Archive for May 2024

A Farewell to the Horses That Have Passed Please Join us Monday May 27, 2024 at 1 p.m. for Old Friends’ Annual Tribute to our Recently Deceased Horses * Alotofloot * Amazombie * Even the Score * Lady Grizzley * Saratoga Episode * Sarava * Sharoan * Spensive * Sun King * Tom’s Ready * With This […]

GEORGETOWN, KY. – May 18, 2024 – Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement facility in Georgetown, Ky., is pleased to announce that with his win in Race 2 at Pimlico Race Course on Saturday, May 18, 2024, Desvio earns “retirement for life” at Old Friends should he choose to use it when he is pensioned. The 3-year old […]

GEORGETOWN, KY. – May 16, 2024 – This Saturday, May 18, 2024, Pimlico Racecourse will host the second running of the “Old Friends,” an allowance race that will benefit the Thoroughbred Retirement farm in Georgetown, KY. The Old Friends is the 2nd race on Saturday’s undercard of the 149th running of the Preakness Stakes (G1). The race […]

During the last week of April, Old Friends Farm purchased 161 acres of land for a sum of $3.5 million dollars, according to a property transfer. “We are excited and exhilarated by this historic step forward for Old Friends,” said Old Friends CEO John Nicholson. Read more about the purchase here.

“Something that has been on my bucket list is to experience the Kentucky Derby. I haven’t even been to Kentucky, so I wanted to soak up as much as I could on my next adventure. Kentucky is celebrating a big year. It’s the trifecta of anniversaries. The Kentucky derby is 150 years old, the state […]

I’ll Have Another, the 2012 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, was one of the newest Thoroughbred retirees that Old Friends’ Homecoming attendees got to meet. (Photo by Rick Capone) GEORGETOWN, KY. – May 12, 2024 – Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Farm in Georgetown, Ky., held its 19th Annual Homecoming event on a beautiful, sunny Sunday afternoon, […]

GEORGETOWN, Ky. (AP) — Michael Blowen can step outside his house any day of the week and visit retired racehorses at Old Friends, the thoroughbred retirement farm he founded in Kentucky two decades ago that attentively cares for former winners and losers alike. From his home’s backdoor, Blowen can watch one former racehorse great in particular […]

GEORGETOWN, Ky. (LEX 18) — The horses on the track are trained for moments like these from birth, but their racing window is relatively short. The average lifespan of a horse is between 25 and 30 years old. Remember, every horse on the track for the Derby is just three years old. Read more on […]

Ever wondered what happens to Kentucky Derby horses after they retire from racing? Some lucky ones, like Silver Charm here, end up at a luxurious facility for thorough bred horses called Old Friends in Kentucky. Founded by former Boston Globe movie critic and columnist Michael Blowen about 20 years ago, Old Friends is a place where retired […]

GEORGETOWN, Ky. (AP) — Michael Blowen can step outside his house any day of the week and visit retired racehorses at Old Friends, the thoroughbred retirement farm he founded in Kentucky two decades ago that attentively cares for former winners and losers alike. From his home’s backdoor, Blowen can watch one former racehorse great in particular […]