Old Friends Opens Kentucky Downs Facility
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Old Friends at Kentucky Downs, a joint venture between the Georgetown, Ky., Thoroughbred Retirement Facility and the Franklin, Ky. racetrack, will open its doors to the public July 17.
The new horse exhibit, located at 5565 Nashville Rd. in Franklin, will showcase retired racehorses, several with a history of running at Kentucky Downs and Kentucky tracks. Tours will be coordinated by the Simpson County Tourism Commission.
Five Old Friends retirees are currently featured on the tour:
* Ball Four, the 14-year-old son of Grand Slam who earned more than $730,000 in his 31 starts. Ball Four has some distinct ties to Kentucky racing, having won the Kentucky Cup Classic Stakes (gr. II) and the Tejano Run Stakes at Turfway Park, and the Fayette Stakes (gr. III) at Keeneland.
* Rumor Has It won the Kentucky Turf Cup Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Kentucky Downs in 2008. The son of Awesome Again captured more than $300,000 in his 38 starts.
* Sgt. Bert won the 2005 and 2006 Woodford Stakes at Keeneland, where he set a track record for 51/2 furlongs. The bay son of Confide earned more than $350,000 in his career.
* Thornfield, a 21-year-old son of Sky Classic , was Canada's Sovereign Award winner and Horse of the Year in 1999 and is best remembered there for his victory in the Canadian International Stakes (Can-I) at 19-1.
* Tour of the Cat is a multiple graded-stakes winner of more than $1.1 million. After a prestigious career, he was found racing at the bottom level at age 11. Concerned owner Maggie Moss claimed him in order to retire him at Old Friends in 2009.
Other equine retirees are expected to arrive in the fall.
In addition to the horse exhibit, an adjoining visitor's center and an Old Friends gift shop, open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily except Monday, will be housed in a newly-renovated structure in the Kentucky Downs stable area.
"We're proud to be working with Kentucky Downs and the Simpson County Tourist Commission on this venture," said Old Friends president Michael Blowen. "This is a great facility and the best part is that we'll be able to introduce these retired athletes to even more fans. This exhibit will offer people a way to maintain emotional ties to the horses and it will also offer a new way to celebrate the history of horse racing in their community."
"We are so pleased to be the first live racetrack to provide a home for these former equine athletes," said Rick Albright, racing manager at Kentucky Downs. "This is a very unique layout that will allow them to enjoy their retirement in an environment they are accustomed to—a beautiful racecourse. Some of the paddocks even border the outer fence of the course.
"The horses can look down the homestretch of a track they may have once won races on. That, to us, is a very exciting twist to the Old Friends at Kentucky Downs facility."
The 30-minute tours will be offered at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. daily except Mondays. Reservations are strongly suggested and can be made by calling the Simpson County Tourism Office at 270-586-3040 or toll free at 866-531-2040. Tours are $5 per adult, while children 12 and under are free. Group tours can also be accommodated by appointment.