Industry & National

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 […]

Former movie critic Michael Blowen founded the well-known equine retirement facility 20 years ago just outside Lexington, Kentucky. Old Friends is now home to more than 250 horses in various locations, including a new offshoot in Japan – as he tells Amanda Duckworth Read more at Thoroughbred Racing Commentary.

“We heard through the grapevine that Old Friends was interested in Rated R Superstar when we got ready to retire him. They didn’t put any pressure on us or anything like that. They just said when we’re ready, so when we made that decision, my wife contacted them. And I think it’s a great place […]