Spendthrift Farm

Racing silks of Spendthrift Farm

In 1966 Majestic Prince was foaled at Spendthrift, bred by Combs. The famous son of Raise A Native later was returned to the farms and died there in 1981. In 1979, the great Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew was retired to stud and stood at Spendthrift until 1987.

Spendthrift Farms went public in 1983.[2] In 1984 Queen Elizabeth II visited Spendthrift Farms to view not only Seattle Slew but also Affirmed as possible studs for her stable of Thoroughbreds containing 22 broodmares.[3]

In 1984 the Keeneland Association honored Spendthrift Farm with its Mark of Distinction for their contribution to Keeneland and the Thoroughbred industry.[4]

In 1988, Spendthrift Farms filed for bankruptcy.[5] The farm was acquired out of bankruptcy the next year by Terry McBrayer, Curtis C. Green, Henry "Cap" Hershey, and William du Pont III[6]

Spendthrift Farms was sold in a foreclosure auction to MetLife in 1993.[7] MetLife resold it to lawyer Ted Taylor the next year.[8] In 2000, the farm was acquired by Bruce Klein.[9] In 2004, B. Wayne Hughes, the founder of Public Storage, purchased the historic farm.

In 2020, as part of an ownership group with MyRaceHorse Stable, Madaket Stables, and Starlight Racing, Spendthrift was named the leading owner for North American earnings due to a successful season for Authentic.[10]

Along with being a breeding facility in the 1960s and 70's, several important racehorses are buried at the farm. These include, Nashua, Never Bend, Prince John, Raise A Native, Gallant Man, Caro, and Valdez. Landaluce was moved to the farm from the Hollywood Park Racetrack in 2014 after the racetrack closed.[11]

Their 2021 stallion roster and their stud fees are: Authentic (NEW) — $75,000 Bolt d'Oro — $15,000 Brody's Cause — $5,000 Cinco Charlie — $5,000 Cloud Computing — $5,000 Coal Front — $5,000 Cross Traffic — $7,500 Dominus — $5,000 Free Drop Billy — $5,000 Goldencents — $15,000 Gormley — $5,000 Hit It a Bomb — $5,000 Into Mischief — $225,000 Jimmy Creed — $10,000 Lord Nelson — $10,000 Malibu Moon — $35,000 Maximus Mischief — $7,500 Mitole — $15,000 Mor Spirit — $5,000 Omaha Beach — $35,000 Temple City — $5,000 Vekoma (NEW) — TBA Vino Rosso — $25,000

Malibu Moon is the sire of Kentucky Derby winner Orb, and was a top 10 sire in North America from 2010 to 2013 and again in 2015.[12] His stud fee for the 2017 season is $75,000, the highest at Spendthrift Farm.[13][14]

Spendthrift Farm also owns shares in regional stallions, including Flashpoint, who stands in Louisiana, Normandy Invasion, who stands in New York, Freedom Child and Super Ninety Nine, who both stand in Maryland.

The 1995 United States Supreme Court case Plaut v. Spendthrift Farm, Inc. arose from a securities fraud lawsuit against the farm relating to its 1983 public offering of stock.

Notes

Further reading

• Patton, Janet (February 26, 2012). "At Spendthrift, it all begins in the breeding shed". Lexington Herald-Leader. Lexington, Kentucky: The McClatchy Company.

• Spendthrift Farm