Calumet Farm Back in the Stallion Business

re: Calumet Farm Back in the Stallion Business

Ian Tapp — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 00:32:45 GMT

Jason R,

I see what you're saying, but the breed needs distance-oriented sires as well as sprinter-miler sires. There were sprinters in the 1940s as well.

Times at Churchill Downs slow down when it's sloppy. Excluding sloppy Derbys, there hasn't been one run as slow as 2:03 since 1999. Compare that to the 1940s, when 9 of the 10 Derbys were run 2:04 or slower.

re: Calumet Farm Back in the Stallion Business

Jason R — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 18:15:00 GMT

Since 2009? If anything, these new comers remove any confidence I may have.

WHIRLAWAY (USA) ch. H, 1938 DP = 0-12-20-8-0 (40) DI = 1.22 CD = 0.10

and

PENSIVE (USA) ch. H, 1941 DP = 8-0-16-8-8 (40) DI = 0.67 CD = -0.20

Were bred to run all day. What do they bring today?

CACTUS RIDGE (USA) dkb/br. H, 2001 DP = 6-3-9-0-0 (18) DI = 3.00 CD = 0.83

ICE BOX (USA) ch. C, 2007 DP = 7-6-11-0-0 (24) DI = 3.36 CD = 0.83

Well...More Derby's run in 2:03/2:04...

re: Calumet Farm Back in the Stallion Business

Easy Street Horse Rescue — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 00:44:54 GMT

We had a horse come into our rescue named Princess Tali, she was born at Calumet Farm. Her G'father on Sire's side is Alydar. She came to our rescue, www.easystreetrescue.org , at almost two years ago. We understand she was used as a broodmare - never raced. She is now on a permenant foster home. She is a really sweet and beautiful mare. Does anyone know of her or any of her history??

Thanks,

Nina Bellinger,

Director

Easy Street Horse & Barnyard Rescue, Inc.

Amsterdam NY

re: Calumet Farm Back in the Stallion Business

Ron Cioffi — Thu, 17 May 2012 03:26:34 GMT

I have been a Calumetfan since Hill Gail fired my boiyhood imagination with his jet fast Ky Derby win in 1952. For years, Mrs. Glass would kndly forward me each years list of Calumet 2-yera olds so I could search them out in the owrkouts printed inthe Morning Tekegraph. Each of calumet's stakes horses and winners became my personal stable and enriched my childhood and continued beyond . I look forward to the new chapter beginning with the new ownership announced during this year's derby week, the 60th since Hill Gail's sparkling win! Does anyone know the story of Before Dawn since her retirement?

re: Calumet Farm Back in the Stallion Business

Ian Tapp — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 19:10:18 GMT

Not sure, Boxwood. Maybe give them a call and see. Contact info is on their website.

re: Calumet Farm Back in the Stallion Business

Boxwood — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:02:58 GMT

Do they still give tours? I heard that they stopped it..does anyone know?

re: Calumet Farm Back in the Stallion Business

Criminal Type — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 22:31:50 GMT

Ian, I respect you wanting to keep comments on a positive footing. My feelings about the Alydar issue aside, I applaud the De Kwaitkowski's for their continuing efforts to bring back some of the glory to Calumet. It certainly looks like the younger De Kwaitkowski's are commited to the farm. Calumet was a national treasure and it still saddens me to think about all those lovely bloodlines that Warren Wright worked so hard to develope being auctioned off at Keeneland for literally pennies on the dollars of their worth. Hopefully this new start with stallions will put them back on the road to what Calumet could be again.

re: Calumet Farm Back in the Stallion Business

Mike Relva — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:10:13 GMT

Anyway you spin it Calumet will have a work in progress.

re: Calumet Farm Back in the Stallion Business

AFFIRMED 78 — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:57:52 GMT

PLEASE DO NOT FORGET AFFIRMED HELD COURT AT CALUMET TOO! THE OWNERSHIP IS NEW AND I PRAY GOING IN THE CORRECT DIRECTION FOR THE RACING INDUSTRY.IT NEEDS ALL THE POSTIVE SUPPORT IT CAN GET. ALYDAR, AND THIS TOO SHALL PASS, MY DEAR COPPER PENNY COATED COLT. I REMEMBER THE GLORY DAYS OF CALUMET AND SEEING AFFIRMED AND ALYDAR AT CALUMET IN 1987. OLD MEMORIES AND HOPEFULLY NEW ONES WILL COME FROM ICONIC CALUMET FARM! LOVE TOBY KEITH'S MUSIC TOO!

