[1] Major Barak G. Thomas, a Confederate soldier in the Civil War and later Sheriff of Fayette County, Kentucky, purchased Hamilton Stud in 1877 and renamed it Dixiana after his broodmare Dixie.
Himyar was famous for being temperamental yet was steadfast on the track with an illustrious racing career that spanned four years with a second-place finish in the 1878 Kentucky Derby to Day Star in 1878 while still claiming multiple stakes wins at ages 4 and 5.
Purchased for $3,000 by James R. Keene, Domino, the colt known as the "brown phenomenon" and "black whirlwind" (in reference to the peculiar color of his coat on any given day) was a horse of extreme speed at short distances.
His headstone reads most appropriately, "Here lies the fleetest of runners the American Turf has ever known, and one of the gamest and most generous of horses."
Due to disappointing sale prices and unsettled debts, Thomas found himself forced to sell the farm named for his beloved mare.
When his business, among others, began to falter under depressing economic conditions, he went to work on behalf of the ordinary labor worker who Coxey felt needed representation in Washington.
At this time in history, Dixiana was to become part of Haggin's prestigious Elmendorf Farm and for the next seventeen years was used primarily for crops and tobacco.
The story of Ben Ali Haggin is one of a frontiersman who began his career as a lawyer after graduating from Centre College in Danville, KY, then setting his sights on the West and eventually practicing law in San Francisco during the Gold Rush.
After acquiring Rancho Del Paso outside of Sacramento, Haggin ventured into the mining business with sweeping success.
He purchased Dixiana from Ben Ali Haggin in 1925 and spent a substantial amount of money to renovate the farm.
After the death of James C. Brady, Dixiana was soon to become one of the foremost racing, breeding and show horse operations in history.
Dixiana remained intact until 1947, when Fisher sold about half of the acreage to Royce G. Martin, who then launched Woodvale Stud.
Spy Song, a son of Mata Hari, was brilliant at sprinting distances, breaking his maiden at 4 ½ furlongs by 12 lengths and setting a new track record in the process.
After her ownership of nearly 20 years the farm was purchased in 2004 by Gainesville, Florida businessman and current owner William J. Shively.
He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA), based in Lexington, Kentucky.
In May 2009, Mr. Shively purchased Domino Stud, the half of the original Dixiana Farm that was sold off in 1947, from the widow of owner Kenneth Jones who died at the age of 90 in October 2008.