Our History
Mill Ridge was founded in 1962 by Alice Chandler following the death of her father, Hal Price Headley, an influential horseman. Headley co-founded iconic Keeneland, a model racetrack and owned historic Beaumont Farm; a 4,000-acre farm where he raised champions including Alcibiades and Menow. Headley left his daughter 286-acres from Beaumont of undeveloped land along with four mares. Over the next 60 years, Chandler grew this into the 900-acre, fully operational farm that Mill Ridge is today
Alice Chandler had immediate success in 1968 with a horse she foaled and raised at Mill Ridge named Sir Ivor. Sir Ivor would go on to win the prestigious Epsom Derby and become the British Horse of the Year. Historically dominated by European horses, it was unheard of that an American woman could breed an American thoroughbred that could achieve these accolades.
This earned Chandler the recognition as the first woman to “breed and sell” a winner of the prestigious race and achieve this title. Importantly, this opened the industry to international trade as Europeans started sending their mares to America to reside at Mill Ridge and breed to American stallions. It also drew attention from Her Majesty the Queen, who began to board horses at Mill Ridge and grew a personal friendship with Chandler.
Like her father, and because of her leadership and accomplishments, Alice Chandler achieved notable industry accolades throughout her life including induction into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame as a “Pillar of the Turf” in 2020 following her father’s induction in 2018.
Alice Chandler built Mill Ridge on the central belief of putting the horse first. She often would say, “if you take care of the horse, the horse will take care of you.” This principle continues to drive the Mill Ridge team and its clients every day, allowing them to achieve success in raising some of the world’s best racehorses.
The success of Mill Ridge and its consulting arm, Nicoma Bloodstock, has continued into modern day. Just since 2000, Mill Ridge has raised or sold 39 Grade 1 (G1) winners, the highest ranking race grade in the industry, most recently with 2024 G1 Preakness Champion, Seize the Grey who was mated, raised, and sold by Mill Ridge. This list also includes (3) Kentucky Derby winners, (3) Horse of the Year recipients, and (14) Breeders’ Cup Champions.
At the core of the Mill Ridge operation is its boarding service and nursery. Managed by sixth generation horseman, Price Bell, mares are foaled at Mill Ridge and the foals are raised on the farm typically until they are eighteen months old and graduate to begin their racing career. Mill Ridge’s consulting arm, Nicoma Bloodstock is led by Alice Chandler’s son, Headley Bell, and specializes in advising clients’ thoroughbred purchases, matings, and portfolios.
Both Price and Headley are passionate about deepening people’s connection with horses. They recognized an opportunity to establish an industry initiative that would connect people to the horse, land, and services of Kentucky’s equine industry through immersive experiences. Prior to this time, horse farms were in large part closed to visitors and fans. Together with two other industry leaders, Price and Headley established the nonprofit Horse Country in 2015, which has grown to welcome more than 500,000 guests through its “gates” to date.
Price Headley Bell Jr.
Price Bell began his working life in the stables of Mill Ridge Farm, cleaning stalls, turning out horses, and learning the ins-and-outs of horse farm life as a seventh grader. He continued to work summers at Mill Ridge throughout his teenage years. Today, as General Manager, you’ll still often find Price in muddy boots and a Mill Ridge cap, walking the grounds of the farm.
Price is a 2000 Graduate of the Taft School in Watertown, Connecticut, where he served as Head Monitor of the school.
He then earned his BS in Economics from Vanderbilt University in 2004, and later his MBA from Vanderbilt Owens School of Business in 2011.
He began a career in real estate in Charlotte, North Carolina in 2005 for Parkway Properties and soon transferred to the Nashville, Tennessee market. Once in Nashville, Price served on the Executive Committee of the Nashville Downtown Partnership for two years and was influential in the development of the Gulch Business Improvement District (GBID). He was also a member of the Education Committee for the Nashville Chamber of Commerce for two years.
In late 2007, he left Parkway Properties for DZL Management, a Nashville real estate investment, management, and development company dedicated to adaptive reuse neighborhood development.
In 2011 he returned to his hometown to begin working for the family businesses, Mill Ridge Farm and Nicoma Bloodstock as a bloodstock agent. In 2020, he was named General Manager of Mill Ridge.
Once reinvested in Mill Ridge and Lexington’s civic scene, Price applied his education and experience to improving Lexington and growing Mill Ridge. He serves on several nonprofit boards in Lexington for causes he cares about.
Price Headley Bell
Headley Bell has been instrumental in the success of Mill Ridge Farm over the past several decades, serving as Managing Partner of Mill Ridge and as the primary bloodstock agent of Nicoma Bloodstock, the consulting arm of Mill Ridge Farm.
