The Beginning

The Office at Pin Oak Stud

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 acre 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 acres, also becoming a farming operation, raising Simmental cattle, and 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.-G2 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.), TREE OF KNOWLEDGE (Hollywood Gold Cup Invitational H.-G1, etc.), MOUNTAIN KINGDOM (G2), RIGHT ON (G3), FRENCH FRIEND (G3), MR. WASHINGTON, INTERCEPTED, MAISON DE VILLE, PORT OF MECCA, PUSS N BOOTS, TONKA WAKHAN, CIRCLE, PLAY TIME and WEDDING PICTURE.

A New Leaf

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.

Reaping Rewards

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 Award 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.

PEAKS AND VALLEYS
wins Molson Million-G1

Other prominent stakes winners produced at the new Pin Oak Stud include CONFESSIONAL (G1), MISSED THE STORM (G1), CHANGEINTHEWEATHER (G1), SEE HOW SHE RUNS (G1), BROKEN VOW (G2), ROCK AND ROLL (G2), CRYPTOGRAPH (G2), I THEE WED (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, WHIMSY (G3), ALTERNATE (G3) .

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 Balance, Wortheroatsingold, Meteor Colony, Danka, Wedding Picture, Wedding Vow, Wedded Bliss and Whisper Who Dares.

The Stallion Complex at Pin Oak

There has always been an emphasis on stallions at Pin Oak. Today, our stallion complex is the home of BOB AND JOHN (exciting G1 winner), BROKEN VOW (MGSW, now a leading sire) and SKY CLASSIC (4-time champion).

Reflecting

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 spot" or just simply as "Miss Josephine's place". However remembered, Pin Oak has always been and always will be actively involved in its community, state and racing industry.