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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.”

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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.”

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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.”

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Work All Week, The Pizza Man Among New Arrivals At Old Friends Retirement Farm

This week, Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Farm in Georgetown, KY, welcomed three new retirees, stakes winner all.

Work All Week, a seven-time stakes winner, was owned and bred by Richard and Karen Papiese and campaigned by trainer Roger Brueggemann. The Illinois-bred son of City Zip was the champion male sprinter of 2014 after capturing the 2014 GR 1 Xpressbet Breeders' Cup Sprint. Work all Week was retired from racing in 2015 at the age of six due to a stress fracture in his right knee with a 13-4-1 record from 19 starts and earnings of $1,511,071. In addition to his Eclipse Award as outstanding male sprinter, Work All Week is a two-time Illinois Horse of the Year.

The Pizza Man, another star for Papiese and Brueggemann, is a multiple GR1 winner. By English Channel out of the Lear Fan mare I Can Fan Fan, The Pizza Man is the only Illinois bred to claim victory in both the GR1 Arlington Million (2015) and the GR1 Northern Dancer Turf Stakes (2016). He retired from racing in 2017 at the age of eight after being diagnosed with a chip in his left front ankle. He closed his career with 17 wins from his 36 starts and earnings of 2,158,941. Since retiring the Pizza Man enjoyed a second career as a stable pony for his former trainer.

Syndergaard, owned by the partnership of Eric Fein, Christopher McKenna, Harris Fein, Guri Singh, and Jerry Walia, was named after New York Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard. The New York-bred son of Majesticperfection – Magic Belle, Magical Thinking, was a dazzling 2-year-old under the tutelage of trainer Todd Pletcher, cinching his maiden outing at Saratoga and going on to capture the Funny Cide Stakes over the same oval. That same year he was second in the GR1 Champagne, which led to a start in the 2016 GR1 Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile, where he ended up 5th. He later moved to the barn of trainer John P. Terranova II. This year, the chestnut gelding was retired after his last start June 6 at Belmont Park with 17 Starts, 3 Wins, 4 places, 2 shows and earnings: $477, 269.

“We are absolutely thrilled,” said Old Friends President Michael Blowen. “I wish everyone could see the absolute joy expressed by The Pizza Man and Work All Week as they celebrate in their paddock. And Syndergaard is just gorgeous. Thanks to their owners for trusting us and their fans for all their support.”

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