Three

LIVING THE SPORT OF KINGS

BEAUMONT FARM, LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY. Beaumont Farm, located on Harrodsburg Road, was founded by Hal Price Headley and, at one time, consisted of 4,000 acres. Now it is home to housing subdivisions, shopping malls, and businesses. The original farm home was where Sullivan College now stands. (Courtesy of author.)

CALUMET FARM, LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY. Calumet Farm, located on Versailles Road, was established by William M. Wright, founder of the Calumet Baking Powder Company. Originally based in Illinois, the Kentucky climate was more conducive for a horse farm. William Wright’s son, Warren, took over the farm in 1932 and turned Calumet into a thoroughbred breeding and training station. Home to the famous Bull Lea, Calumet Farm produced eight Kentucky Derby winners and was also the leading breeder and owner of Preakness Stakes winners. Their colts Citation and Whirlaway became Triple Crown winners, and fillies Devona Dale, Real Delight, and Wistful won the Filly Triple Crown. (Courtesy of author.)

CALUMET TODAY. Calumet Farm won the coveted 1990 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Breeder. The same year, suspicion loomed over Calumet’s business practices after the death of Alydar, a valuable stallion insured for $36 million. The farm filed for bankruptcy in 1991. In 2000, J. T. Lundy and the farm’s chief financial officer, Gary Matthews, were convicted of fraud and bribery. In 1992, Henryk de Kwiatkowski purchased Calumet and saved it from possible liquidation by bankruptcy. (Courtesy of James Archambeault.)

CLAIBORNE FARM, PARIS, KENTUCKY. For horse people, going to Claiborne is like stepping on sacred ground. It was run by Arthur Hancock Sr. until 1947, when his son Arthur “Bull” Hancock took over. The farm’s foundation sire was a horse named Wrack. Buckpasser, Swale, Nijinsky II, and Secretariat are buried there. Seth Hancock has now taken over the reins of management with a whole new crop of stallions, such as Eddington and Pulpit. Seeking the Gold was recently pensioned. Claiborne’s top-notch stallions have earned them the respect as one of the top stallion farms in the world. This stallion at Claiborne Farm is sticking his tongue out . . . hopefully for a peppermint. (Courtesy of author.)

SECRETARIAT AFTER WINNING THE KENTUCKY DERBY. A movie is currently being filmed in Kentucky of Secretariat’s life. It will surely showcase some beautiful scenery in bluegrass country and at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. (Courtesy of author.)

DARBY DAN FARM, LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY. Col. E. R. Bradley originally founded this farm in 1935 from the core of Idle Hour Farm. It produced four derby winners: Behave Yourself, Bubbling Over, Burgoo King, and Brokers Tip. When Colonel Bradley died, the farm was broken up into smaller parcels and sold to different farms. Businessman John Galbreath purchased the core farm and renamed it Darby Dan. Supposedly he named it for his son, Daniel, and Darby Creek in Galloway, Ohio. Darby Dan Farm produced the 1963 and 1967 Kentucky Derby winners Chateauguay and Proud Clarion. It has now transitioned from a private farm to a commercial facility. (Both courtesy of author; below, photograph by James Archambeault.)

GREENTREE FARM, LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY. Greentree Stables, located on Paris Pike, was founded by Harry Payne Whitney. After Whitney’s death, ownership transferred to his wife, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney. Greentree Farm became an outstanding thoroughbred nursery, producing horses such as Twenty Grand, Kentucky Derby winner Shut Out, and many others. Since 1989, Greentree has been part of the Gainesway Farm. (Courtesy of author.)

MANCHESTER FARM, LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY. This thoroughbred breeding farm, located on Rice Road, is supposedly named after the popular rendezvous point for Kentucky pioneers, Manchester Spring. Rumor has it Manchester Farm’s antebellum mansion was the inspiration for the plantation home Tara in the book Gone With the Wind. Manchester Farm is easily recognized by the blue-and-white barns with cupolas and dormers. (Courtesy of James Archambeault.)

