GEORGETOWN, KY — OCTOBER 20, 2011 — Personalized, one of only four foals produced by Hall of Fame champion Precisionist, has died.
The 21-year-old mare was humanely euthanized at Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Facility in Georgetown, KY, where she had been pensioned since 2008. The mare was discovered in her paddock having suffered a fractured hip.
“We welcomed Personalized to Old Friends because of our great love for her sire but it wasn’t long before her kind eyes and gentle disposition made her special regardless of her lineage,” said Old Friends president and founder, Michael Blowen.
Owned and bred by Florida-based Fred Hooper, who also bred her sire, Personalized (Precisionist – Ski Title, by Baldski) only had eight starts in her career and no wins, earning only $1,050. She was discovered in a feedlot Yakima, WA in 2008 by the Columbia Basin Equine Rescue and then found a permanent home at Old Friends.
GEORGETOWN, KY – JANUARY 6, 2011 – Polish Navy, the Ogden Phipps homebred and GR1 winner, was humanely euthanized this morning at Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement facility in Georgetown, KY. He was suffering from complications from a hip injury.
Michael Blowen, Old Friends President and Founder, made the announcement this afternoon.
“Polish Navy injured his hip several weeks ago and was taken to Hagyard’s where he received excellent diagnostic care,” said Blowen. “Unfortunately, he just never recovered. Dr. Doug Byars visited with this great old horse several times and, in consultation with Old Friends, advised us that Polish Navy’s time had come.”
The 27-year-old stallion had been pensioned at Old Friends since 2009.
GEORGETOWN, KY – AUGUST 5, 2010 – Bonnie’s Poker, dam of 1997 Kentucky Derby winner Silver Charm, was humanely euthanized today at Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Facility in Georgetown, KY. The 28-year-old mare was suffering from EPM.
Trained by Anthony Dutrow, Robert Lake, and others, Bonnie’s Poker (Poker – What a Surprise by Wise Margin) was a hard-knocking claimer in the 1980s, starting 63 times with 11 wins – including three wins in 10 days at Aqueduct in 1986 – and 19 other appearances on the boards. Her earnings totaled $153,960.
She made her real claim to racing fame, however, as the dam of the brilliant Kentucky Derby (GR 1) and Preakness (GR 1) winner Silver Charm.
“She had the biggest heart,” said Robbie Davis, one of several jockeys to ride Bonnie’s Poker during her 4-year racing career. “She gave her best every time.”
Proper Reality, the 25-year-old multiple graded stakes winner of $1,701,650, who had been retired at Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Facility, was euthanized this morning at Hagyard’s Equine Medical in Lexington. Michael Blowen, President of Old Friends, made the announcement this afternoon.
The sturdy bay son of In Reality out of Proper Princess won the Arkansas Derby, Illinois Derby, Metropolitan Handicap, Iselin Handicap, Southwest Stakes, Hot Springs Stakes and the Essex Handicap. He ran fourth to Winning Colors in the 1988 Kentucky Derby. Bred and owned by Mrs. James A. Winn, Proper Reality was retired at Bob Holthus Kilkerry Farm in Royal, AK until he was donated to Old Friends last summer by Mr. Holthus.
The great Commentator resides at Old Friends (Photo by Rick Capone)
GEORGETOWN, KY – FEBRUARY 15, 2010 – On February 20, 2010, Louisville’s historic Seelbach Hilton will again unite Kentucky’s favorite industries, bourbon and horses, with the 2nd Annual Old Friends along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.
Tickets are still available for the bourbon tasting and progressive dining experience that will benefit Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement facility in Georgetown, KY that is home to more than 90 retired racehorses.
Happy New Year! What does the coming year have in store for the Thoroughbreds? Last year it was very difficult for people to support their Thoroughbreds and record numbers of horses were sent to auctions. Let’s keep a positive outlook for 2010. Your continued donations to After the Finish Line will enable us to tell the rescue organizations, “Yes, we can help your Thoroughbreds!”
Happy Birthday to the Thoroughbreds! As you may not know, racing Thoroughbreds celebrate their birthdays on January 1. I recently received an obituary of an ex-racehorse (barn) named Arthur who passed away two days shy of his 32nd birthday. Arthur lived long past his days on the racetrack and proved Thoroughbreds have the heart and desire to transition into other careers. He was a proud horse that knew he was loved and well cared for. After the Finish Line strives to ensure that the Thoroughbreds we support have the opportunity to live a fulfilling life in a safe environment. The Thoroughbreds fill our hearts with a feeling of love we can’t always describe. Let’s treat his passing as a celebration of life and hope other ex-racehorses could be this lucky to live a long life.
