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Horses were just a normal part of Josephine Abercrombie’s life growing up in Texas. At the age of seven, she was introduced to American Saddle Horses and as a young woman would become a record holder at Madison Square Garden for prizes won in a single season. The horse show circuit led her to major competitions in Louisville and Lexington, captivating her on her first visit to the Bluegrass in the 1940’s. In 1949, she took an interest in thoroughbred racing and set up a racing syndicate involving her father, the late Houston oilman, J.S. Abercrombie, an uncle and a couple of friends to purchase sales yearlings for training and racing. Doing quite well in racing, she and her father acquired a 1,348 ac. Farm in Woodford County, Versailles in 1952, establishing a thoroughbred-breeding farm and calling it “Pin Oak”. This farm was the former Hartland Farm that had been owned by U.S. Senator Johnson Camden. Over the next 23 years the farm expanded to 3,100 ac. Also becoming a farming operation, raising Simmental Cattle, growing tobacco, corn, hay, straw and asparagus. But horses were its mainstay.
MAKE A PLAY winner of the 1953 Astarita Stakes and ROMAN PATROL winner of the 1955 Louisiana Derby were both Pin Oak yearling purchases. Champion 2yo filly in Italy, GREASE was purchased as a three-year-old and would go on to win three graded stakes in France and place 2nd in the Coronation S.-GS in England before retiring to the farm and becoming a graded stakes producing mare. Home-bred stakes winners include 1976 Preakness winner ELOCUTIONIST, 1982 English St. Leger winner TOUCHING WOOD, champion older mare in Italy MEDI FLASH< COOL (Manhattan H.-G1, etc.), TREEE OF KNOWLEDGE (Hollywood Gold Cup Invitational H.-G1, etc.), MOUNTAIN KINGDOM (G2), RIGHT ON (G3), FRENCH FRIEND (F3), MR. WASHINGTON, INTERCEPTED, MAISON DE VILLE, PORT OF MECCA, PUSS N BOOTS, TONKA WAKHAN, CIRCLE PLAY TIME and WEDDING PICTURE.
After 35 years Pin Oak took a turn in history when Ms. Abercrombie, in 1987, began developing a new Pin Oak just down the road from the original farm. The new farm, once a 750-acre hunting preserve, became a labor of love – building roads, planting grass, constructing barns and residences. It opened late in 1988 with the exclusive intention of raising Thoroughbreds.
The 1990’s were a most exciting decade for Pin Oak as owner/breeder when LAUGH AND BE MERRY won the Eclipse Award as champion turf female and as co-owner of SKY CLASSIC when he won his Eclipse Award for champion turf horse. It was also a momentous time when PEAKS AND VALLEYS received the Canadian Sovereign Awards for horse of the year and champion 3-year-old colt and HASTEN TO ADD the Sovereign Award for champion grass horse highlighted by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) recognizing Pin Oak Stud as the state and national Thoroughbred Breeder of the Year in 1995.
Other prominent stakes winners produced at the new Pin Oak Stud include CONFESSIONAL (G1), MISSED THE STORM (g1), CHANGEINTHEWEATHER (G1), BROKEN VOW (G2), ROCK AND ROLL (g2), AFRICAN DANCER (G3),
BEWRAY (g3), CERTAINLY CLASSIC (G3), DAYLIGHT SAVINGS (G3), FEDERAL FUNDS (G3), GREEN MEANS GO (G3), LOOK DAGGERS (G3), SUSURRATION (G3), WINGED VICTORY (G3), BEDANKEN (G3), EQUALITY (G3), GLARING.
To date, Pin Oak mares have produced over 70 stakes winners. Past and present notable mares include Miss Carmie, Mandera, Grease (Ire), Imaflash, Star in the North, Beau Cougar, Missed the Wedding, Great Finesse, Secret’s Halo, Strike a Baland, Wortheroastsingold, Meteor Colony, Danka, Wedding Picture, Wedding Vow, Weded Bliss and Whisper Who Dares.
There has always been an emphasis on stallions at Pin oak. Today, the stallion complex is the home of BROKEN VOW (multiple graded stakes winner), CHANGEINTHEWEATHER (2yo G1 SW), MARIA’S MON (champion 2 yo colt), PEAKS AND VALLEYS (Canadian horse of the year/champion 3 yo colt) and SKY CLASSI (4-time champion).
For fifty years, Pin oak has been an accomplished breeding and racing operation, but many still recall it as “the asparagus farm”, “the cattle show spott” or just simply as “Miss Josephine’s place”. However remember, Pin Oak has always been actively involved in its community, state and racing industry.
