Watch: Kentucky Derby, Preakness Winner I'll Have Another Settles In At Old Friends

I'll Have Another was never one to wither at the notion of travel.

The muscular chestnut shipped from his base in Southern California to run at Saratoga Race Course during his 2-year-old campaign. Then, he stepped on a plane and into history when he traveled from the West Coast to Churchill Downs to win the 2012 Kentucky Derby, followed by a trip to Pimlico Race Course to secure the Preakness Stakes for owner J. Paul Reddam.

At the conclusion of his racing career, I'll Have Another then boarded a plane to Japan to begin his stud career, returning in 2018 to stand in California.

Earlier this week, the son of Flower Alley added another big trip to his odometer, traveling from California to Kentucky one more time to live out his days as a pensioner at Old Friends Equine Retirement in Georgetown. 

At last, the wanderer has found a place to settle.

"We were all super impressed with how great he looked, how strong he looked, and how vital he is," said Old Friends CEO John Nicholson, "He clearly has come to love his new digs very quickly, and you can tell he's properly and happily positively stimulated by the environment here."

I'll Have Another burst onto the national stage during his sophomore campaign, where he went unbeaten in four starts and secured the Eclipse Award as champion 3-year-old male of 2012.

After stalking the pace to earn victories at Santa Anita Park in the Grade 2 Robert B. Lewis Stakes and the G1 Santa Anita Derby, trainer Doug O'Neill sent I'll Have Another to Churchill Downs as a somewhat under-the-radar contender, despite his recent wins.

In the Kentucky Derby, jockey Mario Gutierrez kept the colt further off the pace than usual, and he rallied from four wide to nip front-running post-time favorite Bodemeister by a neck. The situation played out practically the same way two weeks later in the Preakness, where I'll Have Another once again ran down Bodemeister in the stretch to win by the same margin.

I'll Have Another appeared prime to make a bid for the Triple Crown in the Belmont Stakes, but he was scratched the day before the race and retired due to a tendon injury. He finished his career with five wins in seven starts for earnings of $2,693,600.

After domestic interest in the horse's stallion services were lukewarm, Reddam sold I'll Have Another for a reported $10 million to stand at Arrow Stud in Japan. Though he was never a top-level sire overseas, I'll Have Another was responsible for Japanese Group 2 winner Win Marvel and Group 3 winner Another Truth.

In the fall of 2018, it was announced that I'll Have Another would return stateside to stand at Ballena Vista Farm in Ramona, Calif., for the following breeding season. He was purchased back by the Reddams two years later to stand at their Ocean Breeze Ranch in Bonsail, Calif., where he resided until the end of his stud career.

I'll Have Another's U.S.-sired runners have thus far been led by stakes-placed runners Amigo G A and We Want Another.

In total, I'll Have Another has sired 312 winners from nine crops of racing age, with combined progeny earnings of more than $53.3 million.

The agreement to send I'll Have Another to Old Friends came together fairly quickly, but Nicholson said a transaction like this is often years in the making.

"We've stayed in touch with Mr. Reddam, and certainly Doug O'Neill for a long, long time, who have been great friends to Old Friends, and great friends to (Old Friends founder) Michael Blowen," Nicholson said. "We just became aware that the opportunity was coming about that he might be able to come from California to here, and so just by maintaining these close relationships of people who have been very good to Old Friends, we just knew that it might be time to do this."

Though the scenery might be unfamiliar for I'll Have Another until he settles in, the faces won't be altogether foreign. 

One of the stars of the Old Friends roster is Hall of Famer Lava Man, a former O'Neill charge who became a stable pony for the trainer upon his retirement, and guided I'll Have Another through his Triple Crown attempt.