A home for horses: Explore Chorleywood Farm, a second chance spot for retired racehorses

Lennie Omalza
·6 min read

Most racehorses have a career of only two to three years. When their time at the track is over, Kentucky nonprofit Second Stride provides these athletes with a place to live out their final years or get ready for a new home.

"Most thoroughbreds will retire between (the ages) of two and five," Anne Steinbock, community relations manager at Second Strides, told The Courier Journal. "But they live for 25 to 30 years, so there’s a whole lifetime ahead of them that needs to be filled — and the horses (must be) cared for in a reliable way."

Second Stride was founded in 2005 to help with these horses’ next phase of life. It began as a traditional retired racehorse transition program; horses would enter the program from tracks and training centers after being injured or retired from racing. The organization would give these horses everything they needed, including surgery, rehabilitation time, or training.

"We now have expanded into retired broodmares as well," Steinbock said. "Also, babies — weanlings and yearlings that won’t make it to the track. … We train them (to be) trail horses or companion horses. We just try to find the placement that’s right for them."

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Equine beginnings

Anne Steinbock rides War Office, a retired broodmare at Chorleywood. The 25-acre Chorleywood Farm is home to the nonprofit Thoroughbred transition program Second Stride, which provides rehabilitation, retraining and committed adoptive homes to retired racehorses, broodmares and young Thoroughbreds not suited to the track. Chorleywood Farm generally houses 16 transitioning Thoroughbreds at any one time, and may serve 80 horses over a year.

Steinbock explains that the Second Stride location at Chorleywood Farm in Prospect was originally a thoroughbred farm owned by George and Janet Falk, dubbed Sunny Acres Farm.

Foals were bred there to go to the Keeneland yearling sales, while a few were kept to be raced. One well-known horse that once resided at Sunny Acres is Goldseeker Bud, who won the $100,000 Churchill Downs Handicap in 1995, defeating the 1994 Kentucky Derby Champion Go For Gin.

"(The Falks) lived on the property in view of the barns and the fields," she said. "It’s been a really gracious example of the traditional thoroughbred farm for a long time — that’s why our program is so excited to be here. We're dealing with the other side of the industry; we’re taking the horses when they’re finished racing and helping them find their next thing to do."

Anne Steinbock leads Special Reserve (multiple graded stakes winner) into the main barn at Chorleywood. 25-acre Chorleywood Farm is home to nonprofit Thoroughbred transition program Second Stride, which provides rehabilitation, retraining and committed adoptive homes to retired racehorses, broodmares and young Thoroughbreds not suited to the track. Chorleywood Farm generally houses 16 transitioning Thoroughbreds at any one time, and may serve 80 horses over a year.

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She adds that the historic barn on the 25.1-acre property features a cobblestone entrance and is an all-wood structure with metal framing and two spires, reminiscent of Churchill Downs.

"They don’t build them anymore that way, with the totally wood frame," Steinbock gushed. "(It’s) lovely for us, and the horses love it. It has fabulous ventilation. It really shows how people have always done it right in terms of these farm structures."

Prepped for the next step

Vicious move, left, Warrior's Club, and Hawaakom hang out in one of the pastures at Chorleywood. The 25-acre Chorleywood Farm is home to the nonprofit Thoroughbred transition program Second Stride, which provides rehabilitation, retraining and committed adoptive homes to retired racehorses, broodmares and young Thoroughbreds not suited to the track. Chorleywood Farm generally houses 16 transitioning Thoroughbreds at any one time and may serve 80 horses over a year.

Chorleywood Farm's newer barn is a modern, metal-clad indoor riding arena that boasts exterior-facing windowed stalls and a tack/feed room.

"It is crucial for our program," Steinbock said, explaining that it offers a safe and enclosed all-weather area that is used to retrain horses all year long.

"Everything is arranged with the safety and comfort of horses in mind," she added. "For the program, the horses' needs always come first."

In addition to providing a place for the horses to get ready for their next phase of life — which typically includes adoption — the new barn offers a comfortable and secure place for adopters to visit.

