Runnymede Farm is 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 breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in ...

farm located outside Paris, Kentucky on

U.S. Route 27 U.S. Route 27 (US 27) is a north–south United States Highway in the southern and midwestern United States. The southern terminus is at US 1 in Miami, Florida. The northern terminus is at Interstate 69 (I-69) in Fort Wayne, Indiana. F ...

, the Paris-Cynthiana Road. It is said to be the longest continuously running

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

horse farm in Kentucky, established in 1867 by

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

Ezekiel Field Clay. Colonel Ezekiel Clay (1840–1920), whose father,

Brutus J. Clay Brutus Junius Clay (July 1, 1808 – October 11, 1878) was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky, and a son of Green Clay. His brother Cassius Marcellus Clay also was a politician in the state, and they both joined the Unionist Party at the time ...

, was a member of the

Kentucky House of Representatives The Kentucky House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kentucky General Assembly. It is composed of 100 Representatives elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. Not more than two counties can be joined to form ...

and the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

and a breeder of Thoroughbreds and champion

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult mal ...

. He was a nephew of abolitionist Cassius Clay and a cousin to

Henry Clay Henry Clay Sr. (April 12, 1777June 29, 1852) was an American attorney and statesman who represented Kentucky in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. He was the seventh House speaker as well as the ninth secretary of state, al ...

Ezekiel Clay & Catesby Woodford breeding partnership

In the early part of the 1870s Ezekiel Clay formed what became a successful partnership with Catesby Woodford (d. age 74 in 1923) who owned the neighbouring Raceland Farm. Woodford was a wealthy Paris, Kentucky distiller who became President of the Race Horse Owners' and Trainers' Association and whose ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' obituary said "was regarded as the dean of Kentucky sportsmen." Both the partnership and Clay's Runnymede operation produced a number of top line horses. U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductees

Miss Woodford Miss Woodford (1880–1899) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who was one of the top American fillies of all time, winning 16 consecutive races. Background Miss Woodford was bred in Kentucky by the Ezekiel Clay & Catesby Woodford b ...

Hanover Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...

Ben Brush Ben Brush (1893–1918) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1896 Kentucky Derby. Walter Vosburgh, for whom the Vosburgh Stakes is named, said Bramble was "a breed as tough as pine nuts." On May 6, 1896, Bramble and Ros ...

, and Roamer were bred at Runnymede Farm. As well, the farm has bred: * Agile (b. 1902) - won 1905 Kentucky Derby *

Count Turf Count Turf (April 27, 1948 – October 18, 1966) was a champion American Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse who won the 1951 Kentucky Derby. His grandsire Reigh Count won the 1928 Kentucky Derby and his sire Count Fleet won the 1943 Kentucky De ...

(b. 1948) - won 1951 Kentucky Derby *

Angle Light Angle Light (April 18, 1970 – unknown) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who defeated the champion Secretariat in the 1973 Wood Memorial Stakes. Background Angle Light was bred by Howard B. Noonan and Runnymede Farm and was purchased and ...

(b. 1970) - won the 1973 Wood Memorial Stakes, defeating Secretariat *

Tejano Run Tejano Run (May 5, 1992 – 2011) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who came second in the 1995 Kentucky Derby to Thunder Gulch. Background Tejano Run was bred by Catesby Woodford Clay at his Runnymede Farm outside Paris, Kentucky. He was b ...

(b. 1992) - wins include the Breeders' Futurity Stakes Maker's Mark Mile Stakes and Widener Handicap * Palace Episode (b. 2002) - won Racing Post Trophy *

Awesome Gem {{Infobox racehorse , horsename = Awesome Gem , image = , caption = Awesome Gem at Monmouth Park. , sire = Awesome Again , grandsire = Deputy Minister , dam = Piano , damsire = Pentelicus , sex = Gelding , foaled = 2003 , country = U ...

(b. 2003) - won

San Fernando Breeders' Cup Stakes The San Fernando Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in mid January at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Open to four-year-old horses, it is contested on at a distance of miles (8.5 furlongs) on Pro-Ride synthetic d ...

Divine Park Divine Park (foaled March 20, 2004, in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse who won the 2007 Withers Stakes, 2007 Westchester Handicap, and 2008 Metropolitan Handicap. Background and Racing Career Divine Park was sold as a ...

(b. 2004) - wins include the

Withers Stakes The Withers Stakes is a Graded stakes race, Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three years old horses over the distance of miles on the dirt scheduled annually in February at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York (state), New York. T ...

and Metropolitan Handicap *

Lady Eli Lady Eli (foaled February 2, 2012 in Kentucky) is a retired Thoroughbred racehorse who was named the American Champion Female Turf Horse of 2017. She first came to national attention when she won the 2014 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. She ...

(b. 2012) - wins include the

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf The Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf is a one-mile turf stakes race for thoroughbred fillies two years old. As its name implies, it is part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, the ''de facto'' year-end championship for North American thoro ...

and Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes Today, Runnymede Farm is owned by Catesby Woodford Clay, a grandson of founder, Ezekiel Clay.

References

;Further reading * *

External links

Runnymede Farm history
{{coord, 38.2477, -84.2871, type:landmark, display=title American racehorse owners and breeders Buildings and structures in Bourbon County, Kentucky Horse farms in Kentucky