re: Calumet Farm Back in the Stallion Business

Early Speed — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 19:22:14 GMT

I urge posters to pay attention to what Ian Tapp has said about Alydar's death and staying on topic. With that, I am THRILLED that Calumet is back in the business of standing stallions. Back in 1969, Mom and Dad took my sister and me to Kentucky horse country and we visited Calumet and saw Citation. He was a very old horse. I think he died seven months later. I felt very honored to lay eyes on such greatness. Kwiatkowski's purchase of the farm was a Godsend. He truly enjoyed his horses for who they were, and deserved such a fine horse as Conquistador Cielo (Conquerer of the Skies), a horse whose name was right in line with the fine Polish man's love of aviation.

re: Calumet Farm Back in the Stallion Business

skyfire — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 00:39:48 GMT

Good Luck to Calumet!! God Bless the de Kwiatkowski family for keeping the historic farm in the horse racing business. I am rooting for them!!

re: Calumet Farm Back in the Stallion Business

anita b — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 00:20:18 GMT

Hi,

I wish Calumet well. Don't blame the "farm name" for what one person did. I hope they do come back and attract more quality stallions in the future.

re: Calumet Farm Back in the Stallion Business

Whateveryoucallit — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 17:02:38 GMT

I don't understand WHY my comments are not being posted. I stayed on topic. Is this just for your friends to post comments. It would be nice if you could note that at the top so people don't have to waste their time coming here and reading this stuff when it's only for select individuals.

re: Calumet Farm Back in the Stallion Business

Lemon Drop Kid — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 06:45:05 GMT

So pleased to see Calumet standing stallions again. It has been wonderful to see their name more frequently in the recent years, and this should only expand that presence.

One of the greatest farms to raise a thoroughbred, to change its name would be a tremendous loss to the sport. I sincerely hope that standing stallions means the name Calumet will be prominent once again.

re: Calumet Farm Back in the Stallion Business

patsy — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 06:20:39 GMT

HOORAY i am very glad Camulett farm is back to breeding horses. I agree as I LOVED ALLYDAR AND AFFIRMED. i ALSO THINK THAT THE NEW OWNERS CARE ABOUT THE HORSES with that said they need every ones morale support and breeders support. I HOPE TO SEE THEM BACK AS MAJOR BREEDERS OF CHAMPIONS.I know alot of the older farms are all disappearing to bigger farms and to be sold for malls we as a racing commitee has lost a lot of legacy.I got a chance to see the trophies this year at the horse park and read about the great farm so it would be nice after this long to see them add to the trophys in years tocome. thanks to the owners of the stallions for moving them to the farm.

re: Calumet Farm Back in the Stallion Business

John T — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 02:54:50 GMT

Ian Tapp

Calumet Farm is one of the greatest names in North American breeding history and should be respeceted as such. Not only is the Alydar issue relevant to today's Calumet but also to the glorious years of the 30's and 40's.

Citation was probably the best horse bred by Calumet and the grand-dam Toboggan was an Epsom Oaks winner. She was by Hurry On whom that legandary English trainer Fred Darling said without hesitation ''He Was The Greatest Horse I Ever Trained''. As he raced during the First World War when racing was limited he never got to prove his great potential but nevertheless was unbeaten in 6 starts. Hurry On was an outstanding success at stud and at least in his day revived the great Matchem line.His very first foal Captain Cuttle went on to win the Epsom Derby and in fact he sired 2 more Derby Winners in Coronach and Call Boy. I know it will be hard for the present Calumet Farm to come up with another Citation, but good luck to them in trying to do so.

re: Calumet Farm Back in the Stallion Business

Whateveryoucallit — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 00:01:56 GMT

It's nice to see that stallions will be at Calumet again. Although it's highly unlikely that the farm will ever achieve the success it had during the 1930s, 40s and 50s...at least the land isn't being sold for development. Calumet's glory days came at a time when many owners bred their own and had their own family bloodlines. Yes, potential race horses were sold at auctions sales back then, but there were far more family-owned racing dynasties and bloodlines. For example, there was Wheatley stables, owned by O. Phipps mother and the stallion that powered that farm was the great sire Bold Ruler. The Phipps Family, obviously, is still in the racing business but not the way they used to be. Also, sires back then were not bred to as many mares as they are today and certain bloodlines were retained by the family, like Riddle did with Man O' War. Calumet bred, raised and raced their own, which is something you don't see too often anymore. Perhaps the family is thinking of going in that direction and developing a champion broodmare band and stallion roster. After all, MOST of the triple crown winners came from a family-owned and operated breeding farm. I believe Seattle Slew was the only triple crown winner purchased at a sale. That's just off the top of my head. But, glad to see stallions on the premises again.

