Michael Blowen

Albertus Maximus (Albert the Great--Chasethewildwind, by Forty Niner), winner of the 2008 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, died following a paddock accident. The 18-year-old stallion was recently pensioned to Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement from Shadwell's Nashwan Stud. Racing in Sheikh Hamdan's colors, Albertus Maximus also won the 2009 GI Donn H. He retired from racing in 2012 with six wins from 17 starts and earnings of $1,328.230. "Albertus Maximus inherited his sire's self-confidence," said Old Friends President Michael Blowen. "Like Albert the Great, Albertus was well aware of his extraordinary talents....

Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Farm in Georgetown, Ky., will host a special Breeders' Cup Celebration Sunday Nov. 6 from 12:00-4 p.m. Tickets are $40 for the general public and $20 for Old Friends Clubhouse members. Children under 12 are free. Reservations can be made online by visiting the Old Friends website (www.oldfriendsequine.org), or by calling the farm at (502) 863-1775. Guests will enjoy a barbeque buffet by Proud Mary's, live Bluegrass music from Steve Norman and Friends, and both live and silent auctions of racing memorabilia, collectible stallion halters,...

Jonesboro (Sefapiano--Mom's Command, by Top Command) has been pensioned from stallion duties and retired to Old Friends near Georgetown, Ky. The hard-knocking millionaire, who won 10 black-type events, including the GII Prairie Meadows Cornhusker H. and three other graded stakes, has stood since 2011 at Lake Hamilton Equine in Royal, Ark. His nine small crops of racing age include three stakes winners. Jonesboro is a son of Mom's Command, the 1985 Eclipse champion 3-year-old filly whose five Grade I wins included the Filly Triple Crown. Bred by Peter Fuller, who...

Shadwell Stable's Daaher (Awesome Again--Irish Cherry, by Irish Open) has been pensioned to Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement farm in Georgetown, Kentucky. Retired from racing in 2008 following an ankle injury, the Canadian-bred was best known for his upset win over the heavily favored Midnight Lute in the 2007 GI Cigar Mile at Aqueduct. In his two seasons on the track, Daaher collected earnings of $455,163 under trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, and won both the Cigar Mile and the GII Jerome H. He retired with four wins and two thirds from...

Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Facility in Georgetown, Ky., lost two retirees Wednesday--multiple graded stakes winner Dumaani (Danzig--Desirable {Ire}, by Lord Gayle), who was 31, and European champion and GI Breeders' Cup Classic third-place finisher Swain (Ire) (Nashwan--Love Smitten, by Key to the Mint), who was 30. Both were humanely euthanized due to the infirmities of old age. The stallions stood most recently at the Lexington-based Shadwell Farm, where they were originally pensioned. They relocated to Old Friends in the spring of this year as part of a downsizing of...

Six pensioned stallions from Shadwell Farm have been donated to Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement in Georgetown, Ky. Albertus Maximus, Kayrawan, Intidab, Mustanfar, Dumaani, and Swain were relocated in recent weeks from Shadwell's Nashwan Stud complex to the non-profit organization's farm, joining its 143 other residents, including 1997 Kentucky Derby and Preakness S. winner Silver Charm and Belmont S. winners Birdstone, Touch Gold and Sarava. "We are so honored that Michael Blowen and his dedicated staff have elected to bring our retired stallions to Old Friends where they join an array...

Affirmed Success (Affirmed--Towering Succes, by Irish Tower), a three-time Grade I winner at seven and eight furlongs and back-to-back winner of the GIII Poker H. on the turf, was euthanized Feb. 16 at Old Friends in Georgetown, Kentucky. He was 28 years old and according to attending veterinarians, was suffering from chronic hoof infections. A homebred for Al Fried, Jr. and trained throughout by Rich Schosberg, Affirmed Success won the first three starts of his career and was third to Awesome Again in the 1997 GII Jim Dandy S., but...

GISW Albert the Great (Go For Gin) was euthanized Friday at Old Friends in Georgetown, Kentucky, where he has been pensioned since 2017. According to attending veterinarian Dr. Bryan Waldridge, the 23-year-old stallion was euthanized due to chronic sinus infection. Campaigned by owner Tracy Farmer and trainer Nick Zito, he earned his first graded stakes while capturing the 2000 GII Dwyer S. and, later that year, he added the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup. At Saratoga that summer, he was a close-up second in the GI Travers S. At four,...

MGSW Rocketry (Hard Spun) retired from racing in August and, after spending a month at Centennial Farms in Virginia, became the newest resident of Old Friends Friday. The 7-year-old 'TDN Rising Star' retired after five seasons on the track with six wins from 29 starts and lifetime earnings of $811,577. "Who doesn't love Rocketry?" said Old Friends founder and President Michael Blowen. "We're very fortunate that Centennial Farms trusts us to care for their great marathoner. Thanks to Don Little, Jr. and Jimmy Jerkens for allowing us to showcase him...

Grade I winners Next Shares (Archarcharch--Two Dot Slew, by Evansville Slew) and Bordonaro (Memo {Chi}--Miss Excitement, by Rajab) are the latest retirees to take up residence at Old Friends, the Thoroughbred retirement home near Georgetown, Ky. Next Shares, winner of the GI Shadwell Turf Mile S. in 2018 among his trio of graded scores, last raced in July at Del Mar for trainer Richard Baltas, who was also part of his large ownership group. The 8-year-old gelding retires with a record of 41-7-5-5 and earnings of $1,891,971. Bordonaro, now 20,...

John T. Botty, a retired and well-respected New England trainer known for his attention to detail, patience, and knack for developing young horses, died suddenly Apr. 30 after suffering a stroke. Botty was 65 and lived in Pelham, New Hampshire. He had remained active in the sport as a bloodstock consultant after stepping away from daily work under racetrack shed rows in 2015. For the better part of three decades, Botty, together with his wife of 32 years, Kathleen, ran a successful, mid-sized racing stable based out of Suffolk Downs...

Bellamy Road (Concerto--Hurry Home Hillary, by Deputed Testamony), a daylight winner of the 2005 GI Wood Memorial S. and favorite in that year's GI Kentucky Derby, has been pensioned to Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Facility based in Kentucky. Owned by the late George Steinbrenner's Kinsman Stable and trained by Nick Zito, the Florida-bred posted four wins from seven starts and earnings of $811,400. Bellamy Road stood at Dutchess Views Farm in New York since 2016. The 19-year-old previously stood at Kentucky's WinStar Farm and Hurricane Hall. His nine graded...