Farma Way (April 2, 1987 – November 18, 1999) was an American

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 ...

racehorse Horse racing is an 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 sports, as its bas ...

and

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 ...

foaled in

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 ...

. As a four-year-old in 1991 he was one of the leading racehorses in North America, winning the

Santa Anita Handicap The Santa Anita Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early March at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. It is a Grade I race for horses four years old and up and was once considered the most important race for old ...

Pimlico Special The Pimlico Special is a Grade 3 American thoroughbred horse race for horses age three and older over a distance of miles ( furlongs) held at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland in mid May. The race currently offers a purse of $250,000. ...

San Antonio Handicap The Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Run at miles on the dirt, the race is for horses aged three and upward and carries a purse of $200,000. The race was inaugurated ...

San Pasqual Handicap The San Pasqual Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually during late January or early February at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The Grade II event is open to horses, age four and up, willing to race one and one-eighth m ...

and

San Carlos Handicap The San Carlos Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race once held during the third week of February at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, but now run in March. The Grade III stakes race is open to horses, aged three and up, willing to r ...

. He was also the winner of the 1991 American Championship Racing Series.

Background

Farma Way was a brown horse bred in Kentucky by Mr. & Mrs. C. D. Callaway III. He was sired by

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 ...

winner Marfa out of the Diplomat Way mare, Fine Tribute, a descendant of the very important sire,

Nearco Nearco (January 24, 1935 – June 27, 1957) was an Italian-bred Thoroughbred racehorse described by '' Thoroughbred Heritage'' as "one of the greatest racehorses of the Twentieth Century" and "one of the most important sires of the century." He ...

. Farma Way was originally trained by

Neil Boyce Neil is a masculine name of Irish origin. The name is an anglicisation of the Irish '' Niall'' which is of disputed derivation. The Irish name may be derived from words meaning "cloud", "passionate", "victory", "honour" or "champion".. As a surnam ...

but was later transferred to

D. Wayne Lukas Darrell Wayne Lukas (born September 2, 1935, in Antigo, Wisconsin) is a retired American horse trainer and a U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee. He has won twenty Breeders' Cup races, received five Eclipse Awards for his accomplishments, and his h ...

Racing career

Farma Way lost his first four starts. After he ran second in the

Hollywood Futurity The Los Alamitos Futurity is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for two-year-olds run over a distance of one and one sixteenth miles ( furlongs) on the dirt held annually in early December at Los Alamitos Race Course in Cypress, Californi ...

, Boyce put him in the turf Baldwin Stakes, which was a surface change and resulted in a win. In his fourth year, the colt won the

and set a 1 3/16 mile track record for

Pimlico Race Course Pimlico Race Course is a thoroughbred horse racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, most famous for hosting the Preakness Stakes. Its name is derived from the 1660s when English settlers named the area where the facility currently stands in honor of O ...

in winning the 1991

. His time of 1:52 2/5 also equalled the

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

n record for 1 3/16 miles on dirt set by

Riva Ridge Riva Ridge (April 13, 1969 – April 21, 1985) was a Thoroughbred racehorse, the winner of the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes in 1972. Often remembered simply as a stablemate of Secretariat, Riva Ridge was a successful racehorse in his own rig ...

in 1973 at

Aqueduct Racetrack Aqueduct Racetrack is a Thoroughbred horse racing facility and casino in the South Ozone Park, Queens, South Ozone Park and Jamaica, Queens, Jamaica neighborhoods of Queens, New York City, United States. Aqueduct is the only racetrack within ...

. As of January 2008, their record still stands. His headstrong ways, however, were his undoing and the cause of a 2-year dispute between jockey Gary Stevens and Farma Way's trainer,

. Farma Way got into a duel with Jolie's Halo, and Stevens could not rate him, allowing Festin to win a race in which Farma Way was favored. When Lukas berated Stevens in public after the race, Stevens instructed his agent to refuse any Lukas mounts. It was two years before Stevens rode for Lukas again.

Stud record

Retired to Balla Vista Farm, in

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, Farma Way was a successful sire. Some of his progeny include

graded stakes race A graded stakes race is a thoroughbred horse race in the United States that meets the criteria of the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA). A specific grade level (I, II, III or listed) is th ...

winners Birr, Cobra King, Dontbotherknocking, Rob N Gin, and Ruby Surprise. Farma Way had to be put down on November 18, 1999, after fracturing his hind leg in a paddock accident.

Pedigree

References

{{Reflist

External links

Masters of the Saddle Gary Stevens
1987 racehorse births 1999 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States American Grade 1 Stakes winners Thoroughbred family 20 Horse racing track record setters