Horse breeding & Racing | |
Industry | Standardbreds, American Saddlebreds, Thoroughbreds |
Founded | 1793 |
Headquarters |
Lexington, Kentucky United States |
Key people
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Owners: John Breckinridge David Castleman James R. Keene Foxhall P. Keene Frances Dodge Van Lennep Tony Ryan |
Castleton Lyons near Lexington, Kentucky, is an American horse racing stable and breeding business best known by the name Castleton Farm.
The farm was established in 1793 when Virginian John Breckinridge, a future U.S. Senator and Attorney General, purchased 2,467 acres (10 km²) of land and on a portion of it established a Thoroughbred horse breeding operation. On his death, the property went to his daughter, the then Mrs. David Castleman who eventually built a mansion on the horse farm site and gave it the family name. Under Mr. & Mrs. Castleman, Castleton Farm continued as a thoroughbred operation but would add the breeding of American Saddlebreds as well as Standardbreds for harness racing.
The original property changed hands several times with parts sold to different parties. In the early 1890s Wall Street tycoon James R. Keene acquired the farm and purchased additional land to bring the operation to almost 1,000 acres (4 km²). Keene usually referred to the farm as "Castleton Stud" and under his direction it became one of the greatest Thoroughbred operations of its day. The farm bred and/or raced future U.S. racing Hall of Fame horses Kingston, Domino, Ben Brush, Colin, Sysonby, Maskette, and Peter Pan.