The inaugural running of the $150,000 Old Friends Stakes will take place on Sept. 16 at Kentucky Downs in Franklin.

Sponsored by Tribute Equine Nutrition, the race will honor Old Friends, the Thoroughbred retirement center in Georgetown, Kentucky, that cares for more than 150 former racehorses.

Old Friends recently entered into a joint venture with Kentucky Downs, which now features five retired Thoroughbreds in an exhibit located on its grounds.

The $150,000 stakes (which includes $75,000 from Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund) is for 3-year-olds and up, and is contested over one mile and 70 years on the turf. Nominations close Sept. 5 and entries will be taken Sept. 13