Woodburn Stud was an American

horse breeding Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given Horse breed, breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired chara ...

farm located in Woodford County,

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

about from the city of Lexington. It was established in the 18th century as an original

land grant A land grant is a gift of real estate—land or its use privileges—made by a government or other authority as an incentive, means of enabling works, or as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service. Grants ...

property of General Hugh Mercer to whom it had been granted for his military services during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

. Robert Alexander (1767–1841), a Scottish immigrant, came to

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

from Scotland in 1786. Around 1790 he purchased the Mercer estate in Kentucky. Under the guidance of his son,

Robert A. Alexander Robert Aitcheson Alexander (c. 1819 – December 1, 1867) was an American breeder of Thoroughbred and Standardbred horses. Biography Born on a farm near Midway, Woodford County, Kentucky, he and his siblings inherited the property on his father ...

, during the 19th century, Woodburn Stud became the birthplace of Kentucky's

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...

industry.

History

Robert A. Alexander was the first to establish a systematic design method for horse breeding. Woodburn Stud was home to the

stallion A stallion is an adult male horse that has not been gelded ( castrated). Stallions follow the conformation and phenotype of their breed, but within that standard, the presence of hormones such as testosterone may give stallions a thicker, "cre ...

Lexington (1850–1875), America's leading

sire Sire is an archaic respectful form of address to reigning kings in Europe. In French and other languages it is less archaic and relatively more current. In Belgium, the king is addressed as "Sire..." in both Dutch and French. The words "sire" an ...

for sixteen years. Lexington sired numerous champions and winners of major races including Duke of Magenta,

and

Preakness Preakness may refer to: * The Preakness or Preakness Stakes, an American flat thoroughbred horse race held in Baltimore, Maryland * Preakness (horse), an American thoroughbred racehorse from Preakness Stables * Preakness, New Jersey, a section of W ...

, for whom the

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held annually on Armed Forces Day, the third Saturday in May at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland (except in 2026 when it will move to Laurel Park (race track), Laurel Park dur ...

is named. Woodburn breeding yielded 18 winners of U.S. Triple Crown race winners and other major winners including Lexington's grandson Foxhall. Some of the notable Thoroughbreds buried at Woodburn farm include

Asteroid An asteroid is a minor planet—an object larger than a meteoroid that is neither a planet nor an identified comet—that orbits within the Solar System#Inner Solar System, inner Solar System or is co-orbital with Jupiter (Trojan asteroids). As ...

(1861–1886),

Planet A planet is a large, Hydrostatic equilibrium, rounded Astronomical object, astronomical body that is generally required to be in orbit around a star, stellar remnant, or brown dwarf, and is not one itself. The Solar System has eight planets b ...

(c. 1855–1875), and

Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Aus ...

(1858–1879), a son of the 1853 English Triple Crown winner West Australian. Although Lexington's success as a sire made Woodburn Stud near synonymous with

flat racing Horse racing is an equestrianism, equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all spor ...

Thoroughbreds, in fact during the mid- to late 19th century, Woodburn was where the

Standardbred horse The Standardbred is an American horse breed best known for its ability in harness racing where they compete at either a trot or pace. Developed in North America, the Standardbred is recognized worldwide, and the breed can trace its bloodlines ...

originated and the farm was best known for these trotting horses for

harness racing Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait (a trot or a pace). They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, spider, or chariot occupied by a driver. In Europe, and less frequently in Australia ...

. After the death of Robert A. Alexander in December 1867, the operation prospered under his brother Alexander John "A.J." Alexander. But after A.J.'s death in 1902, it went into decline. Not long into the 20th century, the farm was no longer in the horse business and had been converted to

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Mature female cattle are calle ...

land. In 1867 A.J. Alexander bred

, who would be purchased by

Milton H. Sanford Milton Holbrook Sanford (August 29, 1813 – August 3, 1883) was an American businessman, lawyer, and owner/breeder of Thoroughbred racehorses. Early life Sanford was born in Medway, Massachusetts, on August 29, 1813. He was the eldest of fou ...

and for whom the

is named. The American Classic Race winners bred by the Alexanders' Woodburn Stud are: *

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby () is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is run by three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of . Colt (horse), Colts and geldin ...

