Industry & National

GEORGETOWN, Ky. — Sarava, the upset winner of the 2002 Belmont Stakes at 70-1 odds, died Monday at his retirement farm in Kentucky. The 24-year-old horse was euthanized due to complications from a leg fracture, according to a preliminary veterinarian report from Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital. His death was announced by Old Friends farm in […]

“Rapid Redux made history by winning 22 consecutive races in a little over two years – more than Citation, Cigar or Zenyatta. Amanda Duckworth caught up with this everyday equine celebrity at the Old Friends equine retirement home.” Read more at Thoroughbred Racing Commentary.

Old Friends, the Thoroughbred retirement farm in Georgetown, Ky., announced Aug. 4 that Fearless , a multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire, arrived at the farm Aug. 2. The 7-year old bay gelding was retired to the farm courtesy of his owner, Mike Repole, a longtime supporter of Old Friends. “Fearless was a gutsy and determined racehorse with the […]

Last fall, JoAnn Pepper got a phone call from eminent New York breeder and owner Vivian Malloy. Malloy had brought her homebred stallion A Shin Forward back from Japan a few years earlier to stand stud in New York, and when his stallion career didn’t take off, she knew it was time to find him […]

“In the never-ending search for the perfect Thoroughbred, lovers of the sport have settled for ‘old school’ and ‘all-around’ as a form of lofty compromise, and a precious few have come along fill the bill. Round Table could win from seven furlongs on the dirt to 12 furlongs on the grass. Dr. Fager was a […]

“After the recent news of Hall of Fame jockey Edgar Prado’s retirement, racing fans, friends and family gathered on a rainy afternoon at Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Facility in Georgetown, Ky., on July 15 to celebrate the native Peruvian’s career and achievements.” Read more at Blood-Horse.

The history of horse racing is filled with rags-to-riches stories of jockeys, trainers, and horses that rise from humble beginnings to achieve success at the highest levels of the sport. Few such stories can compare with that of the remarkable gelding Lava Man, who went from claimer to Hall of Famer to dominate California horse […]

“She deserves a forever home,” wrote Michael Ann Ewing when she contacted Old Friends. “I don’t think she can stand up to the rigors of racing mentally and would run at a lower level. I’m not sure that her scarred back would hold up for someone who might want to ride her for a couple […]

Old Friends, the Thoroughbred retirement facility in Georgetown, Ky., is happy to announce that the gutsy filly, Bold and Bossy, arrived at the farm on July 20, 2023, to enjoy her retirement. Bred by Richard Snyder and Connie Snyder, Bold and Bossy, who is by Strong Mandate–Happybirthdaybaby, by Successful Appeal, was foaled on May 6, 2019 […]

Proud of its location just 10 miles north of Lexington, in the heart of Kentucky’s horse country, Georgetown holds firmly to its small-town vibes and equestrian ties. In town, locals can visit and help look after more than 240 retired racehorses and breeding stallions at the Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Facility, including past Kentucky Derby and […]