WinStar Farm is an American
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...
horse breeding and
racing
In sport, racing is a competition of speed, in which competitors try to complete a given task in the shortest amount of time. Typically this involves traversing some distance, but it can be any other task involving speed to reach a specific go ...
farm near Versailles, Kentucky, owned by
Kenny Troutt. It won the 2010
Eclipse Award for Outstanding Owner and 2016
Outstanding Breeder. WinStar Farm owned 2018
Triple Crown winner
Justify, 2010
Kentucky Derby winner
Super Saver, 2010
Belmont Stakes winner
Drosselmeyer
Drosselmeyer (foaled April 1, 2007, in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2010 Belmont Stakes and the 2011 Breeders' Cup Classic.
Background
Drosselmeyer was sired by multiple stakes winner Distorted Hu ...
, and 2016
Belmont Stakes winner
Creator. Notable stallions that have stood at stud at Winstar Farm include two-time
Breeders' Cup Classic
The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3-year-olds and older run at a distance of on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships in late October ...
winner
Tiznow,
leading sire and
broodmare sire Distorted Humor, and
Triple Crown and
Breeders' Cup Classic
The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3-year-olds and older run at a distance of on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships in late October ...
winner
American Pharoah's sire
Pioneerof the Nile.
Background
The core of the property was Silver Pool Farm, a farm settled in the late 1700s by the Williams family from the Tidewater area of Virginia, which remained in that family for over 150 years.
The area was first surveyed in 1788 and the original Silver Pool farm was settled by Daniel Williams, a descendant of
Roger Williams. His wife, Mary, was a relative of
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...
. The couple were among the founders of the local Baptist Church. Their sons Daniel and John went on to own the Silver Pool property and it was used for raising livestock and for manufacturing products from
hemp
Hemp, or industrial hemp, is a botanical class of '' Cannabis sativa'' cultivars grown specifically for industrial or medicinal use. It can be used to make a wide range of products. Along with bamboo, hemp is among the fastest growing plants ...
. John's grandson, Claude S. Williams, also lived there and was known as a successful and "locally prominent" farmer and stockman. The farm was known to have been owned by the Williams family at least through the 1930s.
Several buildings on the property are listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
.
The original pond was used as a location for cutting and hauling ice.
The NRHP historic portion of the property is part of the Pisgah Rural Historic District and lies mostly along Pisgah Pike road. The conforming structures include the original farmhouse from the settlement period, circa 1784-1790, when Virginia families first moved into the region. It had additions built onto it sometime after the Civil War but retains its historic character. A brick smoke house, tobacco barn that was converted to a horse barn, and the spring-fed, stone-lined pond also are listed. Along a portion of the Pisgah Pike that adjoins the property, a natural hedge of
Osage orange has grown so tall that it has become a canopy arching over the road, and is also noted on the NRHP as a historically significant feature.
Over time, most of Silver Pool became part of the 400-acre Prestonwood Farm, owned by
Houston, Texas
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...
oilmen Jack, Art, and J. R. Preston, whose better known horses included
Da Hoss and
Victory Gallop
Victory Gallop (foaled May 30, 1995, in Ontario, Canada) is a Canada, Canadian-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1998 Belmont Stakes to deny Real Quiet the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, Triple Crown, and was the 1999 Ec ...
.
In 2000,
Kenny Troutt and Bill Casner, both with long-standing interests in horses, came together to purchase Prestonwood, renaming it WinStar Farm.
Included in the purchase were the
stallions Distorted Humor, still standing at WinStar and the sire of 2003
Kentucky Derby winner
Funny Cide,
and
Kris S.
Kris S. (foaled April 25, 1977 – May 7, 2002) was an American Thoroughbred race horse who is best known as a highly successful sire.
Background
Kris S. was a son of the 1972 Epsom Derby winner Roberto who was a sire of international influence ...
Over the years, WinStar has steadily grown, incorporating land from the nearby Olsen, Johnson and Kinkead farms, and as of 2016, consists of over housing over 20 stallions, as well as a large broodmare band and facilities for weanlings and yearlings.
In 2002, WinStar made its first major stallion acquisition —
Tiznow, the only two-time winner of the
Breeders' Cup Classic
The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3-year-olds and older run at a distance of on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships in late October ...
, having won that event in 2000 and 2001. Although Tiznow's pedigree was not fashionable, WinStar took a gamble that paid off when Tiznow became the leading freshman sire of 2005. He has ranked among the top thirty sires in North America for many years, and was among the top five sires in 2008 and 2009. He is now developing into a successful sire of sires.
