Elmendorf Farm
Once the North Elkhorn Farm, many owners and tenants have occupied the area, even during the American Civil War.
Most of the land acquired during Haggin's era has since been sold off to neighboring stud farms, but the original 765 acres including the columns and many of the historic barns and houses still exist at Elmendorf.
His son Carter Harrison IV (1860–1953) was elected mayor of Chicago 4 years after his father's murder, and served 5 terms.
A large oil painting of their son Cooper Hughes (1862–1928) as a small boy, shows the original "Clifton" home in the background.
In June 1874, WT Hughes and his wife were relocating to a smaller farm in a nearby county, riding alongside the Kentucky River in their buggy, with pack wagons full of chattel and children following behind, when William was shot and killed from the cliff top by his uncle Granville Smith.
The stallion Virgil was based at Preakness Stud and sired three Kentucky Derby winners: Vagrant (1876), Hindoo (1881) and Ben Ali (1886).
In 1881, Sanford sold the land as well as his bloodstock (including Virgil and other leading sire Glenelg) to Daniel Swigert, who had been the manager of the Woodburn Stud as well as a "pinhooker", one who buys horses and quickly sells them.
While in charge of Elmendorf, Swigert bred Salvator, Firenze, and the Kentucky Derby winners Ben Ali and Apollo.
[2] James Ben Ali Haggin, who already had had much success with Thoroughbreds in his Rancho Del Paso spread in California, expanded Elmendorf by buying quite a few of the surrounding farms.
[3] In buying Elmendorf, Haggin bought Salvator, Miss Woodford, Firenze, Star Ruby, Water Boy, Hamburg Bell and quite a few other good horses.
Haggin's extensive Kentucky interests, including Elmendorf Farm, were managed in his absence by Charles Henry Berryman of Lexington.
In 1929, the elder Widener tore down Haggins' mansion "Green Hills" to void taxes on the unoccupied behemoth.
Widener bought the stallion Fair Play as well as the broodmare Mahubah at the dispersal sale of August Belmont.
Fair Play and Mahubah, who were the sire and dam of Man o' War, are buried at what is now called Normandy Farm.
Gluck, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Darlington Stores Corporation and later the United States Ambassador to Ceylon, had his first success in racing when he bought Prince John for $14,300 at the 1954 yearling sales.
E. Barry Ryan bought the section with the original cemetery, calling it Normandy Farm whereon stood the statue of Fair Play erected by Widener.
Buried in front of the statue are both Fair Play and Mahubah as well as many of their best sons and daughters bred by Widener, and quite a few other great runners.
