$1,000 Kentucky Derby mint julep benefitted nonprofit where champ “Noor” of Grass Valley was buried

All net proceeds from a $1,000 mint julep and cup at the Kentucky Derby are going to the Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Center in Kentucky, where deceased Hall of Fame Champion Noor of Grass Valley was buried in 2011.

The mint julep includes Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select; ice infused with rose water; mint julep simple syrup crafted by Bourbon Barrel Foods; Bourbon Barrel Foods hand-selected and candied rose petals. The $1,000 Kentucky Rose Cup featured a meticulously hand-engraved, gold plated medallion with a horse wearing the garland of roses. The $2,000 Royal Rose Cup is gold-plated with a sterling silver, hand-engraved medallion also with a horse adorned in the garland of roses.

All net proceeds from the program benefit Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Center, which supports retired thoroughbreds at farms in Woodford County and Scott County, Kentucky.

Noor traveled from the Loma Rica Ranch in Grass Valley

Having traveled cross-country from the Loma Rica Ranch in Grass Valley, the body of deceased Hall of Fame champion Noor was re-interred at Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Facility in Georgetown, in August 2011.

Charlotte Farmer is the woman who led the effort to exhume Noor and bring his remains to Kentucky. Noor died in Grass Valley in 1974 at age 29 and was buried in the infield of the old Loma Rica Ranch Racetrack, but the property is now in development for residential and commercial use. He was re-interred in a new cemetery for Hall of Fame inductees near the entrance of Old Friends.

Noor, son of the superstar stallion Nasrullah, was campaigned by owner-breeder Charles S. Howard (also the owner of Seabiscuit) after the colt’s 3-year-old season in 1948.

Trained by Burley Parke and ridden by Johnny Longden, Noor was voted 1950 handicap champion after winning four out of five head-to-head sprints with Citation and defeating the then 7-year-old Assault. The victories made Noor the first horse to beat two Triple Crown winners.

Farmer raised nearly $8,000 to exhume Noor’s remains and bring them to this final resting place at Old Friends. Included with his remains are soils from the Santa Anita, Golden Gate, and Hollywood Park racetracks, all sites of Noor’s victories.

Old Friends provides a dignified retirement to Thoroughbreds whose racing and breeding careers have come to an end. By promoting these one-time celebrated horses through a campaign of education and tourism, we hope to raise awareness of all equines in need.

—Old Friends and Woodford Reserve