(4): **

Baden-Baden Baden-Baden () is a spa town in the states of Germany, state of Baden-Württemberg, south-western Germany, at the north-western border of the Black Forest mountain range on the small river Oos (river), Oos, ten kilometres (six miles) east of the ...

(1877) ** Fonso (1880) **

Joe Cotton Joanne Monique "Joe" Cotton, is a Canadian-born New Zealand pop singer who gained recognition as a member of the girl group TrueBliss, formed in 1999 on ''Popstars''. Cotton has since joined a cover band, The Mermaids Danceband. She has also w ...

(1885) **

Chant A chant (from French ', from Latin ', "to sing") is the iterative speaking or singing of words or sounds, often primarily on one or two main pitches called reciting tones. Chants may range from a simple melody involving a limited set of no ...

(1894) *

(4): ** Tom Ochiltree (1875) **

Shirley Shirley may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Shirley'' (novel), an 1849 novel by Charlotte Brontë * ''Shirley'' (1922 film), a British silent film * ''Shirley'' (2020 film), an American biographical film about Shirley Jackson * ''Shirley'' ( ...

(1876) ** Duke of Magenta (1878) **

Grenada Grenada is an island country of the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean Sea. The southernmost of the Windward Islands, Grenada is directly south of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and about north of Trinidad and Tobago, Trinidad and the So ...

(1880) *

Belmont Stakes The Belmont Stakes is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is run over the worldwide classic distance of . Colt (horseracing), Colt ...

(10): ** General Duke (1868) **

Kingfisher Kingfishers are a family, the Alcedinidae, of small to medium-sized, brightly coloured birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species living in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Oceania, ...

(1870) **

Harry Bassett Harry Bassett (1868–1878) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse, winner of the 1871 Belmont Stakes and an outstanding racehorse of the 19th century. He also won a number of other stakes races, and was named the Champion male of his age group ...

(1871) ** Joe Daniels (1872) **

Springbok The springbok or springbuck (''Antidorcas marsupialis'') is an antelope found mainly in south and southwest Africa. The sole member of the genus (biology), genus ''Antidorcas'', this bovid was first Species description, described by the Germa ...

(1873) ** Duke of Magenta (1878) **

Spendthrift A spendthrift (also profligate or prodigal) is someone who is extravagant and recklessly wasteful with money, often to a point where the spending climbs well beyond their means. ''Spendthrift'' derives from an obsolete sense of the word ''thrift'' ...

(1879) **

(1880) ** Burlington (1890) **

Patron Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, art patronage refers to the support that princes, popes, and other wealthy and influential people ...

(1892)

Airdrie Stud

Today the Woodburn name is long gone but the horse breeding business was revived in 1972 as Airdrie Stud Inc. which now operates on , much of which is part of the original Woodburn Stud lands. Airdrie Stud, Inc. is owned by former

Kentucky Governor The governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Sixty-two men and one woman have served as governor of Kentucky. The governor's term is four years in length; since 1992, incumbents have bee ...

Brereton Jones Brereton Chandler Jones (June 27, 1939 – September 18, 2023) was an American politician from the Commonwealth of Kentucky. From 1991 to 1995, he was the state's 58th governor, and had served from 1987 to 1991 as the 50th lieutenant governor ...

and his wife Libby. Mrs. Jones is a descendant of the Alexander family. In 2000, the Airdrie-bred

filly A filly is a female horse that is too young to be called a mare. There are two specific definitions in use: *In most cases, a ''filly'' is a female horse under four years old. *In some nations, such as the United Kingdom and the United States ...

Caressing Physical intimacy is sensuous proximity or touching. It is an act or reaction, such as an expression of feelings (including close friendship, platonic love, romantic love, or sexual attraction), between people. Examples of physical intimac ...

won the

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies The Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies is a -mile thoroughbred horse race on dirt (although the distance has varied, depending on the configuration of the host track) for two-year-old fillies run annually since 1984 at a different racetrack in the Un ...

Stallions at Airdrie Stud

As of 2017, Airdrie currently stands eight stallions, including- *Cairo Prince: From the first crop of his sire

Pioneerof the Nile the Nile (May 5, 2006 – March 18, 2019) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who came second in the 2009 Kentucky Derby and sired the 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, as well as 2016 Champion 2-Year-Old Colt Classic Empire. B ...

