When you arrive at Deo Volente Farms, Latin for “God willing,” what comes to mind is how perfectly this place mirrors its name.
There is a long, sky-colored building that serves as the centerpiece of this 110 acre property in Hunterdon County’s Franklin Township. Two large and small horse statues stand gallantly in the middle of a long, cobble-stoned driveway that is dotted with rows of manicured shrubs. The mother’s head is bent forward as if she’s either about to begin a race or is already exhausted from winning it.
While designing Deo Volente Farms prior to its opening in 2007, Gulotta deliberately chose this property because, he explained, it has land that produces horses of the highest caliber.
The farm is located “at the highest point of Hunterdon County,” Gulotta said. “When I saw this land for the first time, it was just corn stalks. But if you look at the property, it’s undulating. It’s hilly. So the horses get good exercise going up and down hills.”
The soil has limestone, which is to horses what milk is to humans, he said. “It’s comparable to the soil content in Kentucky, which builds strong bones. When the horses eat the grass, they’re growing stronger,” Gulotta explained.
Deo Volente Farms has served as a home for a number of the top Standardbred horses in the world, including Princess Deo, who placed fifth in this past weekend’s Hambletonian Oaks, a premier harness racing event for 3-year-old Standardbred female trotters.