Albert the Great Settles Into Old Friends

Multiple graded stakes winner and sire Albert the Great has been retired from stud duties and is settling into Old Friends Thoroughbred retirement farm in Georgetown, Ky. 

After arriving Feb. 4 from Pin Oak Lane Stud in New Freedom, Pa., the 20-year-old stallion is adjusting well to his new life, according to Old Friends founder Michael Blowen.

"He knows who he is. He came in for a few days and was very studdish, but now he's settled in very nicely," Blowen said. "He's one paddock over from Charismatic, one paddock over from War Emblem, and one paddock over from Silver Charm. He's got good company."

Campaigned by Tracy Farmer, the son of Go for Gin retired from racing with a 8-6-4 record from 22 starts, 15 of which were made in graded stakes, and more than $3 million in earnings. As a 3-year-old, he won the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) and the Dwyer Stakes (G2), and was a head short of picking up a victory in the Travers Stakes (G1). The next year, he took the Widener Handicap (G3) at Hialeah Park in track-record time, won the Suburban and Brooklyn handicaps (both G2), and ran second in four other grade 1 contests, including the Woodward and Whitney stakes. 

Albert the Great entered stud in 2002 at Three Chimneys Farm. Since 2008, he has been at Pin Oak Lane, where his 2016 fee was $2,500. From 13 crops of racing age, he has sired 216 winners and eight black-type winners, including grade 1 winners Moonshine Mullin, who stands in Arkansas; Albertus Maximus  , who stands at Shadwell Farm; and Nobiz Like Shobiz, who was retired from stud and moved to Old Friends in the fall. 

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Blowen said that he had been working with the stallion's owners, Tracy and Carol Farmer, to get Albert the Great to Old Friends for some time.

"He's been on the waiting list for months," Blowen said. "Tracy Farmer and Carol Farmer have been so great to us. I really liked him as a racehorse, so he's very special."

Old Friends expects Albert the Great—and some of their other new high-profile additions such as Charismatic—to be a big draw for the racing fans who come to tour the farm. 

"I think people like to come to see the new horses," Blowen said. "Whether they are $3,500 claimers or they are stakes winners, they like to come and see the new ones.

"I just want to thank everybody for trusting us with these horses."