by Pete Denk

With Overbook Farm dispersing its stock and getting out of the breeding business, the historic Lexington farm has reached an agreement with Terrazas Thoroughbreds to lease three barns and about 150 acres of land formerly used for Overbook’s yearling division.

Chris Young, grandson of Overbook founder William T. Young, said his family’s goal is for Overbook to remain a horse farm.

“We’re looking for people to lease substantial pieces of the farm,” Young said of the approximately 2,600-acre property. “That’s our goal for the real estate: to lease it for horse operations.”

Eduardo Terrazas, a 25-year veteran of the Thoroughbred industry, has owned and operated Terrazas Thoroughbreds the last four years.

Prior to forming his own company, Terrazas was stallion manager at Taylor Made Stallions in Nicholasville, Kentucky. Before that Terrazas was stallion manager at Overbrook, where he cared for the legendary Storm Cat and Carson City.

“It has always been a dream of mine to own and manage my own operation and that dream has become a reality thanks in great part to the support of the Taylor family,” said Terrazas. “I never dreamed I would be operating out of a facility of this caliber. Mr. Young took so much pride and interest in developing the farm over the years, and it’s an honor to return back to the farm that is so dear to me. The quality of horses that Mr. Young and his family raised on this land is second to none as witnessed by the results of the Overbrook dispersal recently at the Keeneland November sale.”

Terrazas is a full-service foaling and boarding operation that also does sale prep and layups. Terrazas bred 145 mares this year, but he thinks that number will be around 80 in 2010. Most of the mares belong to clients.

“Basically I’m a small guy,” Terrazas said. “I foal every one of my mares. Well, I missed one this last breeding season when I went home to take a shower.

“I try to take every mare to the breeding shed if I can. I try to always be there. I basically sleep by the barn, and the night watchman calls me when a mare is ready to foal. I’m not an office guy. I’m happy being around my horses. There is no better job in the world for me.”

Pete Denk is sales editor of Thoroughbred Times