Touch Gold is pictured at Old Friends. Photo by Rick Capone
GEORGETOWN, KY — Belmont Stakes winner Touch Gold, the horse famous for denying Silver Charm the Triple Crown in 1997, has been retired to Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Center in Georgetown, Ky.
Michael Blowen, founder and president of Old Friends, made the announcement yesterday.
The 21-year-old stallion comes to Old Friends from Adena Springs in Paris, Ky., and has been generously donated by Adena owner Frank Stronach along with an endowment. In October, Old Friends also accepted the Stronach-owned Alphabet Soup.
Touch Gold
Sire: Deputy Minister
Dam: Passing Mood
Foal date: May 26, 1994
Earnings: $1,679,907 in 15 startsSired by Deputy Minister out of the Buckpasser mare Passing Mood, Touch Gold began his career in Canada with trainer Daniel J. Vella. He came to United States as a 3-year-old and was campaigned by David Hofmans. In the U.S.Touch Gold won the GR2 Lexington Stakes at Keeneland. Not entered in the Kentucky Derby, he ran fourth in Preakness Stakes after a troubled trip and a suffering a hoof injury.
In the Belmont, Touch Gold laid Derby and Preakness winner Silver Charm’s Triple Crown bid to rest when he went wide and surged ahead to catch the favorite in the closing yards.
Silver Charm was repatriated from Japan in 2014 and is also now pensioned at Old Friends.
Touch Gold went on the capture the GR1 Haskell Invitational before retiring with 15 starts,6 wins and career earnings of $1,679,907.
As a sire, Touch Gold is well represented by four Grade I winners, including, Royal Challenger who won the Breeders’ Stakes, the third leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, and Seek Gold, who won the GR1 Stephen Foster Handicap and is now also retired at Old Friends. His son Medalist is also a multiple-graded-stakes winner.
“It’s amazing to reunite these two great rivals,” said Blowen of Touch Gold and Silver Charm. “We also now have War Emblem and the horse who ended his Triple Crown Bid, Sarava. It’s a great to revisit and recount these wonderful racing stories.
“Our thanks again to Mr. Stronach and everyone at Adena Springs for entrusting us with this amazing horse,” Blowen continued. “We hope all of Touch Gold’s fans will come visit him.”
I’m beginning to think that I’m just going to have to MOVE back to my birthplace (Kentucky) so that I can spend days upon days at Old Friends – just so I can see and spend time with all of the horses there who I’ve loved through the years. So wonderful that such a haven exists!
That sounds like a great plan!