Pulling up to the gates of Hurricane Place Farm, you can't miss the large white and blue sign with a bold headline reading, “Birthplace of Authentic-2020 Kentucky Derby winner.”
The farm, located just outside of Cynthiana, Kentucky, has been run by Bridie Harrison along with her husband and sons Jonathan and Daniel for the past six years. Together, the family manages the broodmare band for their sole client, breeder Peter Blum.
Bridie isn't quite yet fond of the attention that comes with raising a Horse of the Year, preferring to keep hidden in the feed room filling medications while the cameras are rolling. Instead she quietly raises the next generation in racing as her sons take on more responsibilities on the farm and the next Hurricane Place-raised crops take on the racetrack.
Last month, Bridie and her crew celebrated the arrival of Authentic's full-brother. The son of Into Mischief was foaled on Feb. 7.
“He's a leggy, strong colt,” Jonathan Harrison, who serves as the farm's assistant manager, said. “We have no complaints so far. This foal is stronger than Authentic was, but still has that nice slope of the shoulder, a good girth and hip and a great attitude.”
Jonathan said the similarities end there when comparing the two as foals.
“Authentic was skinny, immature and kind of tough,” he explained. “He was always nice, just what we call a little bit backwards. But we always liked him.”
Jonathan remembers how as a yearling, the colt was days away from a shipping out for the Keeneland September Sale when he injured himself in the stall and the vet had to be called out for stitches.
So when Authentic sold for $350,000 to SF Bloodstock/Starlight West, the Bridie Harrison consignment was more than pleased.
“We were very happy with the sale,” Jonathan said. “Into Mischief was just starting to come along. Even the guys at Keeneland didn't know what we had. Nobody knew. But talking to Donato [Lani, agent for Starlight], he said whenever he saw Authentic for the first time, he knew that was his horse.”
And so the Harrison family experienced the journey of a lifetime as they followed Authentic's dazzling sophomore campaign last year.
“We were very fortunate that we got to go the Breeders' Cup,” Jonathan said. “When we got into the paddock, it was the first time I'd seen Authentic in person since we sold him and he looked incredible. It was a day and night I don't think we'll ever forget.”
Jonathan's younger brother Daniel is quick to share how he was the one who took Authentic's dam, Flawless, to the breeding shed for the mating that produced Authentic, but he also added that one of his favorite memories was watching the Kentucky Derby on television with his mother.
“When Authentic was coming down the stretch, before the race was even over, Mom just started running around the room,” he said, laughing. “I was like, 'whoa, slow down, he hasn't won yet.' But obviously then he did win, and that was crazy.”
The Harrison brothers said their entire family had been present for Authentic's foaling early in the morning on the eve of the 2017 Kentucky Derby.
“My mother, father, Daniel and I were all there when Authentic was born,” Jonathan said. “That doesn't normally happen. Usually only two or three of us are here for every foaling, but all four of us were there for Authentic.”
Everyone has their own duties at Hurricane Place, according to Daniel, to fulfill the farm's many day-to-day tasks.
“Mom's the manager, obviously, she runs the show,” he said. “Jonathan's the assistant manager, Dad is sort of the handyman, you know, he goes around fixing things, and then me, I kind of just work mucking stalls and if Mom needs help, she'll come get me. The four of us all work together but we all have our little areas.”
Hurricane Place has been under the Harrison's management for six years now, with the family handling Blum's broodmare band, raising the foals and managing the sales.
The Harrison brothers said they have shared the story of how Bridie met Blum more than once.
“My mother met Peter Blum probably 40 years ago at Murty Farm,” Jonathan said. “She was showing one of Peter's horses to him and he tried to give her 20 dollars, just being nice like a little tip, and she wouldn't take it. From then on, they were connected. After Murty Farm, they went with Gerry Dilger to Dromoland for probably 30 years.”
During Bridie's time at Dromoland Farm, her sons began to follow in her footsteps.
“We grew up on the farm and we've been carrying pitchforks since the time we could, doing stalls and working with the babies,” Jonathan said. “We've just been around it our whole lives. I think at least for me, I always will be doing this.”
In 2015, Bridie came across the farm in Cynthiana that was a perfect size to house Blum's breeding band.
“We've been here for six years,” Jonathan said. “This will be the seventh group of foals that we're going to have on this farm out of Peter's mares.”
Authentic's dam Flawless (Mr. Greeley), Jonathan notes, is a perfect representation of Peter's breeding program. She was purchased in utero at the 2007 Keeneland January Sale. Her unraced dam, Oyster Baby (Wild Again), sold for $160,000.
While Oyster Bay passed away after producing just a few foals, Flawless failed to meet her six-figure reserve as a yearling and was raced in Peter Blum's silks. After a blowout 13 1/4-length debut, she ran second against allowance company next out, but it was soon discovered that she had bowed a tendon and was subsequently retired to Blum's breeding program.
“Peter's program is unique in the sense that he bought his first mare probably in the seventies and we have generations on this farm that are out of that line of breeding,” Jonathan said. “It's what Peter does, he keeps his families. He'll buy a couple of nice mares here and there that aren't from his families, but he likes to breed from his families and sell his babies. If they don't do much or even if they do well, there's a good chance he's going to go try and get his fillies back just to keep his line going.”
He added “My grandfather did night watch for Peter's mares, so I'm the third generation raising the eighth or ninth generation of Peter's mares.”
The hands that tie all these connections together, of course, belong to Bridie. Her sons give all credit to her for what has been accomplished by the horses who took their first steps at Hurricane Place. While Bridie is quick to step away from the spotlight, Daniel and Jonathan are eager to give the horsewoman some well-deserved praise.
“Mom is the best in the business,” Daniel said. “Everybody respects her. She works hard, she's strong, she's honest and she does it the right way. Just last night a foal was born that was having a little trouble standing. So Mom was up here five or six times trying to give it a bottle.”
“My mother's the best horsewoman I've ever come into contact with,” Jonathan added. “I mean, I've only ever worked for her, so I guess I can't say much, but any question you have she has an answer for. She's tough, but not mean. I've never heard her use a curse word in anger. It sometimes not fun to work with your mother, but I have to have respect for her knowledge because it's endless. I like to say that she's forgotten more than I'll ever know.”
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