ELMENDORF FARM, LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY. Elmendorf is a beautiful farm that was home to a true Southern mansion known as Green Hills. It was built in 1897 by James Ben Ali Haggin for $300,000—a lot of money in those days. When Haggin died, Joseph Widener and nephew George Widener Jr. purchased a part of Elmendorf. Widener tore down Green Hills in 1929 because he did not want to pay taxes on an unoccupied house. Taxes were based on how many windows you had in your home and Green Hills had a lot of windows! The towering marble pillars are all that remain. Portions of the farm have been sold off. Normandy Farm now owns the land with the statue of Fair Play and Mahubah. Spindthrift, Clovelly, and Normandy Farms also own a portion. This farm, too, is now commercially owned by American Life Insurance. (Courtesy of author.)

ELMENDORF ENTRANCE. This is the entrance of Elmendorf Farm, which includes a self-supporting staircase. Note the intricacy of the handrail on the staircase and the hand-carved wood paneling on the walls. (Courtesy of Elmendorf Farm.)

ELMENDORF DINING ROOM. This comfortable, cozy dining room, used for intimate dinner parties, is a part of Elmendorf Farm. (Courtesy of Anne Peters.)

ELMENDORF LIBRARY. This was a place for relaxing and for men to gather after dinner parties to smoke their cigars and drink their brandy. (Courtesy of Anne Peters.)

ELMENDORF DRAWING ROOM. After dinner, while the men frequently gathered in the library, the women would join together in the drawing room. (Courtesy of Anne Peters.)

ENTRANCE IN ITS HEYDAY. Today at Elmendorf, there are lovely trees and shrubs filling in at this entrance. (Courtesy of Anne Peters.)

AT GAINSBOROUGH FARM. A proud mother shows off her new baby at Gainsborough Farm. She is keeping an eye on the photographer and will, if necessary, put herself between baby and man. (Courtesy of author; photograph by John Archambeault.)

STALLION BARN, BLUEGRASS COUNTRY. This is a photograph of a stallion barn in Central Kentucky. This building is where stallions live their days and have their own personal paddock area. (Courtesy of author; photograph by James Archambeault.)

MIDDLEBROOK FARM. Texas longhorns lounge on Middlebrook Farm in the midst of mares and foals. (Courtesy of author.)

OVERBROOK FARM, LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY. Overbrook Farm, located on Delong Road, was founded by William T. Young in 1972. It is easy to tell from the entrance to the farm that Young liked his privacy. Rather than live on the farm, Young preferred to live in Lexington with his wife, Lucy Hilton Maddox Young, because his son, W. T. Young Jr., and grandchildren were nearby. Two of his most famous horses are Storm Cat and 1996 Kentucky Derby winner Grindstone. In 2009, W. T. Young Jr. announced the farm’s intent to become more of a leasing farm and sell most of the stock. His son, Chris, has an interest in the horse industry like his grandfather and has opted to keep Storm Cat and Grindstone. Storm Cat was pensioned in 2008 and will live out his years at Overbrook. Grindstone currently lives on another farm to finish his breeding seasons but will return to Overbrook when pensioned. (Courtesy of author.)

SPINDLETOP ESTATE, LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY. This is the backyard of Spindletop Estate, currently a private club for University of Kentucky employees and retirees. Today many weddings are performed on the porch under the columns. (Courtesy of author.)

SPENDTHRIFT FARM, LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY. Established in 1937, Spendthrift has been a noted breeding operation for years. Located on Ironworks Pike, home to two Triple Crown winners and nine Kentucky Derby winners, the farm was founded by Leslie Combs. (Courtesy of author.)

