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MGSW Disturbingthepeace Dies At Old Friends

MGSW Disturbingthepeace (Bold Badgett) passed away at the age of 25 due to complications from colic Old Friends announced Friday. An earner of more than $666,000 in his 24-race career, the gelding did his best racing at Del Mar, winning back-to-back renewals of the GII Pat O'Brian S. along with the GII Triple Bend Breeders' Cup Invitational H. and the GII Bing Crosby Breeders' Cup H. He retired to Old Friends at the end of the 2012 racing season.

“Disturbingthepeace had a nice race career,” said Old Friends Founder and President, Michael Blowen. “He was completely, and inappropriately, named because he never disturbed anyone. He was the gentlest, quietest, most independent horse we ever had. He will be missed.”

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Old Friends Breaks Ground on Abercrombie Center

The Josephine Abercrombie Pin Oak Foundation will match up to $750,000 in donations for a new, state-of-the-art Old Friends visitor center at its Georgetown, Kentucky location to be called The Ms. Josephine Abercrombie Center at Old Friends.

The structure, a renovation of an old tobacco barn, will be named in honor of the horsewoman, philanthropist, and late owner of the renowned Pin Oak Stud in Versailles, Ky.

To date, $150,000 for the project has been raised, which includes a $50,000 donation by the Georgetown/Scott County Tourism board.

According to Old Friends President and Founder Michael Blowen, the President and CEO of Fasig-Tipton, Boyd Browning, was instrumental in introducing the Foundation to the idea of a structure to memorialize Ms. Abercrombie's legacy.

“After watching the television coverage regarding Old Friends on Kentucky Derby day last year, where Michael discussed wanting to build a new visitors' center, I called him and offered to help with the fundraising because I believed that it would fulfill a great need for the entire thoroughbred industry,” said Browning. “I can't think of a better combination than Old Friends and Ms. Josephine Abercrombie, because they symbolize such a wonderful commitment to horse welfare.”

Pin Oak Stud's Clifford Barry agreed that the concept of building such a facility at Old Friends is something Ms. Abercrombie would have truly liked.

“Ms. Abercrombie had entrusted us with some charitable endeavors, and after her passing, we felt like this was something that was very close to her heart and something she'd be very passionate about,” said Barry. “Through her whole life it had been about the care of the horse,” said Barry. “And this is a wonderful way to honor her name and her legacy here in the Bluegrass.

“Ms. Abercrombie was a part of the Bluegrass for a long, long time,” he continued. “She had a vision for philanthropy and did a lot of great things here locally, and I think this will just be one of those impactful contributions that would mean a lot to her. And, I think it would mean a lot to all of her friends, too.”

To help kick-start the project, Old Friends Board of Director's member Corey Johnsen, former co-owner of Kentucky Downs, enlisted the services of Todd Gralla, Director of Equestrian Services at Populous, the architectural firm's staff member responsible for the planning and design of the equestrian facilities at the 2012 London Olympics, among many other projects. According to Johnsen, Gralla, a longtime horse person, “stepped up to the plate, and we started working on the conceptual drawings and schematics.”

According to Blowen, when the renovation is complete, the climate-controlled center will be broken up into three big spaces. On one side there will be big-screen monitors for race viewing, while on the other side there's going to be a little stage for things like handicapping seminars, symposiums, guest speakers, and more.

There will also be display space showcasing a collection of horseracing memorabilia, artwork, and racing trophies donated to Old Friends by the Bobby Frankel Estate.

“In this way, not only will it be a great space for events, but it will also give people a place to go in the event of a rain storm during their tour of the farm,” said Blowen. “They'll be able to come inside and look at all the displays.

“We're also going to have these giant big-screen monitors to show the races of Old Friends horses,” he continued. “And, they'll not only get to watch the races, but G.D. Hieronymus, who does the video for Keeneland and for the Hall of Fame Inductions, is developing a kiosk, where a person can press a button on the name of any horse on the farm and watch their race.

