Three Chimneys Farm
|
Three Chimneys Farm entrance | |
| Horse breeding/Racing Stable | |
| Industry | Thoroughbred Horse racing |
| Founded | 1972 |
| Headquarters | Midway, Kentucky, United States |
Key people |
Robert & Blythe Clay, owners Case Clay, President |
| Website |
www |
Three Chimneys Farm is an American Thoroughbred race horse breeding farm in Midway, Kentucky established in 1972 by Mr. & Mrs. Robert N. Clay. Widely known as one of the world's preeminent horse farms, Three Chimneys has been home to a number of famous horses including U.S. Triple Crown champion Seattle Slew, U.S. Filly Triple Crown champion Chris Evert, as well as Silver Charm, Chief's Crown, Genuine Risk, Point Given, Slew o' Gold, Capote, Smarty Jones, and Big Brown.
In 2012, the Three Chimneys stallion roster includes Rahy, Point Given, Yes It's True, Flower Alley, Good Reward, Sky Mesa, War Chant, and Big Brown. Flower Alley sired the 2012 Kentucky Derby Winner and Preakness Stakes winner, I'll Have Another.
Three Chimneys was the first thoroughbred breeding farm to advertise on the Internet. It also launched a series of commercials in 2006 to be aired during the Triple Crown races. The first one was a CGI of swimming sperm patterned after the positions in the 2000 Breeders' Cup Mile, won in dramatic fashion by Three Chimneys stallion War Chant, with the message, "To make a champion, begin with the first race." The rest were in the form of dating personals from several of the farm's stallions, seeking mares. Personalized letter commercials were made for Barbaro in 2006 and Big Brown in 2008.
In April 2008, The Kentucky region of the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Three Chimneys Farm teamed up to grant a young boy's wish of meeting Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes (both gr. I) winner Smarty Jones. His experience was chronicled June 30 during SportsCenter's "My Wish" series on ESPN.[1] Nine-year-old Patrick Munro of Greenlawn, N.Y. is one of five kids from the Make-A-Wish Foundation whose sports-related wish was highlighted on the SportsCenter series. Patrick, who suffers from hydrocephalus and, as a result, is blind and hearing impaired, spent several days in Central Kentucky in April. On the first day of his visit, Munro and his family were invited to Three Chimneys Farm to fulfill the boy's wish to meet Smarty Jones.
Three Chimneys Racing
The Clay family has formed racing partnerships under the banner, Three Chimneys Racing. As well, in October, 2008 a $10,000,000 Racing Package managed by Three Chimneys Farm was one of the featured gifts of the 2008 Neiman Marcus Christmas Book.[2] "You want the best, you go to the best. You want a working, turnkey, in-the-running thoroughbred racing enterprise right out of the starting gate? You go to Three Chimneys Farm," reads the catalog blurb for "Unbridled Passion: Horsepowered Holiday. "They will build you a stable of 12-15 thoroughbreds and with your input will train them, house them, select races, enter them in races, provide you a personal racing concierge, and manage the entire enterprise for the next four years. As the owner, you get to name your stable and any unnamed horses, design your own silks, attend races, pose for pictures, give quotes to the media ... and keep all the purses and trophies."
References
- Notes
- Further reading
- Patton, Janet (December 29, 2012). "At Three Chimneys, horses are guaranteed to ride into the sunset". Lexington Herald-Leader. Lexington: The McClatchy Company.