Michael Blowen can step outside his house anytime and visit retired racehorses at Old Friends, the thoroughbred retirement farm he founded in Kentucky two decades ago.
The Georgetown, Kentucky farm is home to Blowen's favorite resident, 30-year-old Silver Charm, the oldest living Kentucky Derby winner.
"The reason that a lot of fans come here to visit these horses and donate money to buy for it to so that donate money to support the farm so we can pay our bills," said Blowen. "They come here because he's the star.”
At the 240-acre farm, visitors can take a guided, 90-minute walking tour while getting up-close looks at some of the farm’s most famous residents, including Silver Charm and I’ll Have Another, the 2012 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner.
"Silver Charm only has four teeth left," said Blowen. "And so he can't chew the big cookies. So now Mrs.
Pastures provides us 200 pounds of crumbs every month for Silver Charm. He'll do anything for these.”
Old Friends has about 250 thoroughbreds in its care at its farms in Kentucky and New York.
“You know, it's really great that these horses get to live out their lives eating grass and greeting their visitors and I just thank everybody every day for allowing me to be in this very special place," said Blowen.
The Kentucky Derby is May 4.
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