“The Hopeful Stakes has long held a unique place on the Saratoga stakes schedule, as the winner is automatically stamped as the crop’s first classic hopeful,” NYRA President and CEO Charles Hayward said. “Three Chimneys Farm has such strong associations with classic-type horses, so we’re thrilled they’ve extended those associations to include the Three Chimneys Hopeful.”
“Sponsoring a race as prestigious as the Hopeful is a privilege. We are thrilled to be involved with NYRA as the sponsor of one of the premier two year old races in the country,” said Robert Clay, owner of Three Chimneys Farm. “We have been associated with two Hopeful winners, Chief’s Crown (1984) and Sky Mesa (2002), and we look forward to supporting the race, beginning this year.”
Three Chimneys Farm is a more recent force in thoroughbred racing than the race it now sponsors, beginning in 1972 with 100 acres of undeveloped land in Midway, KY. With “honesty without hesitation” as its motto, Three Chimneys Farm was founded on a simple philosophy: focus on the client’s success, from the birth of a healthy foal, all the way to the winners’ circle.
Today Three Chimneys incorporates approximately 2,000 acres in six divisions, four of which are devoted to mares and foals, one to yearlings and one is home to ten world class stallions, including Smarty Jones, Point Given, Dynaformer, and joining the roster on retirement from racing, this year’s thoroughbred star, Big Brown.
As part of its two-year sponsorship of the Three Chimneys Hopeful, the farm will receive on-track exposure at Saratoga Race Course and Belmont Park, and advertising in track programs.