Town & Country Farms is the talk of the town. Founded by Louise “Lulu” Courtelis and her late husband, Alec, and run by daughter Kiki, the Georgetown, Ky., nursery recently earned plaudits for Adare Manor . With Gary Broad, Town & Country Farms co-bred the Uncle Mo filly, winner of the June 10 Santa Margarita Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park.
Town & Country president Kiki inherited the family passion. “My mother’s love for horses transferred to me very quickly,” she said. “We started with backyard horses and when my parents saw my commitment to the sport, they purchased an Arabian for my mom and I to share and show.”
That love blossomed even further as the years went on. “We quickly grew into a big breeding farm and my father started the Arabian Jockey Club,” Courtelis said. Alec Courtelis was “instrumental in getting” Arabian racing accepted at Thoroughbred racetracks, she explained. Lulu and Kiki continued his legacy of equine excellence, establishing Town & Country Farms in Kentucky. A noted philanthropist, Lulu died in March 2023.
At the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky February Mixed sale, Town & Country bought grade 3 winner Brooklynsway for $95,000. An Ontario-bred, the $724,597 earner was in foal to leading sire Into Mischief . At that same sale, Walmac Farm and Broad spent $180,000 on Brooklynsway’s short yearling, whom Broad had co-bred with Town & Country Farms.
Now racing for Michael Lund Petersen, Adare Manor went through the sales ring twice in 2020 and 2021. At the Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase in September 2020, she RNA’ed for $190,000, while at the 2021 OBS June 2-Year-Olds & Horses of Racing Age sale, the dark bay filly fetched $375,000 from Donato Lanni.
In 2022, Adare Manor broke her maiden in her first start at 3. Next time out, she captured the Las Virgenes Stakes (G3). The filly placed in the Santa Anita Oaks (G2) and Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2), the latter on the day before the 2022 Preakness Stakes (G1).
And the 4-year-old has improved even further in 2023. In four starts this year, Adare Manor has won three races (and finished second once), earning $300,000. She resumed her graded stakes-winning ways this spring, taking the April 29 Santa Maria Stakes (G2) before posting a 4 1/2-length victory in the Santa Margarita. Besides Adare Manor, Broad and the Courtelis family’s partnership has proved fruitful in other ways. Town & Country and Broad bought grade 1 winner Pinehurst in partnership at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Digital “Flash Sale.” The son of Twirling Candy stood his first season this year at Walmac, located in Lexington.
In addition to breeding good horses, Town & Country Farms has raced some standout runners. At the 2022 Keeneland November sale, the operation spent $600,000 on grade 3 winner Temple City Terror . Later that month, the mare redeemed their faith by capturing the Long Island Stakes (G3T). So far in 2023, the 7-year-old daughter of Temple City has hit the board once in two starts, running second in the April 28 Bewitch Stakes (G3T) last time out.
Repole Stable and Town & Country Racing bought Cairo Consort —not long after she finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T)—for $875,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Mixed sale. The Cairo Prince filly started 2023 well for her new owners, winning the Jan. 7 Ginger Brew Stakes at Gulfstream Park. On Feb. 4, she won the Herecomesthebride Stakes (G3T), also at Gulfstream.
At the 2016 Keeneland November sale, Town & Country, Pollock Farms, and Hugh Owen purchased Florida-bred Uno Mas Promesa, in foal to Liam’s Map , for $235,000. The mare had already produced 2015 Eight Belles Stakes (G3) winner Promise Me Silver (by Silver City, like Liam’s Map a son of Unbridled’s Song) and stakes winner Bully Good (by another Unbridled’s Song horse, My Golden Song).
Sent to a different bloodline—multiple leading sire Tapit , a son of Pulpit—Uno Mas Promesa foaled a colt in 2020. The dark bay RNA’ed for $220,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling sale. Named Askari, he races for Pollock Farm and Town and Country Racing, LLC. He won in his first start, defeating nine competitors by 1 1/2 lengths in a June 17 Monmouth Park maiden special weight.
Besides its current standouts, Town & Country has entered the winner’s circle with many other good horses. After Stopchargingmaria RNA’ed for $3.15 million at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Mixed sale, Town & Country bought the multiple grade 1 winner privately. She rewarded the Courtelis family’s faith by triumphing in the 2015 Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1).
