Doneraile Court Retired to Old Friends

Grade 2-winning miler Doneraile Court is among the latest retirees to join the high-profile roster at Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Farm near Georgetown, Ky.

The 24-year-old son of Seattle Slew was retired from stud duty last May following the sudden closing of Stonewall's Prestige Stallions west of Ocala, Fla., that was owned and managed by Richard Haisfield.

"I like to let them settle in a bit before we let everyone know they're here because then everyone wants to see them," said Michael Blowen, president and founder of Old Friends. "Doneraile Court has settled in fabulously. I think people will be excited to see him. He is really a nice horse."

Bred in Kentucky by John and Betty Mabee out of their grade 1-placed winner and multiple black-type producer Sophisticated Girl, Doneraile Court lit up the bid board during the 1997 Keeneland July Sale of Selected Yearlings, where Coolmore agent Demi O'Byrne purchased him for $1 million from the consignment of Eaton Sales, agent. The colt would race for partners Susan Magnier and Michael Tabor, winning six of 16 starts and winning or placing in four graded stakes. Doneraile Court's best performances came when he claimed victories in both Jerome Handicap (G2) and the Nashua Stakes (G3).

Doneraile Court would be retired to stud in 2000 at Buck Pond Farm, where he stood for four years and was shuttled for three years to Chile before being transferred to Hill 'n' Dale Farms. After two seasons at Hill 'n' Dale, the stallion was sent to Haisfield's Stonewall Farm Stallions in Kentucky beginning with the 2006 breeding season and then was sent to Florida for the 2011 breeding season to stand at Haisfield's farm known then as HallMarc Stallions at Stonewall Farm Ocala. He stood one season in Minnesota in 2014, where he stood at Dove Hill Farm, and then was returned to Florida for the 2017 season.

As a stallion, Doneraile Court sired 24 black-type winners, which include eight graded stakes winners and two champions. His top North American runners included 2008 Santa Anita Oaks (G1) winner Ariege, grade 1-placed multiple graded stakes winner Noble Court, and multiple graded stakes winner Sporting Art. In Chile, he sired 2008 Horse of the Year and 2007 champion 2-year-old filly Cocoa Beach, who also won the 2008 Meydan U.A.E. One Thousand Guineas, and 2008 champion sprinter Belmont Place. 

Doneraile Court's runners were tough as indicated by his 80% starters from foals. Through Jan. 3, his progeny have collectively earned more than $25.2 million in purses. His last crop consists of one foal born last year, a filly out of the Sweet Return mare Peg's Olympic Zoie, who was bred in Florida by Jon Rivera Planas.

Of 11 stallions Stonewall listed on its roster for 2019, only Black Onyx bred any mares last year, covering two, according to The Jockey Club reports of mares bred. Haisfield told BloodHorse the farm closed because he is 80 and has retired from breeding and racing Thoroughbreds.

Soon to join Doneraile Court at Old Friends will be multiple grade 1 winner Stormy Liberal, who Blowen expects to arrive next week. Owner David Bernsen sent the two-time Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) winner to David Scanlon in Ocala to undergo a full medical workup after Bernsen bought out his partner Rockingham Ranch. The evaluation determined the best course of action would be to retire the now 8-year-old gelded son of Stormy Atlantic.

Old Friends is also welcoming the winning Real Quiet mare Quiet Honor, who had been trained by Bob Baffert for the late Bob and Beverly Lewis. A producer of five winners, Quiet Honor is a half sister to Time Honored (Gilded Time), who is the dam of West Side Bernie, a graded stakes winner and runner-up in the 2009 Wood Memorial Stakes (G1).