July 2017 18 By Kimmie Dillon Nestled in the middle of some of Kentucky’s most famous horse farms lies a rare gem. I recently visited Old Friends, a retirement farm for some of the nation’s finest racing Thoroughbreds. Located just north of Lexington is a lush, 136-acre rolling hills property that truly gives new meaning to the term ”greener pastures”. On this sunny day, I would get to meet some of racing’s retired champs like Silver Charm, Sarava, War Emblem and Secretariat’s last born, Tinner’s Way. But Old Friends wasn’t initially founded to provide horse racing fans a place to admire our idols. This non-profit was formed in 2003 after the shocking news that 1986 Kentucky Derby winner Ferdinand had died in a slaughterhouse in Japan. As you can imagine, the news triggered a flood of outrage when such a famous athlete was sold likely for dog food. Racing fans from coast-to-coast pushed for a better way to of life for these retired equine athletes. They desired a place where these champions would be ensured a dignified end to their racing careers. The tour at Old Friends begins with a friendly “welcome” from founder Michael Blowen, a former Boston Globe film critic. His passion for racehorses and their retirement is genuine. He explains how we will meet around 150 equine residents and learn about their careers and lives. Each horse here has an individual story. Some were rescued from unfortunate situations while others were kindly donated by their owners. Most of them were fantastic race horses earning a combined total of $163 million on the race track! “There are horses here that have won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, and the horse in the pasture next to them prevented them from capturing the Triple Crown” Blowen said. Other residents of the farm, however, are just nice old race horses who never won much but our respect. All equally fun to visit. Once through the wooden gates, we are greeted by our turf heroes. One-by-one, these retired racehorses enthusiastically trot up to our small group. I am particularly thrilled with how we are able to interact with these retired greats. Horses that I had once watched win races on national television are now asking for our attention. Our guide packs plenty of carrots and shares the personality traits of each horse. Each animal here is uniquely different and equally beautiful. Here are just a few of the horses you can meet: Tinner’s Way Secretariat’s final foal was one of his very best. Born on May 25, 1990, this muscular golden chestnut traveled from Kentucky to England as a 3 year old. He then returned to the United States at 4 and captured the 1994 Pacific Classic His record-equaling mile and a quarter at 1:59 2/5 was reminiscent of his sire’s Kentucky Derby run at the same blistering fractions. Silver Charm The 1994 foal won both the 1997 Kentucky Derby and Preakness and almost $7 million in earnings. On his way to winning the Triple Crown, he was defeated in the Belmont by Touch Gold who also resides at Old Friends making for a friendly pasture rivalry! War Emblem This black beauty was foaled in 1999 and won both the 2002 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. He was widely known for being temperamental in the starting gate. Special negotiations took place with a breeding farm in Japan to return him to his home in Kentucky. Today he stills shows the same fiery characteristics in the pasture that helped to make him a champion. Running a similar career path to Silver Charm, his Old Friends pasture-mate (Sarava) kept him from capturing the Triple Crown. Sarava He came right up to me in his acre- plus pasture, coyley desiring a bit of attention. And yet it was several years earlier that this 2002 foal was unnoticed by the racing elite. His seemingly improbable success on the track against greats such as War Emblem made him the biggest longshot in the Belmont Stakes at 70- 1. Yet Sarava proved everyone wrong and provided a huge upset by winning the Belmont and keeping War Emblem from earning the Triple Crown. Old Friends is a living-history museum of horse racing and attracts nearly 20,000 visitors annually. The experience is like no other and will likely leave you planning your next return. I can’t wait to come back to check in on some of my new “old friends”. The farm exists purely on donations, grants and revenue from daily tours. For more information, visit www.oldfriendsequine.org. OLD FRIENDS: A Thoroughbred Retirement Farm Kim Dillon grew up competing on horseback here in Arizona. As a former Miss Rodeo Arizona and Miss Rodeo America runner-up, Kim enjoys sharing her equestrian love and expertise with others.