Doug Cauthen, brother of jockey
Steve Cauthen, was named the first president and CEO of WinStar. In 2005,
W. Elliott Walden, who had
trained Distorted Humor and several WinStar horses, became vice president and racing manager. In 2010, Troutt and Casner dissolved their partnership, leaving Troutt as the sole owner of WinStar.
Later that year, Walden replaced Cauthen as president and CEO.
In 2013, WinStar built a new stallion barn that houses 18 stallions, with covered access to two breeding sheds and two viewing areas. There are twenty-two paddocks of 3 acres each in which the stallions are turned out each day. A secondary barn acts as a quarantine area for stallions shuttling to the Southern Hemisphere, and also houses stallions when there is no room for them in the main barn. They also have an extensive training facility for teaching young Thoroughbreds the basics of racing. Graduates of their training program include such notable horses as
Songbird and
Honor Code.
WinStar was a finalist for the
Eclipse Award for
Outstanding Breeder in 2008. WinStar won the
Eclipse Award for Outstanding Owner in 2010. WinStar offers an innovative "Dream Big" program, which offers breeders the opportunity to earn a lifetime breeding right to a young stallion after producing just two live foals from his first books. Troutt said that in the volatile thoroughbred industry, the keys to survival are to not let emotions drive bidding and to always be willing to sell.
WinStar Farm won the
Eclipse Award for Outstanding Breeder of 2016 after leading all North American breeders with earnings of $10,516,427, led by Tourist. Horses bred by WinStar earned 15 graded stakes wins and 239 overall wins in 2016, placing WinStar first in these categories as well.
WinStar at the races
Although WinStar is known primarily as a stud farm, they have also raced several notable horses under WinStar's
colors.
*
Justify, winner of the 2018
Triple Crown, a son of Scat Daddy, purchased at the 2015 Keeneland sales for $500,000
*
Bluegrass Cat, won the 2006 Haskell Invitational and was second in the Derby, a homebred by
Storm Cat
*
Colonel John, won the 2008 Santa Anita Derby and Haskell Invitational, a homebred by Tiznow
*
Well Armed, won the 2009
Dubai World Cup by a record 14 lengths, a homebred by Tiznow
*
Super Saver†, won the 2010 Kentucky Derby, a homebred by
Maria's Mon
Maria's Mon (April 24, 1993 – September 14, 2007) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse that was the champion two-year-old colt in 1995 and produced two Kentucky Derby winners.
Maria's Mon was foaled in Kentucky on April 24, 1993 at the farm ...
*
Drosselmeyer
Drosselmeyer (foaled April 1, 2007, in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2010 Belmont Stakes and the 2011 Breeders' Cup Classic.
Background
Drosselmeyer was sired by multiple stakes winner Distorted Hu ...
, won the 2010 Belmont Stakes and 2011 Breeders' Cup Classic, a homebred by Distorted Humor
* Commissioner†, won the 2015 Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap, 2nd in the 2014 Belmont, a homebred by
A.P. Indy
A.P. Indy (March 31, 1989 – February 21, 2020) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Belmont Stakes and Breeders' Cup Classic on his way to American Horse of the Year honors in 1992. His time in the Belmont Stakes tied Easy Goer fo ...
*
Creator, winner of the
2016 Belmont Stakes, a son of
Tapit
Tapit (foaled February 27, 2001, in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won three of his six races, including the Wood Memorial Stakes, then a Grade I event. He was an immediate success after retiring to stud, becoming the le ...
, purchased at the 2014 Keeneland September sales for $440,000
*
Tourist
Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism ...
†, winner of the 2016 Breeders' Cup Mile, a homebred by Tiznow
"Homebred" means WinStar owned the dam of the horse at time of foaling, not the sire.
† Currently stands at WinStar Farms
Stallions
File:Distorted Humor.jpg, Distorted Humor greeting visitors, July 2015
File:Pioneerof the Nile at Winstar Farms.jpg, Pioneerof the Nile after a roll in the mud, July 2015
File:Tiznow horse.jpg, Tiznow in his stall at WinStar Farms
File:Tourist with BC Mile blanket.jpg, Tourist after the Breeders' Cup Mile
File:Speightstown at Winstar Farms.jpg, Speightstown being led out for exercise, July 2015
File:Bodemeister.jpg, Bodemeister at the Kentucky Derby
Current
As of 2022, 16 stallions stand at WinStar:
*
Always Dreaming
* Audible
* Constitution (2011) — won the 2014 Florida Derby and the 2015 Donn Handicap. Sire of
Belmont Stakes winner
Tiz the Law
Tiz the Law (foaled March 19, 2017) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2020 Belmont Stakes and Travers Stakes. He was the first New York-bred horse to win the Belmont since Forester in 1882. He also won the 2019 Champagne Stak ...
