Press Release

GEORGETOWN, KY. – March 19, 2023 – Eye of the Tiger, a two-time graded-stakes winner, was found dead in his paddock early Saturday morning, March 18, 2023 at Old Friends in Georgetown, Ky. Necropsy results are pending. Michael Blowen, founder and president of Old Friends, made the announcement on Sunday, March 19, 2023. Eye of the Tiger […]

GEORGETOWN, KY – March 21, 2023 – Old Friends, the Kentucky-based non-profit Thoroughbred Retirement facility, has broken ground on a state-of-the-art center at its Georgetown location to be called The Ms. Josephine Abercrombie Center at Old Friends. The structure, a renovation of an old tobacco barn, is sponsored in part by Josephine Abercrombie’s Pin Oak […]

GEORGETOWN, KY – March 6, 2023 – Any Given Saturday has been repatriated to the United States from South Korea to spend his retirement at Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Farm in Georgetown, Ky., founder and president of Old Friends, Michael Blowen, announced today. The son of Distorted Humor–Weekend in Indy, by A.P. Indy had […]

GEORGETOWN, KY. – Feb. 15, 2023 – Afternoon Deelites, a six-time, graded-stakes winner, was euthanized February 14 at Old Friends, the Kentucky-based thoroughbred retirement farm, due to complications from colic. He was 31. Old Friends President and Founder, Michael Blowen, announced his passing today. The dark bay stallion, who was the farm’s oldest resident, and was […]

From Michael.. An interviewer recently asked me to reflect on the 20th anniversary of Old Friends. Naturally, I’m very proud of Old Friends’ accomplishments. Starting with one horse and growing to the point where we have more than 200 retirees in Kentucky and a branch with JoAnn Pepper at Old Friends at Cabin Creek in Greenfield Center, New […]

GEORGETOWN, KY – Jan. 30, 2023 – Star Plus, an Argentinian thoroughbred, who, thanks to Earle I. Mack, had purchased him, brought him to the United States to race, and then was determined to retire him, died at Old Friends on Saturday night, Jan. 28, 2023, due to a paddock accident. A reason for his death is […]

GEORGETOWN, KY – Jan. 17, 2023 — Old Friends is pleased to announce that guided tours of the farm will start on Monday, March 6, and run through November. We are very excited to welcome you back and also let you know we are returning to 7-day per week tours, highlighted by our 18th Annual Homecoming […]

  GEORGETOWN, KY – Jan. 20, 2023 – Thornfield, the 1999 Canadian Horse of the Year, died on Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, at Old Friends thoroughbred retirement farm in Georgetown, Ky., due to a paddock accident, announced president and founder Michael Blowen today. He was 29. Bred and owned by Steve Stavro’s Knob Hill Farms, Thornfield was […]

GEORGETOWN, KY – Jan. 6, 2023 – Kudos, a multiple-stakes winning gelding, died on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023, at Old Friends thoroughbred retirement farm in Georgetown, Ky., announced president and founder Michael Blown. The 26-year old bay thoroughbred by Kris S.–Souq, by Damascus, was found dead in his paddock during late-afternoon feeding. A reason for […]

GEORGETOWN, KY – Dec. 30, 2022 – A New York fan-favorite, Cool N Collective was euthanized on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022, at Old Friends at Cabin Creek due to laminitis. He was 25. “I loved this horse so much,” said Cabin Creek owner and manager JoAnn Pepper. “He was unique. He required a lot of […]