Frank Stronach's Adena Springs has moved to a new Kentucky facility.
The operation's 10 Kentucky-based stallions moved from Midway to Paris, Ky. July 31, followed Aug. 3 by the employees. The Adena Springs broodmares and foals have been moving throughout the season.
A multiple Eclipse Award-winning operation, Adena Springs has been based in Woodford County since 1989, when Stronach first developed acreage on U.S. 60 near Versailles, Ky.
Stronach added two more tracts, including one on Old Frankfort Pike near Midway, which housed the office and stallion division.
In 2005, Stronach purchased more than 2,000 acres of a former cattle farm near Paris and developed the new facility. The farm features a 14-stall stallion barn with an adjoining office, seven 28-stall broodmare barns, and an employee village.
"The spacing was an issue (in Midway)," said assistant farm manager Steven Nicholson of why Stronach decided to move his operation. "He was trying to get the whole operation all in one area, instead of it being split the way it was. He also wanted it to be his design. We can now actually foal in any barn that's on this operation--we layed it out to where each barn is allocated 100 acres.
"(Stronach) also looks after his employees very well," Nicholson continued. "He's put in a soccer field, basketball court, swimming pool, and volleyball court, so its like an appreciation to his key people. He wants to keep them around, so he looks after them."
Nicholson said the stallion complex and offices are much bigger than they were in Midway. "It's just a new and improved Adena Springs," he explained.
A native of Austria, Stronach is founder and chairman of Magna International and Magna Entertainment, which owns 10 Thoroughbred racetracks. He also owns Adena Springs breeding operations in Florida and Canada. Among the successful horses bred by Adena this year are grade I winners Sugar Shake, Ginger Punch, and Citronnade.--Blood-Horse staff