michael blowen | Horse Racing Free Tips

Old Friends Welcomes Blueblooded LNJ Mares

Group winner Gold Round (Ire) (Caerleon-Born Gold, by Blushing Groom (Fr)), a half-sister to three-time GI Breeders’ Cup Mile heroine Goldikova, and Mystery Trip (Belong to Me-Weekend Surprise, by Secretariat), a half-sister to Classic winners A.P. Indy and Summer Squall, have been retired to Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement facility based in Georgetown, KY.

Represented by Alex Solis II and Jason Litt of Solis/Litt Bloodstock, the Roth family–Larry, Nanci, and Jaime-the owners of LNJ Foxwoods approached Old Friends about securing aftercare options for several broodmares. LNJ has donated the construction of a new paddock as well as stipend for the mares to the non-profit organization, and, in the coming months, will also retire Hi Dubai, a stakes-winning sister to champion Fantastic Light.

“Responsible ownership is the cornerstone of the LNJ operation,” said LNJ’s Jaime Roth. “Over a year ago, my family met with Michael Blowen with the idea of creating our own paddock for retired LNJ broodmares to peacefully live out the end of their lives. To now see that concept come to fruition is pretty awesome. Knowing that Gold Round, Mystery Trip, and future LNJ broodmares will be celebrated by visitors while having a retirement haven is invaluable to my family.”

Bred in Ireland by Wertheimer Et Frere, the 23-year-old mare is a half-sister to 14-time Group 1 winner Goldikova. During her racing campaign in France for two seasons, she captured the 2000 G3 Prix Cleopatre at Saint Cloud and the 1999 Prix des Sablonnets at Nantes. Gold Round was bought by Solis/Litt Bloodstock for LNJ in the 2012 Arqana Breeding Stock sale. Since her purchase, the mare has produced six fillies for the Roth family including Grade III winner Golden Valentine and stakes-placed Golden Attitude and Golden Box.

An unraced 16-year old, Mystery Trip was bred by the Farish Family and Kilroy Thoroughbreds. She is a half-sister to Classic winners A.P. Indy and Summer Squall, and is the last foal out of the bluehen mare. In 2016, Mystery Trip was purchased by Solis/Litt Bloodstock for LNJ at the Keeneland November sale.

“We are always pleased to see such dedicated and responsible owners as the Roth family,” said Old Friends founder and President Michael Blowen. “They are great role models for the industry. The mares are magnificently bred, very sweet, and will be a wonderful attraction for our visitors.”

The post Old Friends Welcomes Blueblooded LNJ Mares appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Birdstone Pensioned to Old Friends

Birdstone (Grindstone–Dear Birdie, by Storm Bird), who sired the winners of two-thirds of the 2009 Triple Crown with runners from his first crop to race, has been retired from stud duties at Gainesway. He will live out his days at Old Friends Retirement Center in Georgetown, KY.

Bred by the late Marylou Whitney and trained by Nick Zito, the year-older half-brother to GI Kentucky Oaks winner Bird Town (Cape Town) won two of his three starts as a juvenile, including a 2 1/2-length success in the GI Champagne S. Eighth in a sloppy renewal of the GI Kentucky Derby in 2004, the bay was roundly dismissed at 36-1 in the GI Belmont S., with Smarty Jones (Elusive Quality) heavily favored to become the first Triple Crown winner in a quarter-century. Birdstone commenced a rally on the turn and employed his superior stamina to cause the upset, with Whitney openly apologetic to the racing public. He made his next start in the GI Travers S. nearly three months later, drawing clear by 2 1/2 lengths as a massive rainstorm was about to hit Saratoga. He retired to stud with a record of 9-5-0-0 and earnings of $1,575,600.

Birdstone sired nearly a third of his 22 stakes winners from his first crop, including Kentucky Derby upsetter Mine That Bird and Summer Bird, who would add the Belmont, Travers and Jockey Club Gold Cup en route to Eclipse Award honors. Birdstone was the sire of 10 graded/group winners in total, including GI Stephen Foster H. hero Noble Bird and Peruvian G1SW Birdie Gold.

