On Memorial Day Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement facility near
Georgetown, Kentucky, will have a commemorative service for the six retirees
that passed away since last spring.
The public is invited to attend the event, which will begin at 2 p.m. (EDT)
on Monday at Old Friends’ Dream Chase Farm, 1841 Paynes Depot Road in
Georgetown. Refreshments will be served.
The honorees are:
and a Grade 2 winner
older male in 1994
sire of 1993 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Sea Hero
S. (G1) winner Silver Charm
four millionaires, including Balto Star
the Year, Azeri
“It’s been a difficult year for everyone at Old Friends,” said
Michael Blowen, the founder and president. “The most difficult part of
our job is saying goodbye, and this year we lost so many of our most
beloved horses.
“It’s always an honor to pay tribute to these great athletes,” Blowen added,
“and I hope all their fans and friends will join us on Monday.”
In other news, Old Friends happily welcomed multiple Grade 1-winning
millionaire and sire AFTERNOON DEELITES (Private Terms) last Sunday. The
19-year-old will be permanently pensioned at the farm alongside one of his sons,
12-year-old Popcorn Deelites. He was donated to the organization by Val
Murrell’s Clear Creek Stud near Folsom, Louisiana, where he was retired from
stallion duty earlier this year.
Bred and raced by Burt Bacharach’s Blue Seas Music, Afternoon Deelites was a
perfect three-for-three as a juvenile, capturing the Hollywood Futurity (G1) and
the Hollywood Prevue S. (G3). The following season the handsome bay won the
Malibu S. (G1), San Felipe S. (G2) and San Vicente S. (G3) and missed by a head
in the Santa Anita Derby (G1). At four, Afternoon Deelites annexed the
Commonwealth H. (G2) and capped his career with a runner-up effort in the
Metropolitan H. (G1). He was retired to Airdie Stud near Midway, Kentucky, with
a 12-7-3-0 record and earnings of $1,061,193.
During his stallion career Afternoon Deelites sired 23 stakes winners
including Grade 2 winners Zappa, Deeliteful Irving and Miss Pickums and two-time
Grade 3 winner Three Hour Nap. After moving to Clear Creek in 2004, Afternoon
Deelites sired two Louisiana-bred champions in Princess Deelite and Nob Hill
Deelite.
His son, Popcorn Deelites, a sprinter-miler, is best known for playing “Seabiscuit”
in the Oscar-nominated film starring Jeff Bridges. “Pops” was retired to Old
Friends by owner David Hoffman in 2005.
“Kent Desormeaux, who rode Afternoon Deelites in every one of his starts,
once told me he was the fastest horse he ever rode,” Blowen said. “We can’t
thank Val Murrel and everyone at Clear Creek enough for entrusting us with this
champion.
“It’s an honor and privilege to have him here, and we hope all of his fans
will come out and visit him.”
For more information about Afternoon Deelites or any of the retirees at Old
Friends, contact the farm at (502) 863-1775.