SHADWELL FARM, LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY. Established in 1985, Shadwell Racing is the 1,400-acre thoroughbred horse racing operation of the deputy ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Introduced to thoroughbred flat racing while a student in the United Kingdom, Sheikh Hamdan established his first racing stable there in 1981. Over the years, he has invested heavily in both racing and breeding and has acquired major operations in England, Ireland, and the United States. He owns eight stud farms worldwide. Aljabr, Daaher, Dayjur, Dumaani, Intidab, Invasor, Jazil, Mustanfar, and Swain all currently stand at the farms’ stallion division, Nashwan Stud. Shadwell’s most famous broodmare is Height of Fashion, who was sold by Queen Elizabeth II to Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum after setting a new course record in the Princess of Wales’s Stakes. (Courtesy of author.)

WALNUT HALL FARM, LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY. Walnut Hall, located on Newtown Pike, was originally part of a land grant by Patrick Henry to William Christian as a reward for his service in the Revolutionary War. Lamon Harkness purchased 400 acres of this land and established the Walnut Hill Stock Farm. This standardbred operation is one of the oldest farms in the United States and is still operated by the same family. (Courtesy of author.)

WINSTAR FARM, VERSAILLES, KENTUCKY. WinStar, located on Pisgah Pike, is comprised of approximately 1,400 acres, including a portion that was formerly the Silver Pond Farm. WinStar is home to Bluegrass Cat, Tiznow, and many others. The farm is co-owned by Kenny Troutt and chairman Bill Casner. The two business partners formed Excel Communications. Successful in that endeavor, which later went public, the two opted to form another successful partnership, establishing WinStar Farm. WinStar is clearly one of the more beautiful farms in Central Kentucky. Each farm entrance is named in honor of their horses. WinStar is famous for breeding Kentucky Derby champion Funny Cide. (Courtesy of author.)

FAIRYDOM. Fairydom is pictured at the Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Kentucky, in October 1970. She raced in allowance and claiming races. Fairydom died while foaling. Gene Thompson is pictured on the far left. (Courtesy of Gene Thompson.)

HORSES GRAZING OFF OLD FRANKFORT PIKE. These horses are waiting for the sun to rise. In summer, horses are put out at night to protect their coats from bleaching out, particularly if they are going to the sales. (Courtesy of C. Morgan-Cornett.)

STALLION BARN. These horses are grazing in a pasture outside of a stallion barn on an early summer day in Lexington. (Courtesy of author; photograph by Jeff Durham.)

FOALS ENJOYING THEIR BACKYARD. Two young foals are enjoying a cool morning. The young foals will go out with the mothers and play and graze at night to protect their coats. During the day they will return to their stalls, where their mother will be fed and watered. Fans are used to make them comfortable during the day. (Courtesy of C. Morgan-Cornett.)

HORSES GRAZING. These horses are grazing at Three Chimneys Farm. Racehorses love being turned out to graze. Because they are athletes, they do not like being penned up too long. (Courtesy of C. Morgan-Cornett.)

PRACTICE RACING. A horse practices running at Never More Stables. Thoroughbreds are born and bred to run, and when out in paddocks, they take off running the perimeters. (Courtesy of C. Morgan-Cornett.)

MARE AND HER FOAL PLAYING. A mare and her foal are shown playing together. Young foals learn to jump, run, and play at an early age. They also keep close to their mother’s side. (Courtesy of C. Morgan-Cornett.)

GRAVE SITE OF ALYDAR. Most horse farms have their own cemeteries for their racehorses. The graves are well taken care of and have very nice head stones. Alydar will now be remembered and visited for years to come. (Courtesy of author.)

FOAL PLAYING. A foal plays on Three Chimneys Farm. It is recess time, and like kids, the foals get together and play hard. Their mothers probably hope they will wear themselves out. (Courtesy of C. Morgan-Cornett.)

WHO ARE YOU LOOKING AT? A mare and her foal investigate the photographer. Curiosity is in the nature of some horses. A relatively new mother is going to keep her distance and be prepared to protect her foal. (Courtesy of C. Morgan-Cornett.)

