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Grave Matters: Darby Dan Farm, Lexington, Kentucky
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Photos Liz Martiniak and Barbara Livingston. ©Liz Martiniak 2003; © Barbara Livingston 2003, all rights reserved. |
Top: View of Darby Dan Cemetery. Left to right, grave of His Majesty, Ribot,
Black Toney (statue), Graustark, Roberto (Barbara Livingston).
Center: Statue of Black Toney (Barbara Livingston).
Bottom: View of cemetery looking toward the stallion barn (Liz Martiniak). |
DARBY DAN FARM was formed from the core of the famed IDLE HOUR STOCK FARM owned by E.R. Bradley, who first buried horses here. Previous to this, the farm was known as Ash Grove Stock Farm and was home to the great trotting sire GEORGE WILKES, who is said to have been buried on the property in an unmarked grave. Bradley honored his foundation stallion BLACK TONEY with a statue over his grave, which remains today, located near the stallion barns. Bradley also buried his Kentucky Derby winner BUBBLING OVER here, and the mare BLOSSOM TIME (dam of the top class BLUE LARKSPUR). The farm is also probably the site of burial of Bradley's first winner, FRIAR JOHN (1895), who was still alive as a pensioner in 1926 and was promised a final place to rest on Idle Hour, although his date of death is unknown. Idle Hour stallion *NORTH STAR III, who died in 1935, is probably also buried here. Bradley also bred the Kentucky Derby winner Brokers Tip, who is buried at the Kentucky Derby Museum at Churchill Downs, Louisville.
Upon the death of Bradley in 1945, IDLE HOUR was sold and broken up into smaller farms. The parcel on the southern side of Old Frankfort Pike was sold to King Ranch, which owned it into the 1980s, and is now known as Old Frankfort Place where Bradley-bred BLUE LARKSPUR is buried. A southern parcel became Danada Farm, which is now Mare Haven Farm. The core of the farm, on the north side of Old Frankfort Pike, was for a short time known as Circle M Farm, owned by Charles W. Moore. Moore stood BLUE SWORDS, who died here in 1955.
Daniel W. Galbreath purchased the property and renamed it DARBY DAN FARM. Later, Darby Dan horses were also laid to rest here and include the great Italian champion RIBOT, as well as his sons, the good stakes winners and sire brothers GRAUSTARK and HIS MAJESTY. Galbreath's homebred ROBERTO won the Derby at Epsom and became a leading international sire. Other Darby Dan burials include the good stakes winners SUMMER TAN and GOOD COUNSEL, and the broodmares DARBY DUNEDIN and FLOWER BOWL (dam of GRAUSTARK and HIS MAJESTY).
Darby Dan Farm also has a division near Columbus, Ohio, the home of it's owner, Daniel Galbreath. Some of the farm's pensioners were brought to the Ohio farm to live out their days, including the great runner and producer PRIMONETTA, Champion Handicap Mare of 1962 and Broodmare of the Year in 1978, and QUEEN'S PARADISE, dam of champion filly TEMPEST QUEEN. -- A.P. |
| DARBY DAN FARM BURIALS
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| Known Ash Grove Stock Farm Burials
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| Stallions
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| George Wilkes (trotter)
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| Known Idle Hour Stud Farm Burials
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| Stallions | Broodmares |
Black Toney (c. 1911-1938, statue)
Bubbling Over (c. 1923-1938) | Blossom Time (f. 1920-1946) |
| Known Circle M. Farm Burials
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| Stallions
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| Blue Swords (c. 1940-1955)
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| Known Darby Dan Farm Burials
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| Stallions | Broodmares |
Graustark (c. 1963-1988)
His Majesty (c. 1968-1995)
Ribot (c. 1952-1972)
Roberto (c. 1969-1988)
Summer Tan (c. 1952-1969)
Good Counsel (c. 1968-1987) | Darby Dunedin (f. 1942-1962)
Flower Bowl (f. 1952-1968)s |
| Known Darby Dan Farm Burials: Columbus, Ohio, Division
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| Broodmares |
Primonetta (f. 1958-1993)
Queen's Paradise (f. 1969-1994) |
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