I drove past the Greentree Training Center on Nelson Avenue yesterday, formerly known as Stonerside Stables. In June, Christen Gowan wrote a story explaining why there were scores of stumps outside the farm’s fence. Apparently the arborvitae trees were sickly, so the caretaking staff cut them down. Yesterday I saw landscapers planting burning bushes. A new four-rail fence has also been added.
The ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, bought the property in 2007. The lush, gated property includes a synthetic track, 46 horse stalls and a mansion. Former owner Robert McNair, owner of the Houston Texans football team, called it Stonerside because that is the name of his stables. The Sheikh changed the name back to Greentree, the farm’s original name.