WHO CAN JUMP HIGHER? A mare and her foal are shown here either exercising or playing. This is a fun time for all parents, and horses are no exception. Horses are sociable creatures and relate well with each other. (Courtesy of C. Morgan-Cornett.)

MOM AND ME. A foal plays while its mother stays close by. It is their version of a backyard, and while mom is busy with other things, she is still alert and aware of what her youngster is doing. (Courtesy of C. Morgan-Cornett.)

GATHERING TO PLAN THE MORNING ACTIVITY. A frosty morning in Kentucky energizes these horses. Anyone for a game of soccer? (Courtesy of C. Morgan-Cornett.)

IS THIS THE TEASER? This unusually marked horse is not a racehorse, but he lives with them and teases them without getting into trouble. (Courtesy of C. Morgan-Cornett.)

A PICTURE TO WAKE UP TO. This peaceful scene is someone’s backyard, and this is what they wake up to every morning. (Courtesy of author.)

I WON THE DERBY. Smarty Jones looks to see who is looking at him. (Courtesy of C. Morgan-Cornett.)

YOU WANT TO TAKE A PICTURE OF ME? Big Brown, pictured at Three Chimneys Farm, occupies himself with watching what is going on in his barn. (Courtesy of C. Morgan-Cornett.)

THAT SUN SURE FEELS GOOD. This mother and foal are taking their afternoon nap on this midafternoon winter day. (Courtesy of C. Morgan-Cornett.)

I HAVE TO WORK? These horses are in training at Never More Stables. The early part of training is getting horses used to being handled by people and then comfortable with tack. These horses are in the early phases. (Courtesy of C. Morgan-Cornett.)

BLUEGRASS AREA ICE STORM. A 2009 ice storm on Iron Works Pike was hard on horses, as the water in the paddocks froze and the ground was cold and slippery. Farm employees took care of the horses, breaking the ice over the water for them. If the ground became too slippery, the employees would bring the horses into the barn. (Courtesy of C. Morgan-Cornett.)

I SAID I DO NOT WANT MY PICTURE TAKEN. This foal is on Middlebrook Farm. (Courtesy of C. Morgan-Cornett.)

NAP TIME FOR THE CHILDREN. Twin foals are a rarity in thoroughbred horses, and like any mother, this mare is getting her lunch as quickly as she can before tending to the children, again. (Courtesy of C. Morgan-Cornett.)

THE FINISH LINE IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER. There are two important places jockeys look for while horse racing: the quarter pole, when the jockey will relax his hold on 1200 pounds of horse to take off full steam, and the finish line. These competitors are racing at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, KY. (Courtesy of Karen Pulliam; photograph by James Archambeault.)

HORSE FARM CEMETERIES. Horse farms have their own cemeteries. Most horses have only their head, heart, and four hooves buried when they die, but an extremely remarkable horse will frequently be buried whole, such as Secretariat and Man O’ War. (Both courtesy of author.)

ALMOST THERE. Horses are racing to the finish line on a Kentucky track. (Courtesy of author; photograph by Dan Dry.)

THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM. This photograph of the modern Churchill Downs was taken during the off-season, one month before the fall meet in 2009. It is very quiet compared to derby day. (Courtesy of author.)

ANOTHER WIN FOR WILLIE. Ferdinand’s rider, Willie Shoemaker (left), talks to the outrider after winning the Kentucky Derby. (Courtesy of author.)

FOCUSED ON THEIR BUSINESS. Jockeys are going to the paddock to meet with the horses they will be riding in the race. (Courtesy of author.)

MY OLD KENTUCKY HOME. The most famous song on Kentucky Derby day is “My Old Kentucky Home” by Stephen Foster. These words can be easily remembered, and the chorus is a tearjerker for Kentuckians who are away from their home state on derby day. (Courtesy of author.)