Ben P. Walden Jr. and his wife, Elaine, prominent members of the Kentucky Thoroughbred industry, have sold their 310-acre farm near Lexington. The property, called Gracefield, was purchased by Robert and Lisa Lourie of Setauket, N.Y., for an undisclosed amount.
“It has been the privilege of a lifetime to develop Gracefield,” Ben Walden said in a May 14 press release. “We have planted over 1,100 trees, built over 90 stalls, run over 13 miles of fence, and built three miles of roads. Gracefield has been a second child for us.”
The farm is located on land previously owned by the historic Standardbred operations Castleton and Walnut Hall. Separately or in partnership, Gracefield has bred several stakes winners, including Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Corinthian and international grade I winners Sevillana and Storm Street. The farm was also home to the Easy Goer mare Multiply, dam of Corinthian, until her death in 2007. A $20,000 purchase by Walden at the Keeneland January horses of all ages sale as a 2-year-old, Multiply became a lucrative producer for Gracefield, whose Theatrical filly Triple Act sold to John Ferguson for $2.2 million at the Keeneland September yearling sale in 2001.
Walden will retain use of Gracefield until Dec. 31, and will conduct business as usual, preparing and offering a final yearling crop at the 2008 sales.
“Our future industry efforts will be directed towards our broodmare band and the stallion operation at Hurricane Hall,” Walden said.
The farm is located on land previously owned by the historic Standardbred operations Castleton and Walnut Hall. Separately or in partnership, Gracefield has bred several stakes winners, including Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Corinthian and international grade I winners Sevillana and Storm Street. The farm was also home to the Easy Goer mare Multiply, dam of Corinthian, until her death in 2007. A $20,000 purchase by Walden at the Keeneland January horses of all ages sale as a 2-year-old, Multiply became a lucrative producer for Gracefield, whose Theatrical filly Triple Act sold to John Ferguson for $2.2 million at the Keeneland September yearling sale in 2001.
Walden will retain use of Gracefield until Dec. 31, and will conduct business as usual, preparing and offering a final yearling crop at the 2008 sales.
“Our future industry efforts will be directed towards our broodmare band and the stallion operation at Hurricane Hall,” Walden said.
Gracefield’s new owners are in the show horse business, the proprietors of Spy Coast Farm in New York and another farm in Wellington, Fla. Robert Louire is the head of Futures Research and Renaissance Technologies, the world’s largest hedge fund. The Louires will begin construction on a new show horse barn and manor lodge this summer.
