Major races: Belmont Stakes, Travers Stakes, Jim Dandy Stakes

Post Career: Retired from racing in 2005. Stood at stud at Gainesway Farm in Lexington, Kentucky. He has sired numerous stakes winners and has become a successful breeding stallion. Some of his notable offspring include Summer Bird, Mine That Bird, and Noble Bird.  Birdstone continued to stand at stud at Gainesway Farm until his death in 2020.

May 16 - Birdstone

Around 2005, one evening I'm painting in my studio in Florida and a call comes in. When I answer the first thing the person says is, "This is Mr. Marylou Whitney."

Ok, that's cute and I've never talked with any one of the Whitneys but it sure sounds like a prank from one of my softball buddies. I'm thinking it's Dermot Lynch as he knows a bit about horse racing, and it would be a typical Dermot-thing to do. I was tempted to bust on him but I figured it wouldn't hurt to play along.

Then, the man on the phone laughed and said, "This is John Hendrickson." And yes, that would be Mr. Marylou Whitney.

I've gotten to know John well over the past almost 20 years. He has a great sense of humor. If you ever received the post card (mini magazine that John & Marylou put out at Christmas), you know how they could laugh at themselves and make everyone a part of the fun.

On that day, the conversation turned to me painting Birdstone as Marylou's birthday present. If you recall, it was Birdstone who spoiled the Smarty Party when Smarty Jones seemed to be a lock to win the first Triple Crown since Affirmed. On TV, right after the race Marylou apologized for ruining everyone's party.

John's main request for the painting would be that Smarty had to be in the painting. It was time to search to find the best source photo. One photo gave me what I wanted in the two horses with Birdstone just getting clear of Smarty, but in another photo, I noticed the tote board with the odds. I figured John and Marylou would get a kick of showing the odds, look at Smarty's saddle cloth and then, look at the tote and see him at 1-5 odds! Then look at Birdstone's saddle cloth and his odds are 36-1. I love being lyrical, often criticized in school because I liked telling stories with my artwork. Well boo hoo, I still like telling stories with words or pictures and sometimes both!

After the painting reached the Whitney estate in Saratoga, John called to tell me that the Birdstone painting was, "Hanging between a Stubbs and a Troye, right where it should be."

The following year we made another birthday present for Marylou, this time it was Dear Birdie and her foal, baby Birdstone.