Adena Springs
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Adena Springs is a
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 ...
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 ...
operation owned by Frank Stronach and his family. The main farm is located in
Paris, Kentucky Paris is a home rule-class city in Bourbon County, Kentucky, and the county seat. It lies northeast of Lexington on the Stoner Fork of the Licking River. It is part of the Lexington–Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2020, it ha ...
, with satellite locations in Florida and Ontario, Canada. Adena Springs has won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Breeder eight times, one of which was Stronach winning the award in his own name. Adena Springs has won the Canadian
Sovereign Award for Outstanding Breeder The Sovereign Award for Outstanding Breeder is a Canadian Thoroughbred horse racing honor created in 1975 by the Jockey Club of Canada. It is part of the Sovereign Awards program and is awarded annually to the top breeder whose horse(s) have compe ...
eight times, plus four earlier wins under Stronach's own name. Adena Springs has stood multiple stallions at its various farms since 1996. Their first important stallion was El Prado, who was the leading sire in North America for 2002, and an influential sire of sires, including Medaglia d'Oro and Kitten's Joy, himself the leading sire in 2012. They next expanded their program by adding half-brothers
Awesome Again Awesome Again (March 29, 1994December 15, 2020) was a Canadian Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse and stallion. As a three-year-old, he won the Queen's Plate in Canada and the Jim Dandy Stakes in the United States. He was undefeated at age four ...
and
Macho Uno Macho Uno (foaled April 24, 1998 in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse. He was sired by the 1994 American Horse of the Year and National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee, Holy Bull. T ...
. , the operation stands 18 stallions. In 2013, Adena Springs stood three of the top 15 stallions in the Thoroughbred industry, with
stud fee Stud may refer to: Animals * Stud (animal), an animal retained for breeding ** Stud farm, a property where livestock are bred Arts and entertainment * Stud (band), a British progressive rock group * The Stud (bar), a gay bar in San Francisco * Th ...
s ranging from $3,500 to $75,000 for various stallions. Adena Springs began as a nursery to produce horses for Stronach Stables. Famous homebreds include
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 in the United States as part of the Breeders' Cup World Champion ...
winner
Awesome Again Awesome Again (March 29, 1994December 15, 2020) was a Canadian Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse and stallion. As a three-year-old, he won the Queen's Plate in Canada and the Jim Dandy Stakes in the United States. He was undefeated at age four ...
and his best son, Horse of the Year
Ghostzapper Ghostzapper (foaled April 6, 2000) is a Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Breeders' Cup Classic in 2004, outdistancing Roses in May by three lengths in a track record time of 1:59.02. His gate-to-wire Classic victory completed a 4-for-4 season, ...
, both of whom stand at Adena. With the expansion of the farm, Adena is now a major seller of young thoroughbreds. Horses bred and sold by Adena include Game On Dude and Judy the Beauty.


Organization and history

The first Adena Springs location was a farm near
Versailles, Kentucky Versailles is a home rule-class city in Woodford County, Kentucky, United States. It lies by road west of Lexington and is part of the Lexington-Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area. Versailles has a population of 10,534 according to 2024 ce ...
, purchased in 1989. The farm was named after the Adena, who were the earliest known inhabitants of the region. Adena Springs Kentucky expanded to its current facility located in Bourbon County near
Paris, Kentucky Paris is a home rule-class city in Bourbon County, Kentucky, and the county seat. It lies northeast of Lexington on the Stoner Fork of the Licking River. It is part of the Lexington–Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2020, it ha ...
in 2005. The Adena Springs South farm is located in
Williston, Florida Williston is a city in Levy County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Nature Coast. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 2,976, up from 2,768 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical ...
, which is north of
Ocala Ocala ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Marion County, Florida, United States. Located in North Central Florida, the city's population was 63,591 as of the 2020 census, up from 56,315 at the 2010 census and making it the 43rd-most popul ...
and was established in 1996 when the initial were purchased, with an additional added in 1999. The Florida facility now has and in addition to housing several stallions, it is where the young Thoroughbreds begin their race training. The Adena Springs North farm is located in
Aurora, Ontario Aurora ( 2021 population: 62,057) is a town in central York Region in the Greater Toronto Area, within the Golden Horseshoe of Southern Ontario, Canada. It is located north of the City of Richmond Hill and is partially situated on the Oak Ridge ...
, and houses several stallions. It is also home to a retirement program that prepares Thoroughbreds for second careers by retraining them and rehabilitating any injuries they may have. The goal is to place these horses in permanent adoptive homes and as of 2014 over 100 horses had been placed. Horses that are retired from racing but are not suitable for adoption are permanently retired to the Adena facility in Florida. The original concept for opening a
stud farm A stud farm or stud in animal husbandry is an establishment for selective breeding of livestock. The word "stud (animal), stud" comes from the Old English ''stod'' meaning "herd of horses, place where horses are kept for breeding". Historically, ...
in Canada was to produce horses deemed competitive on the international market. Stronach organized a partnership with Michael Coulterjohn in 2008 and brought Silent Name, a son of
Sunday Silence Sunday Silence (March 25, 1986 – August 19, 2002) was an United States, American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and Horse breeding#Terminology, sire. In 1989, he won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes but failed to complete the Triple Cr ...
to the facility, as well as
Sligo Bay Sligo Bay () is a natural ocean bay in County Sligo, Ireland. Geography Sligo Bay is opened between Aughris Head (South side) and Roskeeragh Point (North). The inner part of the bay is divided into three smaller bodies of water, hosting the e ...
, a son of
Sadler's Wells Sadler's Wells Theatre is a London performing arts venue, located in Rosebery Avenue, Islington. The present-day theatre is the sixth on the site. Sadler's Wells grew out of a late 17th-century pleasure garden and was opened as a theatre buil ...
. Stronach also sometimes leases stallions to stand in other regions across the United States, such as sending Giacomo to Oregon. Adena Springs also sends
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 ...
s to stud at other facilities in states where Adena Springs does not have its own farms, such as New York, and Maryland. They also stand stallions at facilities across Canada and in England.


Stallions

;Stallions who stand or have stood at Adena Springs: :†—Horse now deceased
‡-Retired to
Old Friends Equine Old Friends is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, 501(c)(3) equine retirement facility in Georgetown, Kentucky, accredited by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA). The organization started with one leased paddock and two horses, but it now ...
In February 2014, Adena Springs purchased an undisclosed interest in
Mucho Macho Man Mucho Macho Man (foaled June 15, 2008) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2013 Breeders' Cup Classic. He was foaled in Florida and named after the Village People song " Macho Man". His breeders were Carole and John Rio of Flori ...
, who at the time was still racing, and was retired in July of that year. Both his sire, Macho Uno, and his dam, Ponche de Leona, were owned by Adena Springs at the time of mating; the pregnant mare was subsequently purchased by John and Carole Rio of Florida, where Mucho Macho Man was
foal A foal is an equine up to one year old; this term is used mainly for horses, but can be used for donkeys. More specific terms are colt (horse), colt for a male foal and filly for a female foal, and are used until the horse is three or four. Whe ...
ed, and thus the Rios are officially listed as his breeders. Stronach, noting that Adena arranged the original mating, described the sale as "a homecoming of sorts."


See also

* Adena Springs Ranch *
Stronach Group Stronach Group, doing business as 1/ST (pronounced "first"), is an entertainment and real estate company in North America with thoroughbred horse racing and parimutuel gambling at the core.
* Stronach Stables


References

{{reflist American racehorse owners and breeders Horse farms in Kentucky 1989 establishments in Kentucky