Michael Blowen, the founder of Old Friends, can easily visit retired racehorses at the Kentucky farm he started 20 years ago, where both winning and losing horses are well taken care of.
From his house, Blowen can see Silver Charm, the champion racehorse that won the 1997 Kentucky Derby, strolling around in a nearby pasture.
Blowen greeted Silver Charm and fed him before the horse moved to his water trough and fell asleep, displaying his predictable daily routine.
Blowen described Silver Charm as knowing what he wants and when he wants it, highlighting the horse's predictable nature.
The Old Friends farm in Kentucky serves as a retirement spot for champion racehorses and less successful ones, providing a leisurely environment and attracting visitors, especially during the Derby season.
At Old Friends, every day is like a special day for the retired racehorses, akin to Legends Day during the Derby event.
Visitors can take a guided tour at Old Friends for $30, where they can see famous retired racehorses like Silver Charm and I’ll Have Another up close.
In 2003, Blowen, a former film critic, started Old Friends with just one horse and a leased paddock, prompted by the unfortunate news of a previous Derby winner ending up in a slaughterhouse.
The death of 1986 Kentucky Derby winner Ferdinand played a significant role in inspiring Blowen to establish a comfortable retirement home for racehorses at Old Friends.
Currently, about 250 retired racehorses live at Old Friends, either in the main Kentucky farm or in three satellite locations.
At the Kentucky farm, Silver Charm follows a simple routine of posing for photos and socializing with other horses, preferring to return to his stall in the afternoon and occasionally running around.
Blowen humorously remarked that Silver Charm runs down the hill like he's starting a show, referencing the horse's occasional bursts of energy.
Silver Charm has resided at Old Friends for almost 10 years, symbolizing the proper care that retired racehorses should receive in their later years, according to Old Friends CEO John Nicholson.
Nicholson emphasized that Silver Charm reminds people of the importance of horses in the industry, highlighting their contributions and the need to give back to them.
The group of former Derby winners includes horses from around the world, such as Kentucky, which is the central place for the sport. After their racing days, these champion horses typically start breeding in the hope that their offspring will carry on their legacy and make profit.
Silver Charm followed a similar path. After a successful racing career that included victories at the Derby, Preakness, and Dubai World Cup — earning nearly $7 million — his breeding career began at the well-known Three Chimneys Farm in Kentucky, and later he spent years in Japan.
Silver Charm was later moved to Old Friends, where he has become a beloved representative for the farm.
For a period, two of Silver Charm’s greatest rivals — Touch Gold and Swain — were his neighbors at Old Friends. Touch Gold won the 1997 Belmont Stakes in a close race with Silver Charm, preventing him from winning the Triple Crown. Silver Charm later defeated Swain at the Dubai World Cup. Touch Gold still lives at Old Friends, but Swain passed away at the age of 30 in 2022.
Not all residents of Old Friends achieved victory. Zippy Chippy, a beloved loser for never winning in 100 races, spent his later years comfortably at the Old Friends farm in upstate New York until his passing in 2022.
“In the early part of their lives, they’re following instructions from people,” Nicholson said, also noting that Old Friends primarily relies on donations to cover annual operating costs that amount to millions of dollars. “At this stage of their life, we’re doing everything they tell us to do.”
When there is space, Old Friends attempts to take in any retired thoroughbred that an owner wants to send there, Blowen said. Owners must give up ownership and bring the horse. Old Friends only accepts thoroughbreds and prioritizes horses considered at “great risk” and stallions returning from overseas, as stated on its website.
As the representative of Old Friends, Silver Charm embodies the life that former racehorses deserve, according to Nicholson.
“He was a great athlete, but since then, he has been an ambassador for an even higher purpose,” he said. “And I think that’s part of his magic.”
For visitor Susan Hale, seeing Silver Charm up close brought back memories of a hunch bet she placed at the 1997 Derby.
“I went to the paddock as he was being prepared to race, and I said, ‘I’m going to bet on that horse right there,’” Hale remembered about the bet she made on Silver Charm, which won her several hundred dollars and allowed her to treat her friends to dinner at a steakhouse later that night.
Silver Charm won the race in thrilling fashion — and a lasting place in Hale’s heart. A framed picture of Silver Charm in his prime is displayed in her living room back home in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
“He’s actually why I’m here,” Hale said. “The other horses have been beautiful, too, but he’s my favorite.”
However, Silver Charm’s most dedicated companion is Blowen, the founder and retired president of Old Friends, who can see his favorite horse simply by stepping out his back door.
“Imagine the most incredible thing you've ever seen and put it in your backyard, then you’ll have an idea,” Blowen said about having Silver Charm as a neighbor. “Every day, I get that.”
