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Any Given Saturday Repatriated From South Korea To Old Friends

GISW Any Given Saturday (Distorted Humor) has been repatriated to the United States from South Korea to spend his retirement at Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Farm in Georgetown, Ky., said founder and president of Old Friends, Michael Blowen.

Purchased by the Korea Thoroughbred Breeders Association in 2014, he was relocated to South Korea where he has been for the last nine years.

The 19-year-old recently flew home and underwent the standard quarantine procedure at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital before arriving at Old Friends Monday afternoon.

Any Given Saturday retired from racing with six wins, two seconds, one third, and $1,083,533 in earnings in 11 career starts and began his stud career in 2008 at Darley, before going to Pin Oak Lane Farm in Pennsylvania for the 2014 season. He was then purchased in 2017 by the Korea Thoroughbred Breeders Association (KTBA) and was relocated to South Korea for the 2015 breeding season.

In 2023, Any Given Saturday was pensioned and, following discussions with Blowen, he was returned to the United States to live out his retirement at Old Friends.

Jun Park, Bloodstock Agent for the Korea Thoroughbred Breeders Association, who was not only responsible for working out the details of getting Any Given Saturday sent to South Korea, but was also instrumental in helping bring the horse home to the United States and to Old Friends, visited the horse at Rood & Riddle, and is very happy to see him back in the United States.

“I was so excited to see him at the stall at the clinic,” he said. “I mean, he went to Korea a long time ago, and he came back here and it's good to see him back.”

When asked why he helped retire the horse at Old Friends, he said, “(Michael) has been (doing an) excellent job since he founded the farm. I mean, the horses are happy out there, (and) racing fans are still able to see the horses. And, that's great.”

“We are very grateful to the KTBA for donating Any Given Saturday to Old Friends,” said Blowen. “It's a great example of how we can all work together for the betterment of these invaluable athletes. I can't wait to feed him a Mrs. Pastures' horse cookie.”

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Air Force Blue to South Korea

European champion 2-year-old Air Force Blue (War Front–Chatham, by Maria's Mon) has been acquired by Pegasus Farm in South Korea, according to a report in the Blood-Horse.

From two crops of racing age, Air Force Blue is responsible for five black-type winners, including Astronomer, who won Del Mar's Qatar Golden Mile S. on the Breeders' Cup Friday undercard; and Canadian Classic winner Haddassah, who captured Fort Erie's Prince of Wales S.

Air Force Blue, bred in Kentucky by Stone Farm, brought $490,000 from Magnier, Tabor and Smith at the 2014 KEESEP yearling sale. The G1 Dubai Dewhurst S., G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National S. and G1 Keeneland Phoenix S. hero previously stood at Coolmore's Ashford Stud in Kentucky.

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The Stronach Group Joins PETA in Urging Ban on Sale of Horses to South Korea

After viewing PETA’s video expose of the slaughter of racehorses in South Korea, including the stallion Private Vow, The Stronach Group is endorsing PETA’s efforts to ban the sale of North American Thoroughbreds to South Korean racing interests.

PETA can now show that Private Vow was sold to South Korea for stud duty in 2014 and ended up being slaughtered for meat in July. He sired 196 foals in the U.S. and South Korea.

Belinda Stronach, chair and president of The Stronach Group, said, “The Stronach Group is urging all North American auction companies, breeders, and owners to develop policies that prohibit the sale of Thoroughbred racehorses or brood mares to South Korea without the meaningful and binding assurances that these noble animals will be protected after their racing and breeding careers.”

Craig Fravel, CEO of 1/ST Racing, said, “As part of the 1/ST HORSE CARE mission we are committed to the care and safety of Thoroughbreds before, during and after their racing careers which is why we are endorsing PETA in this effort.”

PETA has asked the Korea Racing Authority to introduce a retirement system modeled on the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, allocate 2% of prize money to aftercare, end its support for horse slaughter, and ensure that imported North American horses will not be slaughtered.

“The over 400 American racehorses exported to South Korea every year deserve peaceful retirements, not terrifying deaths on a slaughterhouse floor,” says PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo. “PETA is calling on North America’s Thoroughbred horse racing industry to stop the horse racing industry to stop selling horses to South Korea until the slaughter ends.”

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