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Adena Pensioners Awesome Again, Milwaukee Brew, Move to Old Friends

Former Adena Springs stallions Awesome Again and Milwaukee Brew have been transferred to the Old Friends Thoroughbred retirement farm, according to a press release sent from Old Friends Friday afternoon.

The announcement follows on the heels of the relocation from Adena Springs of three sires announced last Saturday–Awesome Again’s Ghostzapper, Mucho Macho Man, and Point of Entry–who were moved to Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm’s new Xalapa facility to stand at stud.

Awesome Again and Milwaukee Brew were pensioned from stud duty in 2019.

Awesome Again, now 27, retired after an undefeated season at four that included five graded stakes victories, including the GI Stephen Foster H., the Whitney H, and one of the most memorable editions of the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic where he rallied in the stretch to get the win over Grade I winners Skip Away, Silver Charm, Arch, Gentlemen (Arg), Coronado’s Quest, Touch Gold, Swain (Ire) and Victory Gallop.

As significant in the breeding shed as he was on the track, Awesome Again sired two champions: Ghostzapper, the 2004 Horse of the Year and champion older horse; and Ginger Punch, the 2007 champion older mare. The Hall of Fame inductee Ghostzapper is one of the 14 Grade I winners, 13 millionaires and four Breeders’ Cup Champions that Awesome Again has produced. Ghostzapper’s win in the Breeders’ Cup Classic made his sire the first Classic winner to also sire a Classic winner. He was pensioned after 21 years at stud.

Milwaukee Brew, 23, earned eight wins in his 24 starts and is best known for his back-to-back victories in the 2002 and 2003 GI Santa Anita H. He stood at Adena Springs North, near Ontario, and his top runners include Canadian champion 3-year-old filly Milwaukee Appeal, and Canadian champion 3-year-old filly Ginger Brew.

The new stallions will join Adena’s Belmont Stakes winner Touch Gold and Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Alphabet Soup, who were retired to Old Friends in 2015.

“We’re very grateful to Frank and Belinda and everyone at The Stronach Group for trusting us with these two great Thoroughbreds,” said Old Friends founder and President Michael Blowen. “The Stronachs have always been extremely generous when it comes to supporting their retirees. When Alphabet Soup’s cancer needed special attention, Frank made sure all of his medical bills were taken care of. And I adore Awesome Again’s victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic even though he beat (Old Friends resident) Silver Charm.”

“When it comes to Awesome Again and Milwaukee Brew, they are two of the best-natured stallions I’ve been blessed to work with,” said Adena Springs Stallion Manager Bill Drury. “When it came time to consider retirement settlements, if not my own backyard, there was no place I would rather they be than with Michael at Old Friends. His has a reputation of exemplary care, and the fan access is exactly what these champions deserve in their twilight years.”

Old Friends said that in addition, in the coming weeks, a third Adena stallion, Silver Max, will be pensioned with Old Friends. Silver Max is perhaps best known for ending reigning Horse of the Year Wise Dan’s nine-race win streak with his upset win in the 2013 GII Shadwell Turf Mile S. at Keeneland. He retired in 2014 with 12 wins from 27 starts and over $1.9 million in earnings.

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Pensioned Awesome Again, Milwaukee Brew Welcomed To Old Friends Farm

On Friday, Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Farm in Georgetown, KY, announced the arrival of two new stallions: Multiple graded stakes winners Awesome Again and Milwaukee Brew.

Both were pensioned from stud duty in 2019 at Frank Stronach's Adena Springs, near Paris, KY., and have now been donated to the non-profit organization.

Awesome Again, now 27, boasts an exemplary resume as both a racehorse and a stallion. He broke his maiden at Hollywood Park in just his second start as a 3-year-old in 1997. He returned a few weeks later to capture that year's Queen's Plate Stakes at Woodbine. Back in the U.S. that summer the son of Deputy Minister went on to win the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) and was third to Deputy Commander in the Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga.

At 4, he completed an undefeated season that included five graded stakes victories, among them The Stephen Foster Handicap (G1), The Whitney Handicap (G1), and one of the most memorable editions of the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), where, looking defeated, he rallied in the stretch to defeat grade 1 winners Coronado's Quest and Swain and that year's Kentucky Derby-Preakness hero, Silver Charm.

As significant in the breeding shed as he was on the track, Awesome again sired three champions: Ghostzapper, 2004 Horse of the Year and champion older horse; Ginger Punch, 2007 champion older mare; and Nominee, a multiple champion in Trinidad and Tobago. His other elite runners include: Old Friends retirees Game on Dude–who captured 14 graded stakes and is the only three-time winner of the Santa Anita Handicap in history–and Awesome Gem, who captured the Hollywood Gold Cup at age 7; Breeder's Cup Distaff winner Round Pond; Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Wilko; and 2019 year Belmont Stakes winner Sir Winston.

He has sired 13 millionaires and five multi-millionaires as well as four Breeders' Cup Champions. Awesome Again is also the first Breeders' Cup Classic winner to sire a BC Classic winner (Ghostzapper).

