Calumet Farm in Kentucky: History, What It Raises, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
Calumet Farm on Versailles Road in Lexington is one of the most decorated thoroughbred breeding names in American racing. Founded in 1924, its own history page lists eight Kentucky Derby winners raced under its colors, including Triple Crown champions Whirlaway and Citation, and the farm still stands stallions and takes outside mares today.
| Location | Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1924, by William Monroe Wright |
| Sectors | thoroughbred breeding; stallion services; horse sales |
| Scale | Acreage not published on the farm's history page |
| Why it is elite | Eight Kentucky Derby winners and two Triple Crown champions, Whirlaway (1941) and Citation (1948) |
| Ownership | Family trustees of the late Henryk de Kwiatkowski since 2003 |
| Official website | Calumet Farm official contact page |
History of Calumet Farm
William Monroe Wright, owner of the Calumet Baking Powder company, established the farm in 1924 near Lexington, first to breed and race Standardbred trotters. After his death in 1932, his son Warren Wright moved the farm toward thoroughbred racing, and in 1939 he hired trainer Ben A. Jones, whose son Jimmy later trained alongside him.
The results came quickly. Whirlaway gave Calumet its first Kentucky Derby and first Triple Crown in 1941, and Citation followed with another Triple Crown in 1948. In 1947 the farm became the first to pass $1 million in purse earnings in a season. Pensive, Ponder, Hill Gail, Iron Liege, Tim Tam and Forward Pass round out the eight Derby winners listed on the farm's own history page. In 1978 Alydar's close rivalry with Affirmed produced tight finishes in every Triple Crown race.
The later chapters were harder. After Alydar died, the farm went bankrupt and was auctioned in the early 1990s, and Henryk de Kwiatkowski bought it. When he died in 2003, family members took over as trustees, and Calumet has operated as a working stallion and breeding farm since.
What Calumet Farm Grows and Raises
Calumet today is a commercial stallion station. Its stallion page lists Lexitonian, Oxbow, Hightail and Bravazo with published stud fees of $7,500 or $5,000, along with private stallions Ransom the Moon, Real Solution and Producer (GB). Breeders send mares to the farm, which handles foaling, care and the handling of foals through the sales cycle.
The farm runs a horse sales page and a mare submission form, so outside owners can approach it as a client. It is not open to the public for tours at this time, which is typical of stallion operations where biosecurity and mare safety come first.
How Calumet Farm Makes Money
Stud fees
The stallion roster is the core of the business. Each stallion earns stud fees when breeders book mares, and Calumet publishes fees for its public stallions. A stallion's racetrack record and the success of his foals drive demand.
Horse sales
Calumet maintains a horse sales page, so racehorses and young stock raised or purchased by the farm are marketed to owners and trainers.
Boarding and mare care
Visiting mares are handled through a mare submission process and service certificate, giving the farm a service revenue line that does not depend on owning every horse.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Calumet Farm
Calumet shows how a brand outlives its peak. The farm went through bankruptcy and ownership change, yet the name still draws breeders because the history is documented and the farm keeps standing stallions. Operators in any sector can protect a name by keeping the product line current while telling the heritage story honestly.
The business model also shows the value of clear paperwork. Published fees, a service certificate and a mare submission form reduce friction for customers. Whatever you sell, make the buying steps easy to find.
Few farm names carry as many roses as Calumet, and the Versailles Road gates look like they know it. Over at farm.FM we file a lot of farm satire under the heading of animals who clearly understand more about their own pedigrees than we do about ours. Our farm humor desk is fond of a stallion with a published fee and an unpublished opinion of everyone else, and the ranch humor and farm jokes about mares judging the paddock fence are practically written already.
Readers who want the full experience can pair the jokes with Tractor Tunes, the country music for farmers that farm.FM, the nation's first satirical farm site, plays between stories. This author page is a fine starting point.
How to Contact Calumet Farm
Website: https://www.calumetfarm.com/contact/
Address: 3301 Versailles Road, Lexington, KY 40510
Phone: (859) 621-0467
Address and phone as published on the farm's own website, November 2026. The farm is not open to the public for tours at this time; stallion and breeding inquiries go through the farm's listed contact.
Calumet Farm Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Calumet Farm history - The farm's own account of its founding, Derby winners and ownership
- Kentucky Derby Museum on Calumet - Independent museum exhibit on the farm
- Daily Racing Form on Calumet - Trade press coverage of the farm's current era
- USDA NASS Kentucky Census of Agriculture - State farm counts, land and sales from the 2022 Census
- Kentucky Department of Agriculture - State agriculture department news and programs
Calumet Farm FAQ
When was Calumet Farm founded?
William Monroe Wright established Calumet Farm in 1924 near Lexington, Kentucky, initially to breed and race Standardbreds.
How many Kentucky Derby winners did Calumet have?
The farm's history page lists eight Derby winners: Whirlaway, Pensive, Citation, Ponder, Hill Gail, Iron Liege, Tim Tam and Forward Pass.
Can I tour Calumet Farm?
The farm states it is not open to the public for tours at this time. Check its website before planning a visit.
How do I contact Calumet Farm?
Use the address and phone number on the farm's contact page: 3301 Versailles Road, Lexington, KY 40510, (859) 621-0467.
Calumet Farm proves that a thoroughbred brand can outlast owners, rivals and even bankruptcy when the horses and the paperwork stay strong. For more Bluegrass operations, from conservation winners to stallion stations, see the Kentucky farms guide and the other profiles in this section.