re: Calumet Farm Back in the Stallion Business

sceptre — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 22:10:09 GMT

Sorry, Ian, for going off on a tangent, but the mention of Calumet did stirr longings for times past. The farms that breed exclusively to race are nearly gone now, and with them the best that the sport had to offer. It is now very rare for lines to be developed, and a farm as its symbol. Such a model was, for me, the epitome of the sport. Perhaps, something should be done to cultivate this. A "bonus" purse award for those farm owners whose homebreds race in their name?

re: Calumet Farm Back in the Stallion Business

Ian Tapp — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 20:11:27 GMT

To all:

Let's keep the comments on topic. Alydar's death is obviously a hot-button issue, but it's really not relevant to today's Calumet and their future with these new stallions.

re: Calumet Farm Back in the Stallion Business

Criminal Type — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 18:04:57 GMT

Yes, Criminal Type was still in the US when the farm was auctioned, however, he was sold shortly after and the funds from the sale used to offset Calumets debt's. Ditto Secreto. Thank god Wild Again stayed here.

re: Calumet Farm Back in the Stallion Business

sceptre — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:37:17 GMT

Hi Alan,

Yes, I agree; Best Turn is the tallest really high class horse I can recall. The *Turn-To-line would sporatically produce horses of great height-seemed to somewhat contradict what is known about height inheritance, at least in humans...Ewell Rice once told me that Best Turn was a near give-away. As a young horse, they couldn't get him to even approach breezing speeds until one day they hit him with the "stick" and he took off. He is buried at Calumet, but last time I was there I looked all over the cemetary without finding the grave of his great daughter, Davona Dale.

Criminal Type: As you must be aware, J.T. did serve a prison sentence. But, don't be so quick to paint him all black. He was very motivated to return Calumet to its glory days. While at its helm, J.T. implemented many physical improvements to the farm. In retrospect, he did go overboard with his horse purchases, and may not have been as selective as he should, but the breeding-to-race business isn't known for its "black ink". Perhaps, J.T.'s main sin was that he wasn't the best businessman... Criminal Type (the horse) was still in the US standing at stud when De Kwaitkowski purchased the farm.

re: Calumet Farm Back in the Stallion Business

2:24 — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:41:00 GMT

Sceptre - I understand Calumet's history, I really do. And I also understand new management not being responsible for Alydar. Perhaps the next thing new management should do is change the name of the farm. Despite it's fantastic history and accomplishments, to many in my generation (Generation X), Calumet Farm is synonomous with the Alydar murder. Now, I am a criminal defense attorney by trade, and believe in innocent until proven guilty for the most part. But from the evidence I have read, and what I believe, Alydar was murdered in the most horrific manner I can think of. To me, mention of Calumet Farm sends chills through my spine and leads to nausia. Just one man's opinion.

re: Calumet Farm Back in the Stallion Business

Deb — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:31:53 GMT

Calumet is so much horse history, I hope to hear more about them in the future. I have missed them. I hope things go well for them.

re: Calumet Farm Back in the Stallion Business

erz213 — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 12:41:28 GMT

This is terrific news. It is still one of the most impressive looking thoroughbred farms in Kentucky. The red and white decor is so striking to look at when you drive by.

re: Calumet Farm Back in the Stallion Business

smartysgal — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 07:59:21 GMT

It IS great to hear that Calumet is back in the stallion business. Calumet has been a favorite farm of mine since 1957 when I saw their Iron Leige beat a world-class, if not small, field in the Derby. Heartbroken that Gen. Duke was withdrawn the day before, my hopes were pinned on the "other" son of Bull Lea and he did not disappoint me. Iron Leige was always a hard-hitter. I learned he is not actually buried at Calumet, but a headstone is erected in his memory. Tim Tam was the very first racehorse I ever saw in person, but I didn't see him at Calumet. I saw him recuperating at the University of Pennsylvania. He was my very favorite Calumet horse. Calumet had its Glory Days back in the 1940s and 1950s and hasn't been the same since. I visited the farm in 1989 when their stallion roster would rival that of any other farm in the area. I still have their stallion booklet from that year. I wish Calumet the best in his climb back up the ladder!