Thoroughbred retirement | Horse Racing Free Tips

Old Friends Welcomes 2012 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Winner I’ll Have Another

Dual Classic winner and champion 3-year-old colt I'll Have Another (Flower Alley) has been donated to Old Friends by owner Paul Reddam. The 14-year-old former stallion arrived to the Thoroughbred retirement farm Wednesday.

“Welcoming I'll Have Another is an auspicious and historic moment for Old Friends,” said John Nicholson, president and CEO of Old Friends. “We are deeply grateful to Paul Reddam and Doug O'Neill for choosing Old Friends to care for this great champion and to celebrate his magnificent legacy with thousands of our annual visitors. Being able to welcome our fourth Kentucky Derby winner to retire at Old Friends is further tribute to the vision and values of our founder and my friend, Michael Blowen.”

Reddam added, “It is fantastic that he will have a permanent home at Old Friends where everyone can visit him. There was a lot of concern when he went to Japan for stud duty and that is permanently put to rest with his return to Kentucky.”

I'll Have Another is the fourth GI Kentucky Derby and GI Preakness S. winner to be retired to the farm. The other three are Silver Charm, War Emblem, and Charismatic.

“I'll Have Another is an amazing horse–very blue collar, workmanlike,” O'Neill said. “He was so naturally competitive. He meant and still means so much to us around the barn. He took us on the ride of a lifetime winning the Santa Anita Derby, Kentucky Derby and the Preakness. We're so grateful for his brilliance and being able to work alongside him during his amazing career.”

Upon his retirement, I'll Have Another was sold for $10 million to the Hokkaido-based Big Red Farm in Japan and began his stud career there in 2013. He remained there through 2018, then returned to the United States and stood at Ballena Vista Farm in Ramona, Calif. from 2019 to 2020, before moving to Reddam's Ocean Breeze Ranch in Bonsall, Calif. from 2021 to 2024.

He was pensioned in 2024.

“We are so grateful to Mr. Reddam and to Doug for trusting us to give their Derby and Preakness winner a safe, healthy, and fun retirement,” said Michael Blowen, founder and past president of Old Friends. “We're planning to put I'll Have Another in the paddock adjacent to Lava Man's. How cool is that?”

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TAA Named Official Charity Partner of NTRA NHC

The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance has been named the official charity partner of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association's National Horseplayers Championship, which will take place at the Horseshoe Las Vegas Hotel and Casino Mar. 14-17. Throughout the weekend, TAA will have a booth set up where horseplayers are encouraged to stop by and learn more about accredited aftercare.

Branded merchandise will be available in exchange for a donation and there will be an opportunity to donate and enter for a chance to win various prizes. Winning prizes include a table for four at Maryland Million on Oct. 1, a private tour of Old Friends Equine Retirement with Michael Blowen, or exclusive TAA merchandise.

The TAA will also be on-site for NTRA's Last Chance First Chance NHC qualifier, which is held the Thursday of the event.

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New Vocations Served Over 600 Retired Racehorses in 2023

New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program, whose mission is to rehab, retrain and rehome retired Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds, saw 478 horses go through its program in 2023, with 143 horses remaining in the program at the end of the year–a 15% increase from 2022.

“I'm very proud of the New Vocations team as they have done a phenomenal job providing much needed aftercare services to a huge number of horses with diverse backgrounds that come from various tracks around the country,” said New Vocation's Thoroughbred Program Director Anna Ford. “We serve horses that are coming out of the $5,000 claiming races to horses racing at the highest stakes levels and everything in between. We are very thankful for the continued support from the racing industry, including owners, trainers, breeders and fans, which provide us the necessary resources to fulfill our mission and reach as many horses as we can.”

With facilities in Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Florida and Louisiana, the program received horses from 70 different racetracks which were then adopted out to homes in 36 different states last year.

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Sweet Named COO of Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation

Maggie Sweet has been named the new chief operating officer of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF), the Saratoga-based operation announced Monday.

“We are thrilled to welcome Maggie Sweet to the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation as our new Chief Operating Officer,” said Patrick H. Mackay, Chairman of the Board of Directors at TRF. “Maggie's desire to support equine welfare, coupled with her extensive leadership experience, will undoubtedly contribute to the continued success and growth of our organization. Her skills and enthusiasm align seamlessly with our commitment to providing a dignified retirement for these magnificent animals.”

Sweet served the Todd Pletcher Racing Stables in a variety of roles for over a quarter-century, most recently as its COO, a position from which she stepped down in September 2023.

As COO, Sweet will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the organization, implementing strategic initiatives, and fostering collaborative relationships with stakeholders and donors.

“I am honored to join the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation and be part of an organization that is making a significant impact in the lives of retired racehorses,” said Sweet. “I look forward to working with the talented team at the TRF and contributing to the ongoing success of their vital mission.”

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