* Global Campaign
* Good Samaritan
*Improbable
*Independence Hall
* More Than Ready (1997) — a leading sire in both the northern and southern hemispheres with over 60 graded stakes winners
* Outwork (2013) – first season stallion for 2017
*
Paynter (2009) — stood his first season in 2014, sire of
Horse of the Year Knicks Go
* Promises Fulfilled
*
Speightstown (1998) — winner of the 2004 Breeders' Cup Sprint, top 10 sire for six straight years
*Take Charge Indy was sold to the Korea Racing Association in November 2017. He was bought back by WinStar Farm in 2020.
*
Tom's d'Etat
Tom's d'Etat (foaled March 7, 2013, in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse and the winner of the 2019 Clark Handicap and 2020 Stephen Foster Stakes.
Career
Tom's d'Etat's first race was on May 6, 2016, at Churchill Downs, where h ...
* Tourist (2011) – Breeders' Cup Turf winner of 2016. first season stallion in 2017
*Yoshida
Former stallions
*
Kris S.
Kris S. (foaled April 25, 1977 – May 7, 2002) was an American Thoroughbred race horse who is best known as a highly successful sire.
Background
Kris S. was a son of the 1972 Epsom Derby winner Roberto who was a sire of international influence ...
died in 2002 at the age of 25. At the time of his death, he had sired 63 stakes winners, including four
Breeder's Cup winners and two
Eclipse Award champions, with progeny earnings of $48 million. In 2003, Action this Day became his final Breeders' Cup winner and champion. Kris S. is buried at WinStar, just outside the entrance to the stallion barn
*
Distorted Humor (1993) — leading sire of 2011.
Notable offspring include dual Classic winner
Funny Cide and Belmont Stakes winner
Drosselmeyer
Drosselmeyer (foaled April 1, 2007, in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2010 Belmont Stakes and the 2011 Breeders' Cup Classic.
Background
Drosselmeyer was sired by multiple stakes winner Distorted Hu ...
. Distorted Humor is also a successful sire of sires, including
Flower Alley, sire of Kentucky Derby winner
I'll Have Another. Distorted Humor once stood for as much as $300,000, before a downturn in the bloodstock market caused his fee to decline
*
Victory Gallop
Victory Gallop (foaled May 30, 1995, in Ontario, Canada) is a Canada, Canadian-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1998 Belmont Stakes to deny Real Quiet the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, Triple Crown, and was the 1999 Ec ...
, the 1998
Belmont Stakes winner and the 1999
U.S. Champion Older Male Horse, was sold to the Jockey Club of Turkey in 2008
* Colonel John was sold to the Korea Thoroughbred Breeders Association in September 2016
* Drosselmeyer was sold to Stud TNT and now stands in Brazil
*
Pioneerof the Nile (2006) — Sire of
Triple Crown and
Breeders' Cup Classic
The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3-year-olds and older run at a distance of on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships in late October ...
winner
American Pharoah. He died of a heart attack in 2019.
*
Tiznow (1997) — leading American freshmen sire of 2005 and consistently in the top rank of sires since then. His leading progeny include 2008 Belmont Stakes winner
Da' Tara
Da' Tara (foaled April 26, 2005) is an American thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2008 Belmont Stakes in an upset over Big Brown. Da' Tara was a 38-1 underdog entering the post at Belmont. He is trained by Nick Zito, his jockey is Alan Ga ...
and
Santa Anita Derby winner Colonel John.
He was retired from stud duty in 2020.
*Bluegrass Cat, was retired to stud at WinStar in Kentucky but now stands at Ballena Vista Farm in California on lease.
*
Super Saver (2007) — sire of champion
Runhappy, was sold to the Turkish Jockey Club in 2019.
*Daredevil — sire of
2020 Preakness Stakes
The 2020 Preakness Stakes was the 145th Preakness Stakes, a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of miles (1.9 km). The race is one leg of the American Triple Crown and is held annually at Pimlico Race Course in Ba ...
winner
Swiss Skydiver, was sold to the Turkish Jockey Club in 2019.
*Congrats (2000) — leading freshman sire in 2010
*
Harlan's Holiday
Harlan's Holiday (April 6, 1999 – November 1, 2013) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won three Grade 1 stakes before retiring to stud where he had become a successful sire.
Background
Harlan's Holiday was a bay horse bred by Double ...
* Sidney's Candy
References
External links
WinStar Farm website
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American racehorse owners and breeders
Owners of Kentucky Derby winners
Horse farms in Kentucky
Buildings and structures in Woodford County, Kentucky
Eclipse Award winners