Athletes - Calumet Farm

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Calumet Farm is a 762 acre (3.1 km²) race horse breeding and training farm established in 1924 in Lexington, Kentucky, United States by William Monroe Wright, founding owner of the Calumet Baking Powder Company.

Initially based in Libertyville, Illinois, the more favorable climate of Kentucky made it a better place for a horse farm and led to W.M. Wright acquiring the land and relocating his standardbred breeding operation. At a time in American history when harness racing was the most popular type of horse racing, in 1931 the farm's trotter "Calumet Butler" won the most prestigious event of the day, the Hambletonian.

Following the death of W.M. Wright, in 1932 his son Warren Wright, Sr. took over the business and began converting it to thoroughbred breeding and training. His acquisition of quality breeding stock saw Calumet Farm develop into one of North America's most successful in thoroughbred racing history. Anchored by studs "Blenheim II" and "Bull Lea," and under the guidance of trainer Ben A. Jones, Calumet Farm produced eight Kentucky Derby winners, more than any other operation in U.S. racing history. As well, Calumet Farm is both the leading breeder and owner of Preakness Stakes winners with seven each. From the farm's many great foals, two colts became U. S. Triple Crown winners and three females won the Triple Crown for fillies.

Calumet was the number one money-earning farm in racing for twelve years and among the farm's great horses are Whirlaway, Armed, Citation, Tim Tam, Forward Pass and Alydar. In all, the farm produced eleven horses that have been inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.

In November of 1990, details surrounding the death of Alydar and the collection of a $36 million insurance policy, brought a cloud of suspicion over the business. Under Calumet president J.T. Lundy, mismanagement and fraud had left the farm with a massive debt load that forced Calumet Farms to file for bankruptcy protection in 1991. After years of legal proceedings, in 2000, J.T. Lundy along with Gary Matthews, the farm's former attorney and chief financial officer, were convicted of fraud and bribery and sent to prison.

In 1992, Henryk de Kwiatkowski, a Polish-born Canadian citizen and owner of "Kennelot Stables" in Greenwich, Connecticut, purchased Calumet Farm, saving it from possible liquidation by the bankruptcy trustees.

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Athletes - Calumet Farm

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