Diamond Stripes would race again, and when he did it was in world stage. Now, he is quite happy living
an allowance race at Remington Park. Following that seventh-place finish he made his first start in a claiming up at the back of the farm in a paddock
race and was taken by Blackhawk Stable. In his final career start, he finished last in a $5,000 claiming race at with several horses, including two other
Sunland. grays. Luckily, Diamond has little elf ears
that flip up and is easy to recognize. He
– JIM DUNLEAVY has buddied up with a chestnut named
Saratoga Episode and the two of them are
Michael says: Diamond Stripes, even though his name reminds me of the New York Yankees (I wear my Red rarely seen far apart. They hang back from
Sox, proudly), is one of my favorite retirees. the more, er, rambunctious members of
the herd, but Diamond is smart enough
to know that people mean carrots and he
always sneaks in for a treat.

PATH TO OLD FRIENDS

Diamond Stripes’s greatest accomplish-
ment was his impressive victory in the
$1 million Godolphin Mile in 2008. He was
never the same horse again. In fact, his last
race was a disastrous last-place finish in
a $5,000 claimer at Sunland Park in 2011.
He was retired to Old Friends on New
Year’s Eve that year through the generous
support of trainer Chris Hartman and his
breeder, Carolyn Rogers. Thanks to all
of his fans for making everyone involved
aware that a suitable retirement at Old
Friends was available.

PAGE 44 Old Friends DAILY RACING FORM

Eldaafer PEDIGREE: 2005, g., by A.P. Indy—
Habibti, by Tabasco Cat
BARBARA D. LIVINGSTON
EARNED: $1,031,835
Eldaafer has always done things his own way. One look at him and you know, by the presence of a couple
of goats, that he’s a different type. He has an entourage that goes everywhere with him. And this is not just STAKES WON: Brooklyn (G2), Breeders’ Cup
an Old Friends act – he had goats at the track, which presumably helped him win 13 races and more than a Marathon (G3), Turfway Park Fall Champion-
million dollars. ship (G3), Greenwood Cup (G3), Carl Hanford
Memorial
When he won the Breeders’ Cup Marathon, his trainer, Diane Alvarado, said he had a mind of his own.
“One morning, he’ll want to gallop a mile and a half, and one morning, he’ll make you gallop two miles,” THREE WORDS: Get – My – Goat
she said in the interview room after the race. “He’s an interesting horse. I mean, he trains himself pretty
much. He does what he wants.” HORSE TALK

When he put his mind to it, he competed at a high level in races at a route of ground. He won or placed BETH SHANNON, TOUR GUIDE
in 11 stakes races, with his highlight win coming at Churchill, where he set a track record in taking the Eldaafer! What a horse! He won the
Marathon. At age 8, in his last career start, No. 46 in six seasons of racing, he won the Grade 3 Greenwood
Cup Stakes at Parx. He bowed out a winner to his adoring fans – and goats. 2010 Breeders’ Cup Marathon with
consummate mastery, stalking with
– MARK SIMON powerful patience the whole long way,
Michael says: Eldaafer can’t go anywhere without his two best friends, Yahoo and Google – his goat then building velocity like a big jet to
bodyguards. The goats follow Eldaafer (which means “victorious”) around as if he were the president and leave the rest behind. He kept accelerat-
they were the Secret Service. The trio is a huge hit with visitors. As long as you don’t mess with the goats, ing like he could run all day. In retire-
everything is just fine. ment, the royally bred son of 1992 Horse
of the Year A.P. Indy and 2001 runner-up
for champion juvenile filly Habibti still
shows a lot of that energy. He’s even
smarter than he wants you to know
he is. He’s interactive, full of beans, a
champion with every right to be one of
a kind. He’s also unique as the only Old
Friends resident to have pets. Google
and Yahoo are definitely his goats. When
he’s walked on a lead, Google and Yahoo
don’t need to be led. They trot along-
side wherever he goes. They’ve elected
themselves his bodyguards. If anybody
ever displeased Eldaafer, they’d have to
explain it to the goats!

PATH TO OLD FRIENDS

Late in 2013, owner-trainer Diane
Alvarado decided to retire the 2010
Breeders’ Cup Marathon winner after
he injured his suspensory. I was thrilled
that she would trust us to take care of
this seemingly tireless campaigner’s
well-deserved retirement.

