River Downs to celebrate Old Friends retirement center

River Downs will host Old Friends Day on Sept. 5, featuring the second running of a race named in honor of the Thoroughbred retirement facility in Georgetown, Ky.

The day’s events will take place between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. and will also include a silent auction of racing memorabilia and such collectibles as a “Moneigh” painting done by Old Friends retiree Danthebluegrassman. All proceeds from the auction will benefit Old Friends.

The day also will honor the careers of the popular River Downs claimer Appygolucky, an Old Friends retiree who died in 2009, and former River Downs runners Catlaunch and Eagle Time. Catlaunch, an Ohio-bred millionaire, won three consecutive runnings of the Sydney Gendelman Memorial Handicap at River Downs, and Eagle Time was a top-three finisher 47 times in his 81-race career.