25 years ago
• James P. Ryan, one of Maryland’s most successful owner/breeders, had consigned his entire broodmare band, consisting of 51 in-foal and barren mares, along with 26 weanlings, to Keeneland’s November Breeding Stock sale. Ryan cited “tax considerations and personal reasons” for his decision. He planned to retain his horses in training, including major winners Homebuilder and Cefis.

Among the offerings were Homebuilder’s dam Smart Heiress, in foal to Nijinsky II; Cold Hearted, dam of Belmont Stakes winner Caveat; and Ring Dancer, dam of Cefis.
• Ardmore Farm, for many years the home of the late Hall of Fame trainer Tom Barry, was purchased by Allen and Audrey Murray, long-established owners of Murmur Farm. The Murrays were to make the move from their current location in Aberdeen, Md., to the 113-acre Darlington farm by September.
Barry, who died in the spring of 1987, had maintained a small band of broodmares at the farm. The Murrays were set to expand, with plans to add a four-stall stallion barn and a 30-stall broodmare barn. Among the new equine residents would be young stallion Marine Brass, who entered stud at Murmur in 1986.
• Jim and Juanita Cochran, the husband and wife team who had managed Robert Meyerhoff’s Fitzhugh Farm since 1980, were looking forward to the next season, when 14 mares carrying foals from Broad Brush’s first crop would be arriving at the Phoenix, Md., farm. The Cochrans were present for the delivery of Broad Brush at the farm five years earlier.
“We were just tickled to death when Broad Brush started running good,” said Juanita Cochran. “We were as proud as Mr. Meyerhoff. Maybe prouder.”