After the Finish Line accomplished more than we ever could have imagined in 2009. We awarded monthly emergency funds and yearly grants to 47 rescue organizations helping over 300 horses. We helped stallions, geldings, broodmares and a foal. We provided funding for surgery, critical care, farrier, dental and chiropractic expenses. Funding also paid for arthritis drugs for elderly broodmares, x-rays, supplements, hay & grain, winter blankets and boarding expenses. ATFL funded the rescue of neglected Thoroughbreds from breeding farms, auctions, a horse abandoned in the desert and the rescue of horses from once prominent New York owner and breeder Erinie Paragallo.
Rescue organizations caring for Thoroughbred ex-racehorses or broodmares may apply for a grant. Please contact dawn@afterthefinishline.org to request a grant application. Applications must be postmarked by February 6, 2010 and be received no later than February 13, 2010.
The new year starts off with funding requests for surgeries. Florida Thoroughbred Rehab & Placement needed funding for Hakamiah and Dirty During who were both injured on the racetrack. Hakamiah, a 2007 colt, earned $60 in 3 starts. He was injured during the morning workouts and required one screw to secure a lateral condylar fracture. The surgeon also removed pieces of bone that could have become arthritic in the future. He needs 3 months to recover and is expected to have a very good future doing flat work and trail riding. Dirty During, foaled in 2006, fractured his knee in his last race. He earned $4,500 racing. He also needed one screw to hold his bone together. Dirty During is expected to make a full recovery without any limitations to his future careers.
Our goals for 2010 are simple. After the Finish Line wants to continue to increase our donations so we can rescue more Thoroughbreds throughout the United States in the coming year. ATFL was created for the Thoroughbreds that have no means of support when their racing or breeding careers are over. Our donors realize the significance of the work we do to help these noble animals. We encourage you to get involved and thank you for your donations.
I have ridden all of my life and I am an absolute horse fanatic! I have ridden most disciplines. I am a member of USDF, USAE, USEF, USET, NFDA and own a Lifetime USDF/USEF member horse, an American Warmblood out of a champion Budweiser Clydesdale sire – Clan Butter Glenord’s Glened, crossed with a racing TB-Appaloosa mare, Rocket to Antares (going back to Native Dancer), who I named Glenord’s Rocket Dancer or “Rocki” for her barn name. Rocki is the most amazing horse – she will do anything and she has always been bomb-proof, even when she was a baby. I ride her mostly Dressage (hopefully again in First Level by this Fall of 2009 if my shoulder has healed enough) and in English Pleasure and Equitation, and recently I have been working on Western Riding patterns, too, which I find is very similar to Dressage. She is my absolute love as I have had her now for almost 14 years, since she was a youngster.
Panimetro in a Race
I also own a companion horse for my mare, an ex-racehorse, Panimetro, who was a Thoroughbred rescue from the Virgin Islands, cared for by VICCTRE – Virgin Islands Community Cooperative Thoroughbred Retirement Effort. During a race, he suffered four major fractures in his left front ankle, an injury similar to Barbaro’s — the Kentucky Derby winner that was euthanized due to complications in the healing of his leg. “Metro” could have met the same sad fate, but was able to heal himself by lying down for long periods over a year and a half and allowing caretakers to attend to him. It does have some calcification in the fetlock, but it has healed enough for him to be a ‘horse’. Metro is on the cover, inside and as the December horse on the 2009 VICCTRE calendar. You’ll see him running around still like a racehorse, even with his injured left front leg!
I adopted Metro from Habitat for Horses in March of 2007 when he was brought here from the Virgin Islands. He is such a character and loves people! He can still run around, buck and play and jumps over a water puddle in front of his paddock that can fill up when it rains a lot. Both horses have wonderful stalls with fans and open access to paddocks. Each has their own pasture that the paddock gate opens into, they get fed 3 times a day plus a lot of loving and TLC, so they are in “horse heaven”.
Teri & 18hh JR Khan
I also used to own an 18hh J.R. Khan, who was trained to Third level Dressage by my trainer Kathy Daly who raised him from a foal from her stallion, Hurrikhan. Khan taught me how to ride correctly by him knowing what to do from Kathy’s training. Sadly, I had to sell him a few years ago as my left shoulder was getting so bad (another post will come about that…) that I couldn’t lift his legs to clean his feet, lift the saddle on his back & in general couldn’t take care of such a huge horse (too bad, too… my long legs fit perfectly on his sides).
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