, Cairo Prince became the early favorite for the 2014

after his impressive wins in the Gr.II

Nashua Stakes The Nashua Stakes is a Listed American Thoroughbred horse race for two-year-olds over a distance of one mile on the main dirt track scheduled annually in late October or early November usually at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York. The event c ...

and Gr.III

Holy Bull Stakes The Holy Bull Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three year old horses run over the distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt, held annually in January at Gulfstream Park, Hallandale Beach, Florida. The event cu ...

. His suffered an injury in his sophomore year, ending his career. He commands a stud fee of $15,000. *Creative Cause: A standout son of

Giant's Causeway The Giant's Causeway () is an area of approximately 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcano, volcanic fissure eruption, part of the North Atlantic Igneous Province active in the region during the Paleogene period. ...

, Creative Cause won several graded stakes races, including the Gr.I

FrontRunner Stakes The American Pharoah Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually near the end of September during the fall meet at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. A Grade I event, it is open to two-year-old horses and is held at a distance ...

, Gr.II

Best Pal Stakes The Best Pal Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for two-year-olds over a distance of six furlongs on the dirt track scheduled annually in August at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. The event currently carries a purse ...

, and Gr.II

San Felipe Stakes The San Felipe Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. It is a Grade II event open to three-year-old horses. Normally held in early -March, it is raced at a distance of one and one-s ...

, while also placing in the Gr.I

Del Mar Futurity The Del Mar Futurity is a seven-furlong American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. A Grade I event since 2007, the race is open to two-year-old horses and offers a purse of $300,000. In 1971, it wa ...

, Gr.I

Breeders' Cup Juvenile The Breeders' Cup Juvenile is a Thoroughbred horse race for 2-year-old colts and geldings raced on dirt. It is held annually in late October or early November at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup W ...

, Gr.I

Santa Anita Derby The Santa Anita Derby is an American Grade 1 thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run each April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. It is currently run at a distance of miles on the dirt and carries a purse of . It is one of t ...

, Gr.II

San Vicente Stakes The San Vicente Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race run annually at Santa Anita Park. A Grade II event, the race is open to three-year-old horses willing to race seven furlongs on the dirt and currently carries a purse of $200,000. Histo ...

, and Gr.I

. He was also fifth in the 2012

and defeated every horse he ran against at least once. A full brother to graded stakes winner Destin, he commands a stud fee of $15,000. *Include: A Gr.I winning son of

Broad Brush Broad Brush (April 16, 1983 – May 15, 2009) was an American thoroughbred racehorse foaled in Maryland. He was by the Hall of Fame stallion Ack Ack out of the Hoist The Flag mare Hay Patcher. Bred and owned by Robert E. Meyerhoff and train ...

and sire of multiple graded stakes winners, he commands a stud fee of $10,000. *Istan: A globetrotting son of

Gone West Gone West (March 10, 1984 – September 7, 2009) was an American Thoroughbred Horse racing, racehorse. Bred by William O. Reed, he was a son of the influential sire Mr. Prospector. His dam, Secrettame, was a daughter of 1973 United States Trip ...

, Istan won two graded stakes races and several ungraded. He commands a stud fee of $5,000. *Majesticperfection: A Gr.I winning son of

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 D ...

, he commands a stud fee of $15,000. *Mark Valeski: A multiple graded stakes winner of Proud Citizen, his stud fee is private. *Summer Front: A son of top sire War Front, he was an undefeated stakes winner as a juvenile and commands a stud fee of $10,000. *Upstart: His sire Flatter's best juvenile son, he won the Funny Cide Stakes, Gr.II Holy Bull Stakes and Gr.III

Razorback Handicap The Razorback Handicap is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for four-year-olds and older at a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt run annually in February at Oaklawn Park Race Track in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The event c ...

throughout his career. A millionaire, he commands a stud fee of $10,000.

References

Bibliography

External links

Official website of Airdrie Stud
{{coord, 38, 08, 24, N, 84, 44, 24, W, display=title American racehorse owners and breeders Horse farms in Kentucky Buildings and structures in Woodford County, Kentucky 18th-century establishments in Kentucky