Twinkling Knight peeks out the stalls at the main barn at Chorleywood. 25-acre Chorleywood Farm is home to nonprofit Thoroughbred transition program Second Stride, which provides rehabilitation, retraining and committed adoptive homes to retired racehorses, broodmares and young Thoroughbreds not suited to the track. Chorleywood Farm generally houses 16 transitioning Thoroughbreds at any one time, and may serve 80 horses over a year.

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"(They can) get out there and really interact with the horses, and really find out which one is going to match them personally," Steinbock said.

She adds that Second Stride is constantly receiving and adopting out new horses, and often has about 18 retired racers on the property at any given time.

Retired winners

Warrior's Club, of the Churchill Downs Racing Club, gallops in one of the pastures at Chorleywood. The 25-acre Chorleywood Farm is home to the nonprofit Thoroughbred transition program Second Stride, which provides rehabilitation, retraining and committed adoptive homes to retired racehorses, broodmares and young Thoroughbreds not suited to the track. Chorleywood Farm generally houses 16 transitioning Thoroughbreds at any one time, and may serve 80 horses over a year.

One of the famous horses who graced the lands of Chorleywood Farm is My Boy Jack, who competed in the 2018 Kentucky Derby. At the time, he was owned by Don't Tell My Wife Stables and Monomoy Stables, LLC and trained by Keith Desormeaux.

"My Boy Jack is happily adopted at a nearby local horse farm and loves long rides on the Brownsboro Alliance trails," Steinbock said, adding that Chorleywood is currently home to four ambassador horses — the real superstars who live on the farm permanently.

This includes General A Rod, who ran in the 2014 Kentucky Derby and went on to complete the Triple Crown. He was owned by Skychai Racing and Starlight Racing and was trained by Mike Maker. Now that General A Rod resides at Chorleywood Farms, tour groups are able to meet him — and he happily welcomes peppermints and any other non-low carb treat.

Anne Steinbock leads Special Reserve (multiple graded stakes winner) out of the main barn at Chorleywood. The 25-acre Chorleywood Farm is home to the nonprofit Thoroughbred transition program Second Stride, which provides rehabilitation, retraining and committed adoptive homes to retired racehorses, broodmares and young Thoroughbreds not suited to the track. Chorleywood Farm generally houses 16 transitioning Thoroughbreds at any one time and may serve 80 horses over a year.

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Steinbock explains that tours are available for a suggested $20 donation.

"It’s most important to us that we’re teaching people not just what we do, but about aftercare in general," she said. "This is something that’s in need all over the country, and we just would like people to know that programs like us exist."

Know a house that would make a great Home of the Week? Email writer Lennie Omalza at aloha@lennieomalza.com or Lifestyle Editor Kathryn Gregory at kgregory@gannett.com.

nuts & bolts

Owner: William C. Carstanjen, CEO of Churchill Downs Incorporated. The property is occupied by Second Stride, a nonprofit program transitioning retired racehorses into second careers and committed adoptive homes.

Home: This is a historic barn on the 25.1-acre property of Chorleywood Farm. It is made of traditional all-wood construction and features adjacent climate-controlled community rooms. There is also a newer barn that is a modern metal-clad indoor riding arena with exterior-facing windowed stalls and a tack/feed room.

Distinctive elements: Cobblestone entrance to spire barn; new four-board wood horse fencing across 25 acres for all pastures and round pens; six-layer footing in the indoor arena for joint support and cushioning; open and airy barns with adequate ventilation and visibility to encourage equine wellbeing and socialization; space that is designed to safely house and transition racehorses, retired broodmares, and non-racing bloodstock; round pens to offer horses fresh air and safe, moderate exercise during rehabilitation and while easing out of the racehorse mentality; lush grass pastures to offer horses socialization, play, and a crucial part of their nutrition; indoor arena to provide a safe space in any weather for training and adoption appointments; outdoor lighting for the arrival of horses from tracks and training centers across the country 24-hours a day.

Applause! Applause! William C. Carstanjen, CEO of Churchill Downs Incorporated; Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance; ASPCA Right Horse; Moserwood Farm; Colleen Walker of Walker Sells and Janet Rupp J. Lloyd Designs for installation pieces and interior decorating; Ursula Ratliff and Mary Beirne for landscaping; the Shircliff Family; MagnaWave; and the many wonderful Second Stride volunteers.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Chorleywood Farm is home to Second Strides for retired racehorses