Horses were just a normal part of Josephine Abercrombie’s life growing up in Texas. At the age of seven, she was introduced to American Saddle Horses and as a young woman would become a record holder at Madison Square Garden for prizes won in a single season. The horse show circuit led her to major competitions in Louisville and Lexington, captivating her on her first visit to the Bluegrass in the 1940’s. In 1949, she took an interest in thoroughbred racing and set up a racing syndicate involving her father, the late Houston oilman, J.S. Abercrombie, an uncle and a couple of friends to purchase sales yearlings for training and racing. Doing quite well in racing, she and her father acquired a 1,348 ac. Farm in Woodford County, Versailles in 1952, establishing a thoroughbred-breeding farm and calling it “Pin Oak”. This farm was the former Hartland Farm that had been owned by U.S. Senator Johnson Camden. Over the next 23 years the farm expanded to 3,100 ac. Also becoming a farming operation, raising Simmental Cattle, growing tobacco, corn, hay, straw and asparagus. But horses were its mainstay.
MAKE A PLAY winner of the 1953 Astarita Stakes and ROMAN PATROL winner of the 1955 Louisiana Derby were both Pin Oak yearling purchases. Champion 2yo filly in Italy, GREASE was purchased as a three-year-old and would go on to win three graded stakes in France and place 2nd in the Coronation S.-GS in England before retiring to the farm and becoming a graded stakes producing mare. Home-bred stakes winners include 1976 Preakness winner ELOCUTIONIST, 1982 English St. Leger winner TOUCHING WOOD, champion older mare in Italy MEDI FLASH< COOL (Manhattan H.-G1, etc.), TREEE OF KNOWLEDGE (Hollywood Gold Cup Invitational H.-G1, etc.), MOUNTAIN KINGDOM (G2), RIGHT ON (G3), FRENCH FRIEND (F3), MR. WASHINGTON, INTERCEPTED, MAISON DE VILLE, PORT OF MECCA, PUSS N BOOTS, TONKA WAKHAN, CIRCLE PLAY TIME and WEDDING PICTURE.
After 35 years Pin Oak took a turn in history when Ms. Abercrombie, in 1987, began developing a new Pin Oak just down the road from the original farm. The new farm, once a 750-acre hunting preserve, became a labor of love – building roads, planting grass, constructing barns and residences. It opened late in 1988 with the exclusive intention of raising Thoroughbreds.
The 1990’s were a most exciting decade for Pin Oak as owner/breeder when LAUGH AND BE MERRY won the Eclipse Award as champion turf female and as co-owner of SKY CLASSIC when he won his Eclipse Award for champion turf horse. It was also a momentous time when PEAKS AND VALLEYS received the Canadian Sovereign Awards for horse of the year and champion 3-year-old colt and HASTEN TO ADD the Sovereign Award for champion grass horse highlighted by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) recognizing Pin Oak Stud as the state and national Thoroughbred Breeder of the Year in 1995.
Other prominent stakes winners produced at the new Pin Oak Stud include CONFESSIONAL (G1), MISSED THE STORM (g1), CHANGEINTHEWEATHER (G1), BROKEN VOW (G2), ROCK AND ROLL (g2), AFRICAN DANCER (G3),
BEWRAY (g3), CERTAINLY CLASSIC (G3), DAYLIGHT SAVINGS (G3), FEDERAL FUNDS (G3), GREEN MEANS GO (G3), LOOK DAGGERS (G3), SUSURRATION (G3), WINGED VICTORY (G3), BEDANKEN (G3), EQUALITY (G3), GLARING.
To date, Pin Oak mares have produced over 70 stakes winners. Past and present notable mares include Miss Carmie, Mandera, Grease (Ire), Imaflash, Star in the North, Beau Cougar, Missed the Wedding, Great Finesse, Secret’s Halo, Strike a Baland, Wortheroastsingold, Meteor Colony, Danka, Wedding Picture, Wedding Vow, Weded Bliss and Whisper Who Dares.
There has always been an emphasis on stallions at Pin oak. Today, the stallion complex is the home of BROKEN VOW (multiple graded stakes winner), CHANGEINTHEWEATHER (2yo G1 SW), MARIA’S MON (champion 2 yo colt), PEAKS AND VALLEYS (Canadian horse of the year/champion 3 yo colt) and SKY CLASSI (4-time champion).
For fifty years, Pin oak has been an accomplished breeding and racing operation, but many still recall it as “the asparagus farm”, “the cattle show spott” or just simply as “Miss Josephine’s place”. However remember, Pin Oak has always been actively involved in its community, state and racing industry.