Thoroughbred Horses

A federal judge has denied Bob Baffert’s request to lift his two-year suspension by Churchill Downs. The judge says the Hall of Fame trainer did not prove its discipline hurt his business and reputation.

Michael Blowen is the founder of Old Friends, a retirement farm for thoroughbreds located in Scott County, Kentucky, north of Lexington. The stars in residence at Old Friends include 1997 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Silver Charm; Touch Gold, whose win in the 1997 Belmont Stakes denied Silver Charm the Triple Crown; two longshot winners of the Belmont, Sarava, who won at 70-1 in 2002, and Birdstone, a 36-1 winner in 2004; and several winners of Breeders Cup World Championship races. The big winners draw visitors from around the world, but Old Friends is also home to horses who had little success on the track. All are able to live out their later years in a peaceful setting in Central Kentucky. He speaks one on one with SportsPage host Keith Elkins.

For Valerie Ashker, promoting ex-racehorses as a breed and finding second careers for them after their life on the track is over has literally become a…

Three weeks ago the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation stepped in to rescue the worst of forty horses abandoned and left to starve on a farm in Mercer…