Old Friends at Dream Chase Farm - Georgetown, Kentucky - A Bluegrass Stable for Retired Thoroughbreds

How can you go wrong touring a beautiful farm, which sits in the middle of the country's most beautiful pastures, and whose mission it is to rescue some of the most beautiful horses in the world?

The answer is, you can't.

Since Old Friends at Dream Chase Farm opened, following the 2002 slaughterhouse death of Kentucky Derby winner Ferdinand, this retirement home for thoroughbreds has won the hearts of everyone who's visited. Each horse in the stable has a story - of winning and losing, of being passed from one owner to another, and even, occasionally, of abuse.

For visitors, Old Friends lacks the sort of hands-off rules that you'd expect of such a place. The staff is accommodating. The horses are friendly. During the one-hour tour you can pet them if they're in the mood, and feed them any number of treats, from carrots and apples to cookies and bananas - and even peppermints.

The celebrity of Old Friends is Popcorn Deelites, one of six horses who starred as Seabiscuit in the movie of the same name. Though Popcorn earned just $60,000 in his racing career, he was the blood-bay with dark points that director Gary Ross was looking for to take its turn as the horse that beat triple-crown winner War Admiral. Popcorn's movie acting specialty, it turned out, was to play Seabiscuit breaking from the gate.

Other horses at the retirement home include Awad, who won more than $3 million in his racing career, Bonnie's Poker, the mother of Derby and Preakness winner Silver Charm, and Bull Inthe (no typo) Heather, who was Ferdinand's most successful son.

If the celebrity of Old Friends is Popcorn Deelites, its unquestionable star is a miniature horse named Little Silver Charm. Bought for $40 as he was on his way to what the farm calls "a very bad place,'' the smallest stallion at the stable (which, by the way, is the only thoroughbred retirement home that accepts stallions) favors oversized sunglasses and is the friend of horses, people, and goats alike.

As one visitor recalled of the Very Little horse, "Little Silver Charm nearly steals the show.''

Everybody who goes to Old Friends loves their time there, variously recalling their experiences as "fantastic'' and "heartwarming'' and "the absolute best thing I did while visiting Lexington.''

The farm does not hard-sell its need of donations, but most people, after seeing its splendid animals, have a hard time resisting. As one visitor said later: "They don't really mention donations or pressure you at all, but there's something in the horses' eyes telling you `I NEED more carrots PUH-LEEEEEZE!' so you just want to empty your pockets.''

For $100 you can buy a share in one of the horses there - a donation for which you'll get a certificate and a photograph of the horse.

Old Friends is located at: 1841 Paynes Depot Rd, Georgetown, KY.

It's open seven days a week - but only two to five hours a day - and you need to call ahead to arrange a tour: 502-863-1775.