“I want to thank everybody involved in Josephine Abercrombie's Pin Oak Foundation, Inc. for this, including Clifford Barry and John Backer, because I think it's certainly going to be, not only great for us, but it's going to be a very nice testament to have Ms. Abercrombie's name talked about on every tour we ever do,” Blowen said. “To have her name on the barn; it's an honor and a privilege to name it after her.”

To donate to help in the construction of The Ms. Josephine Abercrombie Center at Old Friends, click here.

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Eye Of The Tiger Dies At Old Friends

MGSW Eye of the Tiger (American Chance) was found dead in his paddock early March 18 at Old Friends in Georgetown, Ky. Necropsy results of the 23-year-old are pending.

Following his racing career, Eye of the Tiger stood at John Gunther's Glennwood Farm in Versailles, Ky. until he was pensioned and retired to Old Friends in 2016.

“Eye of the Tiger was the Garbo of Old Friends,” said Michael Blowen at Old Friends. “Give me what I need and get lost. Handsome, self-reliant, and, now, missed.”

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Afternoon Deelites, Bacharach’s Best Runner, Dies at Old Friends

Just six days after the passing of his owner Burt Bacharach, Afternoon Deelites, a six-time graded-stakes winner, was euthanized Feb. 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 Wednesday morning.

The dark bay stallion, who was the farm's oldest resident, was just two weeks shy of his 31st birth date.

Bred by Blue Seas Music Inc., the son of Private Terms–Intimate Girl, by Medaille d'Or, was foaled in West Virginia on Feb. 28, 1992. For his entire racing career he was owned by Bacharach, trained by Richard Mandella, and ridden by Kent Desormeaux. He ran nine of his 12 races at West Coast tracks.

Afternoon Deelites opened his racing career in spectacular fashion, winning his first five races between 1994 and 1995, four of them stakes races.

He broke his maiden as a 2-year old in 1994, winning a maiden special weight race at Santa Anita on Oct. 23. Next out, he won the GIII Hollywood Prevue Breeders' Cup S. to earn his first graded stakes win, and followed that up with a win in the GI Hollywood Futurity, defeating future Kentucky Derby winner Thunder Gulch.

In 1995 as a 3-year old, Afternoon Deelites continued his winning streak with victories in the GIII San Vicente Breeders' Cup S. and the GII San Felipe S. His final win in 1995 was in the GI Malibu S. He was second in the GI Santa Anita Derby, and eighth in the GI Kentucky Derby.

At four, Afternoon Deelites won one of his four races, the GII Commonwealth Breeders' Cup S. at Keeneland. In his final career start, he finished second in the GI Metropolitan H. at Belmont Park on May 27.

Following that race, Afternoon Deelites was retired with seven wins, three seconds, and $1,061,193 in earnings in 12 career starts. He won six of the 11 graded stakes in which he ran..

Afternoon Deelites began his stud career in 1997 at Brereton Jones's Airdrie Stud in Midway, KY, and stood there through 2003. He then moved to Clear Creek Stud, LLC, in Folsom, LA, where he stood the rest of his career.

His top progeny included graded stakes winners Zappa, Three Hour Nap, and Miss Pickums. He also sired recently deceased Old Friends retiree Popcorn Deelites, who starred in the 2003 movie Seabiscuit, based on the best-selling book by Laura Hillenbrand.

Afternoon Deelites was pensioned in 2011, and sent to Old Friends courtesy of Val Murrell of Clear Creek Stud.

“Afternoon Deelites was a beautiful friend,” said Blowen. “I remember Kent Desormeaux standing in front of his stall a few years ago saying 'Michael, I won the Kentucky Derby on Real Quiet, Fusaichi Pegasus, and Big Brown, and this is the fastest horse I ever rode.' And he was one of the best retirees who ever called Old Friends home.

“Thanks to Burt, his ex-wife, Angie Dickinson, and his widow, Jane, for loving Afternoon Deelites as much as we did.”

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