Educated at Woodberry Forest in Virginia and Vanderbilt University, Headley Bell founded Nicoma Bloodstock in 1979. He had early success with a mating in 1983, producing TREMPOLINO, who won France’s Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe (G1) in 1987 and was recognized as Champion Three-Year-Old. In 1987, another successful mating produced SUAVE DANCER, who went on to win the 1991 Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe (G1) in 1991 and was recognized as French and Irish Highweight.
Other highlights of Headley’s career with Nicoma Bloodstock include:
SEIZE THE GREY— Mated for Jamm Ltd, 2024 Preakness Stakes (G1) winner.
BRICKS AND MORTAR—Mated for George Strawbridge, Jr. 2019 Horse of the Year and multiple G1 winner.
OSCAR PERFORMANCE—Mated for John and Jerry Amerman, 2017 Winner Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) and winner of the 2017 Belmont Derby Invitational (G1). Now standing stud at Mill Ridge Farm.
HAVRE DE GRACE—2011 Horse of the Year. HAVRE DE GRACE was foaled at Mill Ridge Farm for Mrs. Nancy Dillman and sold as a yearling at Keeneland. She went on to earn over $2,000,000.
STREET SENSE—Mated for Jim Tafel, 2007 Winner of the Kentucky Derby, 2006 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Champion Two-Year-Old.
BARBARO—Mated for Roy and Gretchen Jackson, 2006 Winner of the Kentucky Derby
Alice Headley Chandler
In 1962, Alice’s father, Hal Price Headley died and bequeathed to her four mares and 286 acres of the Beaumont Farm, with which she founded Mill Ridge Farm.
In 1968, Chandler became the first American woman to breed an Epsom Derby winner who was sold at auction, SIR IVOR, a stallion descended from ALCIBIADES, a champion bred by Chandler’s father in 1927. Sir Ivor was sold to Raymond Guest, an American businessman and U.S. Ambassador to Ireland, at Keeneland in 1966 for $42,000. After winning several major European races, Chandler’s stallion influenced a shift in horse sales, emphasizing the U.S. commercial market and Keeneland, specifically.
Mill Ridge Farm has raised and sold several notable horses since its founding, to include 2001 Horse of the Year POINT GIVEN, 2011 Horse of the Year HAVRE DE GRACE, and 2005 Kentucky Derby winner GIACOMO. Since 2000, Mill Ridge Farm has raised or sold seven Breeders’ Cup winners and 39 Grade 1 winners.
Chandler’s most prestigious honor is her induction into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2020 under the category of “Pillars of the Turf.” Her father was inducted only two years prior in 2018.
Chandler became a member of Keeneland’s Button Club in 2012, an award that honors individuals/farms who have “played a prominent role in the growth of the Keeneland Association.”
In 2008, Chandler was given the Eclipse Award of Merit, one of the industry’s highest honors, presented for “displaying outstanding lifetime achievement in, and service to, the Thoroughbred industry.”
In 2005, Chandler was the Honor Guest for the Thoroughbred Club of America’s Annual Testimonial Dinner, an event that honors “outstanding figures of the turf world.”
Upon her death in 2021, numous organizations paid tribute to Chandler, well captured here in the Paulick Report article.
Hal Price Headley
Beaumont Farm’s Hal Price Headley was perhaps the most influential player in bringing the dream of Keeneland Race Track to existence in 1936, and served as its President from that time until 1951.
The land that became Beaumont Farm was purchased by George Washington Headley in 1880, and handed down to his son, Hal Petit Headley. Hal Price Headley was born in Lexington, Kentucky in 1888 and went on to study at Princeton University before returning to Beaumont Farm following his father’s stroke.
Once his boots were back on the familiar soil of Central Kentucky, Headley went on to immerse himself in the business of Beaumont Farm, establishing Keeneland as a front-runner in the world of thoroughbred horse racing, and serving as the first President of the Thoroughbred Horse Association.
The most notable horses bred by Hal Price Headley include ALCIBIADES, APOGEE, MENOW, and ASKMEKNOW among a total of 88 Grade States winners from 1916 to 1953.
Upon his death in 1962, The Blood-Horse stated: “In all-around mastery of the various aspects of Thoroughbred racing and breeding, Hal Price Headley had no equal among his contemporaries.” Alice Headley Chandler, his daughter, then inherited 286 acres and four broodmares. From this new beginning came Mill Ridge Farm.
In 2018, he was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame as a Pillar of the Turf and a tribute video here.