DAILY RACING FORM Old Friends PAGE 45

Euronfire PEDIGREE: 2008, m., by Eurosilver—Red Blaze,
by Red Ransom
BARBARA D. LIVINGSTON
EARNED: $64,684
Euronfire won three races, all claimers, during a 10-start career, but her journey through a racing life proved
richer than visits to the starting gate, laps around the oval. The mare stands as a testament to the way Thor- THREE WORDS: Beautiful – Smart – Lucky
oughbreds ought to be treated by their owners, the way things would more often work in a better world.
HORSE TALK
A partnership called Two Bucks to Show owned Euronfire when she began racing for trainer Wayne Cata-
lano on the Chicago circuit. The woman who had the smallest stake in the filly was Patti Davis. PATTI DAVIS, OWNER

Euronfire was the first horse Davis owned, and considering Euronfire failed even to attract a bid at the 2009 Euronfire carried the racing dreams of
Keeneland September yearling sale, she found success on the track, winning her debut at Arlington in 2011 and Two Bucks to Show, a 10-person owner-
two more races the next season. But during fall 2012, Euronfire was stabled at Hawthorne when equine herpes- ship syndicate. The business associates,
virus ricocheted through the backside. Euronfire caught the virus and never was quite the same. friends, and family members each took a
percentage in the filly and held a contest to
At 6, she was taken to auction again as a racing or broodmare prospect, but the people determined to land a name her. The daughter of Eurosilver and
winning bid wanted none of that. On a cold January day at Keeneland, Davis and her husband, Steve, bought Red Blaze was fittingly named Euronfire.
Euronfire for $5,500. There were no partners this time, but also no desire to wring anything more from the Trained by Wayne Catalano and racing
horse. The Davises had one thing in mind, to retire Euronfire to a good, safe place. And they did. mostly in Illinois, Euronfire amassed
a respectable record of 3 wins from 10
– MARCUS HERSH lifetime starts. Unfortunately, Euronfire
Michael says: We’re very fortunate to know some great Thoroughbred owners that have won most of the became caught up in the equine herpes-
major stakes races in the U.S. But, no matter how much they love their horses, no one adores their horse more virus (EHV-1) outbreak at Hawthorne
than Patti Davis loves Euronfire. in 2012. She never raced again and was
transferred to New Vocations Racehorse
Adoption Program in Ohio in hopes of
learning a second career. But lingering
neurological damage hampered her mobil-
ity and she retired to Old Friends in 2014.
Every time she sees me she nickers and
comes running over for ripe pears, which
are her favorite treat.

PATH TO OLD FRIENDS

After winning her debut at Keeneland,
Euronfire was sent to Hawthorne in early
2012 to train under Wayne Catalano. After
two more victories in nine additional
starts, she contracted the EHV-1 virus.
And, despite efforts to run her again, her
owners decided to send her to the Keene-
land sale with the understanding that if
she didn’t attain her reserve, she would be
retired. Davis left nothing to chance. Her
husband, Steve, bought her for $5,500 and
sent her to New Vocations. When a second
career seemed unlikely, Davis sent her to
Old Friends, where she is supported with a
monthly donation and lots of carrots, visits,
and love.

PAGE 46 Old Friends DAILY RACING FORM

Forte Dei Marmi PEDIGREE: 2006, g., by Selkirk—Franby, by
Sadler’s Wells
BARBARA D. LIVINGSTON
EARNED: $1,054,061
Forte Dei Marmi was transformed from a useful handicapper in England into a Canadian champion who
competed at the highest level for Hall of Fame trainer Roger Attfield. STAKES WON: Northern Dancer Turf (G1), Sky
Classic (G2) twice, Singspiel (G3)
It took some time for Attfield to weave his magic with the handy little gelding, who won the Grade 2 Sky
Classic Stakes in 2012, before finishing third in both the Grade 1 Northern Dancer Turf and Grade 1 Canadian MILESTONE: 2013 Sovereign Award champion
International. grass male

Forte Dei Marmi struggled mightily in the spring of 2013, but he turned things around abruptly after ship- THREE WORDS: Sharp – Small – Tough
ping back to Woodbine that summer, when he won the Sky Classic again after taking the Grade 3 Singspiel. His
poor showing over soft ground in the Canadian International was overshadowed by his workmanlike score in HORSE TALK
a rainstorm in the Northern Dancer, and at year-end he garnered the Sovereign Award for Canada’s champion
male turf runner in 2013. He was also the runner-up in Canadian Horse of the Year voting. JOHN BRADLEY, TOUR GUIDE

