Old Friends News

We are saddened by the passing of Old Friends’ longest-time Thoroughbred resident, Riva Way, who has lived at Old Friends in Kentucky since 2005—almost twenty years. On the track, Riva was just a claimer, but he was one of the most loved personalities at Old Friends. Read More

“Michael Blowen loves “being old.” Those are his words, not mine! After years as a film critic for the Boston Globe, he snapped. In the middle of an awful movie, he stood up and yelled at the other critics: “How can you endure this?” Today, he’s so much happier. As the founder of Old Friends, a Thoroughbred […]

“It was just another day making sales calls. About eight years ago, I walked into a Farmstead Veterinary clinic in rural Indiana and looked at their wall-mounted cork board–the kind with tacked-up business cards. There was a gleaming picture of a horse with a flaxen mane and tail. I said to Ken Kimmick, DVM, “I […]

“Ide was on the Kentucky Derby trail with wins in the 1996 Southwest Stakes (G3) and Rebel Stakes (G3) when an injury derailed his career.” Read more.

GEORGETOWN, Ky. – June 9, 2024 – Old Friends, the Thoroughbred retirement facility in Georgetown, Ky., is saddened to report that multiple graded-stakes winning stallion, Ide, was euthanized at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital on Friday, June 7, 2024, due to colic. He was 31. The beautiful chestnut stallion had been at Old Friends since Aug. 29, […]

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 […]