Milwaukee Brew, 23, earned eight wins in his 24 starts and is best known for his back-to-back victories in the 2002 and 2003 Santa Anita Handicap (G1). Other wins include the 2002 California Stakes (G2) and the 2000 Ohio Derby (G2). The son of Wild Again retired in 2003 with earnings of well over $2.8 million. Also a prominent stallion standing at Adena Springs North, near Ontario, his top runners include Canadian champion 3-year-old filly Milwaukee Appeal, Canadian champion 3-year-old filly Ginger Brew, and Panamanian champion Coltimus Prime

The new stallions will join Adena's Belmont Stakes winner Touch Gold and Breeders' Cup Classic winner Alphabet Soup, who were retired to Old Friends in 2015.

“We're very grateful to Frank and Belinda and everyone at The Stronach Group for trusting us with these two great Thoroughbreds,” said Old Friends founder and President Michael Blowen. “The Stronachs have always been extremely generous when it comes to supporting their retirees. When Alphabet Soup's cancer needed special attention, Frank made sure all of his medical bills were taken care of. And I adore Awesome Again's victory in the Breeders' Cup Classic even though he beat Silver Charm.”

“When it comes to Awesome Again and Milwaukee Brew, they are two of the best-natured stallions I've been blessed to work with,” said Adena Springs Stallion Manager Bill Drury. “When it came time to consider retirement settlements, if not my own backyard, there was no place I would rather they be than with Michael at Old Friends. His has a reputation of exemplary care, and the fan access is exactly what these champions deserve in their twilight years.”

In addition, in the coming weeks, a third Adena stallion, Silver Max, will be pensioned with Old Friends. Silver Max, is perhaps best known for ending reigning Horse of the Year Wise Dan's nine-race win streak with his upset win in the 2013 Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes (G2) at Keeneland. In 2012 Silver Max had earned his first graded stakes over the same oval with a score in the Transylvania Stakes (G3T). He retired in 2014 with 12 wins from 27 starts and over $1.9 million in earnings.

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Old Friends Celebrates Saturday’s Eighth Running Of Awad Stakes

On Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020, Belmont Park will host the eighth running of the $89,000 Awad Stakes, 1-1/16 mile race on the turf for 2-year-olds. It is scheduled as Race 8 on the card with a post time of 4:27 p.m.

Multiple graded stakes winner Awad was a homebred for Ryehill Farm and trained by David Donk. The son of Caveat, out of Dancer's Candy, by Noble Dancer (GB), Awad ran in eight graded-stakes races with his four biggest wins coming in Grade 1 contests on the turf. Those wins were the Secretariat Stakes, a 1-1/4- mile race at Arlington Park on Aug. 29, 1993; the Early Times Manhattan Stakes, a 1-1/4 mile race at Belmont Park on June 10, 1995; the Arlington Million, a 1-1/4 mile race at Arlington Park on Aug. 27, 1995; and the Sword Dancer Invitational Handicap, a 1-1/2 mile race at Saratoga on Aug. 9, 1997.

Awad was known for his incredible speed and set two track records during his career. The first was in the 1995 Arlington Million, where he ran the 1-1/4-mile race in 1:58.69 to become the first to finish in under two minutes. The second came in the 1997 Sword Dancer Invitational, where, at age seven, he ran the 1-1/2-mile in 2:23.20.

After just one race in 1998, he was retired after 70 starts, finishing his career with 14 wins, two seconds, 11 thirds, and $3,270,131 in earnings.

He stood at stud at Northview Stallion Station in Maryland and Castle Rock Farm in Pennsylvania until 2006, when he was pensioned and came to Old Friends in September thanks to his former trainer, David Donk.

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Einstein Euthanized

Five-time Grade I winner Einstein (Brz) (Spend a Buck–Gay Charm {Brz}, by Ghadeer {Fr}) was euthanized at Park Equine Hospital Wednesday due to complications from cancer. He had been pensioned at Old Friends since 2019.

Trained by Helen Pitts, Einstein captured the 2009 GI Santa Anita H. and four Grade I stakes on turf. In all Einstein made 27 starts, winning 11 races. He won or placed in 13 stakes, all of which were graded, and his career earnings totaled $2,703,324.

Einstein retired from racing in 2010 to stand at Adena Springs in Kentucky. He later stood at Adena Springs North in Ontario, Canada, and at Magali Farms near Santa Ynez, CA. His top runners include Grade III winner Rankhasprivileges and multiple-stakes-placed E Equalsmcsquared.

“When we first retired Einstein, he was diagnosed with a tumor,” noted Old Friends’s Michael Blowen. “Dr. Rhodes Bell of Park Equine performed a delicate operation and removed the tumor. The procedure allowed Einstein to enjoy more than a year of happy life with Old Friends before the fast-growing tumors re-occurred over the weekend.

“Einstein was as classy and smart as he was handsome,” Blowen added. “He was a farm favorite, and he was especially fond of John Bradley. I wished we could have taken care of him for another decade.”

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