Six horses were reportedly killed during an early morning fire that consumed two barns at Chanteclaire Farm near Midway, Kentucky, on Feb. 25.
The property, formerly the operation of the late Prince Khaled, is now owned by John Moores and Charles Noell's Merriebelle Stables. Moores, former owner of the San Diego Padres baseball team, and Noell also own the nearby farm that was formerly Stonewall Stallions.
The Lexington Herald-Leader reported that units from the Woodford County Fire Department were dispatched at about 6:20 a.m. EST to the farm. The newspaper reported one barn housed horses, and hay was kept in the other barn that burned.
The Woodford fire chief was unable to confirm whether the horses that died were Thoroughbreds. Farm manager Patrick Hayes declined to comment on the fire.
When owned by Prince Khaled, Chanteclaire bred award-winning horses under its Palides Investments banner. Upon Khaled's death, the horses and farm were sold.
Topped by the $8.5 million paid by Florida health-care magnate Benjamin Leon for champion Royal Delta, the Palides dispersal at the 2011 Keeneland November breeding stock sale grossed $16,813,000 for the 20 horses that sold.