“We are so grateful to John Hendrickson for allowing Old Friends to care for Birdstone in his post-breeding career,” said Blowen. “He’s a living tribute to the late Marylou Whitney, and we plan to carry on her great contributions to the aftercare of both humans and horses. We’re extremely grateful to John for trusting us to care for his tremendous stakes winner. Birdstone had a great life at Gainesway and we plan to continue that tradition at Old Friends.”

The post Birdstone Pensioned to Old Friends appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Belmont, Travers Winner Birdstone Pensioned To Old Friends

Belmont Stakes and Travers winner Birdstone has been pensioned to Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Center in Georgetown, KY.

Michael Blowen, founder and president of Old Friends, made the announcement Friday.

A homebred for owner Marylou Whitney and trained by Nick Zito, Birdstone captured the G1 Champagne Stakes as a two-year-old in 2003. Birdstone ran up the track in the Kentucky Derby and sat out the Preakness, before surprising most of the sell-out crowd when he got up in the final yards in the Belmont Stakes to ruin Smarty Jones' try for the Triple Crown. That summer, at Saratoga Race Course, Birdstone proved that the Belmont was no fluke when he added a victory in the Travers Stakes to his impressive resume.

The son of Grindstone, out of the Storm Bird mare Dear Birdie, Birdstone retired from racing in 2004 after a chip was found in his left front ankle after his final start was in the GR1 Breeders' Cup Classic. Birdstone retired with five victories from nine starts and earnings of $1,575,600.

He spent his stallion career at Gainesway Farm in Lexington, KY where he became one of very few sires to have produced a Kentucky Derby winner in their first crop when Mine That Bird captured the 2009 Run for the Roses at 50-to-1 upset in 2009. That same year, his son Summer Bird repeated his sire's efforts by winning both the Belmont and Travers Stakes.

“We are so grateful to John Hendrickson for allowing Old Friends to care for Birdstone in his post-breeding career,” said Blowen. “He's a living tribute to the late Marylou Whitney, and we plan to carry on her great contributions to the aftercare of both humans and horses,” he added. “We're extremely grateful to John for trusting us to care for his tremendous stakes winner. Birdstone had a great life at Gainesway and we plan to continue that tradition at Old Friends.”

The post Belmont, Travers Winner Birdstone Pensioned To Old Friends appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Old Friends Announces Online Auction Of Premier Racing Memorabilia

Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement facility based in Georgetown, KY., today announced plans for a landmark online auction series that will feature treasured pieces from one of the foremost private collections of racing memorabilia in the United States.

The auction series is a collaboration between Old Friends and the estate of Julie Albright, a longtime racing supporter and collector, and will be highlighted by original saddle cloths, collectible stallion halters, farm, training, and race-worn horse shoes, tickets, programs, and much more from some of America's most accomplished equine athletes. A portion of the sale proceeds will benefit the non-profit organization.

The first in the series of online auctions will launch on Sunday, Aug. 30 at 6 pm (EST) and sales will be offered weekly throughout the fall via the Old Friends eBay store. Click here and choose Special Memorabilia Sale on left. (Note: pages will not be live until 6 pm Sunday)

Thoroughbred heroes represented include: popular stakes winners Lava Man, Lost in the Fog, and Medaglia D'Oro; noted stallions Giant's Causeway, Scat Daddy, and War Front; classic winners Afleet Alex, Empire Maker, Fusaichi Pegasus, Giacomo, Jazil, Point Given, and Rags to Riches; and Breeders' Cup champions A.P. Indy, Azeri, Curlin, Da Hoss, Kona Gold, Silverbulletday, and Unbridled.

Michael Blowen, President and founder of Old Friends, expressed his gratitude for the opportunity presented by the collaboration.

“We are very excited that we are able to offer such incredible memorabilia from some of the greatest racing moments of the last 20 years,” Blowen said. “Like many non-profits, 2020 has been a challenging year for us. But this online auction series presents an opportunity to finish strong. We owe that to our residents.”

The post Old Friends Announces Online Auction Of Premier Racing Memorabilia appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post