Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Facility based in Georgetown, KY, has introduced a new membership option available to fans.
The Old girlfriends Society will celebrate the 11 former race mares pensioned with Old Friends, and give fans an opportunity to meet and support our matriarchs.
A number of accomplished mares have called Old Friends home since its inception, including: Eclipse Champion Hidden Lake; the dam of Silver Charm, Bonnie's Poker; G1 winner Halo America; and world-record-setter Klassy Briefcase.
For $100 fans can become a lifetime member of the Old girlfriends Society.
Members will receive an Old girlfriends T-shirt, an 8 x 10 photo of one of the mares, a complimentary visit to the Old girlfriend's paddocks (one annually), and their name listed on the Old girlfriends Society page on our website.
All merchandise is adorned with the newly designed Old girlfriends Society logo, done exclusively for Old Friends by noted painter and illustrator Marti McGuinniss.
The Old girlfriends Society will applaud the organization's current ladies-in-residence:
• Australian Champion Bint Marscay, 27, won the Group 1 Golden Slipper in 1993 against the boys. Binty made her way to Kentucky to be a broodmare, but had only a few offspring as she was plagued with reproductive issues. Her babies, however, were top notch. Her daughter Bollinger was a Grade 1 winner, and is the dam of Louisiana Derby winner Friesian Fire.
• Black Tie Countess, 22, is the daughter of 1991 Horse of the Year Black Tie Affair, (a beloved Old Friends resident until his death in 2010). Unlike her gray sire, the Countess is a beautiful bay and spends her days hanging out with her best girlfriend, Our Revival.
• Elusive Honey, 18, came to us after her breeding career came to an end, and the sweet mare fit right in with the girl herd.
• Euronfire, 10, won three races before contracting EHV-1 virus. Her condition precluded a racing career and a possible second career didn't work out, so the beautiful chestnut was sent to Old Friends.
• Lady Grizzley, 12, was bred and campaigned by long-time Old Friends supporter Gov. Brereton C. Jones, who owns Kentucky's esteemed Airdrie Stud. The mare won a race at Presque Isle Downs and had an abbreviated career as a broodmare before she was welcomed to our band of girls.
• Miss Du Bois, 24, failed to win a race in 15 tries, but the daughter of top sire Mr. Prospector found her calling as a broodmare. Her successful daughter, Film Maker, won over $2.2 million. Her wins include the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth at Keeneland, and she twice finished second in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf.
• Miss Hooligan, 13, is a granddaughter of two Old Friends former stallions: Criminal Type and Sunshine Forever. She was a three-year-old maiden with 11 starts running for a $5,000 claiming tag when she caught the eye of a Kentucky partnership. A bold run and second-place finish at River Downs suggested she possessed competitive spirit, but a conformational flaw soon ended Miss Hooligan's racing career and her owners retired her to Old Friends.
• MissZoey Belle, 13, made 74 lifetime starts mostly in Kentucky and Ohio. In her six-year career she captured seven races and earned $70,000. Bred by Old Friends supporter John Oxley, the pretty bay mare became a resident in 2013.
• Our Revival is the 17-year-old daughter of farm-favorite, Ide. She ran 34 times, recording 11 wins, while racing in Massachusetts, Kentucky, Louisiana, Florida, and Arkansas.
• Santona, 24, was a Champion Grass Mare in Chile in 1997. Brought to the United States in 1998, she was unable to reproduce her best race form and was retired as a broodmare. Her son, Grand Hombre won the Pennsylvania Derby in 2003. Today, Santona rules her paddock with an iron hoof. She's convinced life is all about her.
Old girlfriends Society merchandise, including T-shirts, mugs, and decorative dog tags, will also be available for non-members at the Old Friends gift shop located in the Visitor's Center of the main farm at 1841 Paynes Depot Road, Georgetown, KY.
To join, visit the Old Friends website at www.oldfriendsequine.org and see the Old girlfriends Society page. Or call (502) 863-1775 to join by phone.