Forte Dei Marmi’s longevity was admired by many. He raced until age 8, winning 10 of 39 starts for earnings Even though this small champion turf
of more than $1 million. horse is a recently arrived retiree, we
have already learned so much about him.
– RON GIERKINK With the same tenacious determination
Michael says: Forte Dei Marmi had 17 starts in England before being shipped to Canada. Lucky horse. He and competitive spirit he displayed on the
didn’t hit his stride until he was 6. Thanks to the astute handling of Hall of Famer Roger Attfield, who combined turf, he quickly established himself as the
patience and placement in Forte’s management, he had a long and distinguished career. Forte Dei Marmi’s paddock boss. He was cautious of us at
strong, independent streak made his retirement as smooth and effortless as his stride. first, but has settled in nicely to his new
home. It didn’t take long for him to figure
out his racing days are behind him, and he
now does things at a more leisurely pace.
I’m convinced the grooms who cared for
him during his racing career kept treats
in their pant and jacket pockets. It’s the
first place he investigates when a human
interacts with him. He is very kind and
appreciative to adoring fans. They are
often shocked that he is shorter than they
imagined. However, with his charming
personality, they quickly forget about that
and admire him for all he accomplished.

PATH TO OLD FRIENDS

I ran into trainer Roger Attfield at Keene-
land earlier this year and he said he might
have a horse that would fit the Old Friends
program. A few days later, he asked if we
would be interested in Forte Dei Marmi. I
was floored. The gelded son of Selkirk won
Canada’s Sovereign Award as champion
turf male in 2013 at the ripe old age of 7.
That year, he won the Singspiel Stakes and
set a course record of 2:00.12 at Woodbine
in the 1 1/4-mile Sky Classic. Named after
a village in Tuscany, the rugged multiple
stakes winner is exactly the sort of cham-
pion we appreciate.

DAILY RACING FORM Old Friends PAGE 47

Game On Dude PEDIGREE: 2007, g., by Awesome Again—
Worldly Pleasure, by Devil His Due
Barbara D. Livingston
EARNED: $6,498,893
Game On Dude had 34 starts over the course of five racing seasons and won nearly half of them, so there are
plenty of memories to take away from his career, but for me, nothing was better than when Game On Dude STAKES WON: Santa Anita Handicap (G1) three
won the Santa Anita Handicap in 2014 to become the first horse to win that storied race three times. times, Pacific Classic (G1), Hollywood Gold Cup
(G1) twice, Awesome Again (G1), Goodwood (G1),
Game On Dude was clearly in the twilight of his career at that point. He was 7 and had lost three straight Charles Town Classic (G2), Californian (G2), San
races, beginning with a crushing loss in the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Classic that cost him titles as champion older Antonio (G2) twice, Native Diver (G3), Lone Star
horse and Horse of the Year, awards for which he was the front-runner entering that day. Derby (G3)

Going back to the 2012 Californian, Game On Dude had been favored in 14 straight races and was odds-on MILESTONE: Only 3-time winner of the Big Cap
in seven of those races. But having lost three straight, and with Mucho Macho Man and Will Take Charge –
the one-two finishers from the previous fall’s Breeders’ Cup Classic – in the Big Cap, Game On Dude was the THREE WORDS: Sweeter – Than – Candy
distant third choice at 7-2.
HORSE TALK
But the old boy reached back for one last hurrah. He used his wicked speed, the kind he could carry a
distance, to run his rivals off their feet – six furlongs in 1:09.39, a mile in 1:32.57. And he kept on going. It might JILL BAFFERT, WIFE OF BOB BAFFERT
have been his finest race. Game On Dude brought so much joy

– JAY PRIVMAN to our lives, not only with his dazzling
Michael says: A few days after Bob Baffert decided to send Game On Dude to Old Friends, we received a performances on the track, but he is one
wonderful card from Jill. “He is going to steal your heart,” it read. He has ... in spades. And he came to us in of the kindest, most loving and noble
exceptional condition. He is the kindest, warmest, friendliest Thoroughbred who’s ever called Old Friends horses I’ve ever been around. Although
home. I knew it was time for him to move on
to the next chapter of his life, I wasn’t
ready to let him go. None of us were.
There were many wonderful options to
consider in deciding where Dude would
live out his retirement, but ultimately we
knew he would be happiest surrounded
by many people who would give him the
same love and attention he had come to
know. We are grateful to Old Friends
– to the volunteers who selflessly give
their time and to the fans who come by
the busload to honor their heroes – who
makes it possible for these beautiful
animals to live their lives with dignity
and respect.

PATH TO OLD FRIENDS

Jill Baffert sent us an e-mail just after
Game On Dude’s owners decided to retire
the three-time Santa Anita Handicap
victor asking about our facility. We
were thrilled to be in the running for
the future Hall of Famer. After several
phone calls from Bob – many of which
resembled an IRS audit – Joe Torre,
Bernie Schiappa, Debbie Lanni, and
Mercedes Stables decided to send him to
Old Friends. We were overjoyed.

PAGE 48 Old Friends DAILY RACING FORM