A statue of Black Toney looking over the cemetery at Darby Dan Farm.

If I was a ghost unencumbered with family and career responsibilities, I would head straight to Kentucky. What better place to hang out than the Bluegrass state? A Google search reveals that Lexington, Ky. is considered a hot spot for paranormal activity.  There are many websites devoted to Kentucky ghost sightings and experiences. 

I have often wondered if ghosts sometimes wander around a racetrack. When I place my hand on the rail, I think about the thousands who stood there before me. If there were ghosts, why limit them to humans?  I love the image of ghostly horses thundering through the night charging to the finish line nostrils flaring. Their riders crouched on their backs like whispery tendrils of smoke. 

At Darby Dan Farms, I had the strongest déjà vu experience. It felt so familiar. Darby Dan is a beautiful example of a Kentucky horse farm with its rolling pastures, white fences, neatly placed barns and their stately Manor House. It beckons to you with its lovely wide veranda and elegant columns. 

Built in 1828, the Manor House was constructed during the Federal style of American Architecture. Originally known as the Ash Grove Stock Farm, Edward Riley Bradley purchased the farm in 1898 and renamed it the Idle Hour Stock Farm. He was a Kentucky colonel (a title granted by the governor of Kentucky.) As an already accomplished man with a wide variety of businesses (including mining and gambling), he quickly became renowned as a Thoroughbred breeder. His farm thrived under his leadership and innovation.

He had a habit of naming his horses with names that started with “B” such as his four Kentucky Derby winners Behave Yourself (1921), Bubbling Over (1926), Burgoo King (1932) and Brokers Tip (1933). If the name Brokers Tip sounds familiar, he is immortalized in the legendary fight between jockeys as they neared the finish line of the 1933 Kentucky Derby. In addition Col. Bradley also won three Preakness Stakes and two Belmont Stakes for a total of 147 stakes winners. Bradley loved his horses so much that he created an equine cemetery where each horse has a marble headstone and is watched through time by a lovely statue of his stallion Black Toney.

BRADLEY WITH HIS DERBY TROPHIES

As the son of immigrants, I can only imagine how wonderful it must have been for Col. Bradley to sit on the veranda of the Manor House and entertain friends while watching his mares and foals frolic in the pastures. Stepping into the Manor House is like slipping behind the veil of time. Elegantly laid out, every item is placed with thought and beauty. 

Col. Bradley died on Aug. 15, 1946. On his death, the Idle Hour Stock Farm was purchase by the John W. Galbreath family who renamed it Darby Dan Farm. Carrying on the fine tradition of breeding champions, Darby Dan has transitioned from a private homebred operation to a commercial enterprise. They are now a full service farm that includes breeding, boarding, sales preparations, bloodstock analysis, sales and quarantine quarters. Their trophy room inside the Manor is a thrilling experience.

THE DARBY DAN TROPHY ROOM

Photo courtesy of Darby Dan

Not only has the Galbreath family created a dynasty of horses that won the Kentucky Derby in 1963 (Chateaugay) and 1967 (Proud Clarion), they include the English Derby trophy won by their homebred Roberto. Proud Truth added to their roster of outstanding champions when he won the Breeders’ Cup Classic in 1985. In addition to horse racing, Mr. Galbreath owned the Pittsburgh Pirates who won the World Series three times. The Trophy Room is professionally curated by Tracie Willis. She rearranges the trophies every August when the Manor House is closed for the month. When the house is open, she brings tour groups to the veranda for a short history lesson before they visit the trophy room. Not only is one dazzled by the astonishing array of horse racing trophies, you will also see a World Series trophy!

As I stood outside the stallion barns admiring their stallion Shackleford, I discovered why I had such a strong sense of déjà vu. The barns had been featured in the movie Secretariat. Today the Manor House is still in use by the Galbreath family for visitors and special events. A rather unusual aspect of the Farm is that guests have reported that there might be a ghost at the Manor House. Several guests have said that they felt a presence in their room or sometimes hear noises at night. 

I think this is fabulous! I would hope (and there is absolutely no way of knowing) that this is the ghost of Col. Bradley fussing about his old home. Perhaps after a midnight ride on his old trick pony he checks in on the guests to see what is happening. (His trick pony was purchased for $5,000 during a parade in Miami. Of course, that would make a perfect riding horse for a ghost!)

BRADLEY AND HIS TRICK PONY (left)

The beauty of Darby Dan is only part of its charm. The friendliness and professionalism of the staff certainly makes one feel welcomed. The grandeur of their trophy room mixed with the way they honor the history of their farm makes it one of the more unique tours in Kentucky. 

Before I left, I visited with Swaps, the stallion barn mascot. Cats can be so very mysterious.   I jokingly asked the cat if he had ever seen a ghost. His eyes widened and he looked far beyond me into the pasture. No doubt something had caught his attention. I know that if I was to ever write a Halloween tale, it would most certainly take place in Kentucky. It is a great place to imagine a world of midnight horse races and ghosts who still wander the earth with their beloved horses. Not a bad idea. Maybe the story would begin like this: “It was a dark and stormy night when suddenly the cat saw something in the corner of the house. I thought I heard a horse trotting outside the window but nothing could be seen. Suddenly there was a light gleaming from within the Kentucky Derby trophy.”  

SWAPS THE BARN CAT

You never really know if ghost stories are true but it would sure be fun to tell a tale or two this Halloween weekend during the Breeders’ Cup. And don’t forget the old superstition to bet on a gray! Happy Halloween, everyone!