Press Release

GEORGETOWN, KY. – April 26, 2023 – Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Farm in Georgetown, Ky., will dedicate three new street signs on the farm during its 18th Annual Homecoming event, Sunday, May 7, 2023, noon to 4 p.m. The new signs will honor three of horse racing’s long-time luminaries and supporters of Old Friends: * Dave […]

GEORGETOWN, KY. – April 11, 2023 – Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Farm in Georgetown, Ky., will host its 18th Annual Homecoming event on Sunday, May 7th, 2023 from 12 noon to 4 p.m. Homecoming event tickets are $40 for the general public and $20 for Old Friends Clubhouse members (children 12 and under are free). For tickets, […]

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 […]