Great Oaklawn Story

[jman5581]

My friend and I were at Oaklawn all day today....it just so happened that we found ourselves situated in the unoccupied box of a man by the name of John Anthony. We'd sat there pretty much all day because it was blustery outside and this box was not being used (it's right on the main finish line). The usher never said anything to us until about race 7 where he came by and jokingly said "John told me 2 young men were going to be using his box today, are you guys comfortable?" He kind of gave us the wink and nod and before he left said Mr. Anthony will be here a little later. So, we sat there for the 7th and here comes Mr. Anthony sure enough in time for the 8th, 9th and 10th (Count Fleet) races. I have no idea who the guy is at first. We were getting ready to leave the box when he said "No, you guys can stay, I'm alone, just scoot over and give me some room." It was a little awkward at first as he didn't say a word more and just thumbed through his racing form. Soon, I broke the ice by telling him this was our first trip to Oaklawn and asked how long he'd been coming to the track. He said "Oh, about 50 years." Nice, just half a century.

So, I butter him up a little bit and we talk about race 9 and 10. Soon I start telling him how I'm in a partneship that owns a filly that just raced at Keeneland this past week. He asked how she finished, I said, "Dead last. But it was expected." He said, "Unfortunately you have to kiss a few frogs." I didn't want to be argumentative, so I just said she's been in the money 4 out of 6 starts now.

He didn't say much else about it, so I asked him if he was an owner. He said, "I've owned a few and worked with most of these trainers on this program." He then proceeds to tell me he won the 1993 Preakness with Prairie Bayou. So, I was a little intimidated at that point. All I could think to say was, "Well, that's quite an accomplishment" or something to that effect. He then goes on to say, "I also owned Pine Bluff who won it in 1992." Uhhhhhhhh....right. The guy was just so ordinary, my friend couldn't appreciate it but I was now grateful to be sitting in this guy's box. So, he basically stayed long enough to see Bordonaro win the Count Fleet ( a little over an hour ) and give me a bad pick on the 4....but before he left he told us he would be there tomorrow (Derby Day) and to come by and see him. He's going to be "upstairs" later in the day and we can have his box (right on the finish line) then in his absence. As some of you may know, we came down to Hot Springs with NO tickets for tomorrow. We were planning on standing all day and finding a seat where we could. Now, thanks to this chance encounter, we will be sitting amongst the "connections" for the Arkansas Derby.

Here are some links I found about John Anthony and his dealings with the ill-fated Prairie Bayou and Pine Bluff ('92 Arkansas Derby winner). Turns out, he is a prominent lumberman in Arkansas which is what he does to fund his horse business This has been a great day....so glad we came.


http://www.oaklawn.com/this-season/n...iew.asp?id=317
http://www.oaklawn.com/this-season/n...iew.asp?id=309

[Sightseek]

Originally Posted by jman5581

My friend and I were at Oaklawn all day today....it just so happened that we found ourselves situated in the unoccupied box of a man by the name of John Anthony. We'd sat there pretty much all day because it was blustery outside and this box was not being used (it's right on the main finish line). The usher never said anything to us until about race 7 where he came by and jokingly said "John told me 2 young men were going to be using his box today, are you guys comfortable?" He kind of gave us the wink and nod and before he left said Mr. Anthony will be here a little later. So, we sat there for the 7th and here comes Mr. Anthony sure enough in time for the 8th, 9th and 10th (Count Fleet) races. I have no idea who the guy is at first. We were getting ready to leave the box when he said "No, you guys can stay, I'm alone, just scoot over and give me some room." It was a little awkward at first as he didn't say a word more and just thumbed through his racing form. Soon, I broke the ice by telling him this was our first trip to Oaklawn and asked how long he'd been coming to the track. He said "Oh, about 50 years." Nice, just half a century.

So, I butter him up a little bit and we talk about race 9 and 10. Soon I start telling him how I'm in a partneship that owns a filly that just raced at Keeneland this past week. He asked how she finished, I said, "Dead last. But it was expected." He said, "Unfortunately you have to kiss a few frogs." I didn't want to be argumentative, so I just said she's been in the money 4 out of 6 starts now.

He didn't say much else about it, so I asked him if he was an owner. He said, "I've owned a few and worked with most of these trainers on this program." He then proceeds to tell me he won the 1993 Preakness with Prairie Bayou. So, I was a little intimidated at that point. All I could think to say was, "Well, that's quite an accomplishment" or something to that effect. He then goes on to say, "I also owned Pine Bluff who won it in 1992." Uhhhhhhhh....right. The guy was just so ordinary, my friend couldn't appreciate it but I was now grateful to be sitting in this guy's box. So, he basically stayed long enough to see Bordonaro win the Count Fleet ( a little over an hour ) and give me a bad pick on the 4....but before he left he told us he would be there tomorrow (Derby Day) and to come by and see him. He's going to be "upstairs" later in the day and we can have his box (right on the finish line) then in his absence. As some of you may know, we came down to Hot Springs with NO tickets for tomorrow. We were planning on standing all day and finding a seat where we could. Now, thanks to this chance encounter, we will be sitting amongst the "connections" for the Arkansas Derby.

Here are some links I found about John Anthony and his dealings with the ill-fated Prairie Bayou and Pine Bluff ('92 Arkansas Derby winner). Turns out, he is a prominent lumberman in Arkansas which is what he does to fund his horse business This has been a great day....so glad we came.


http://www.oaklawn.com/this-season/n...iew.asp?id=317

I said it before, those people who show up at Oaklawn are just way nicer than you'll find anywhere else! lol

[Danzig]

lucky you, i understand he's a very nice man. owns anthony timberlands, we're lucky enough to have one of his sawmills as an account.

[Cajungator26]

That is awesome! Great story...

[jman5581]

Never know where life will take you.... we plopped ourselves right down and, whatayaknow, here comes greatness....

[AeWingnut]

That's awesome Jman. I enjoyed Oaklawn when I was there a few years ago.

[Cajungator26]

Jman, will you try and get some pictures of Delightful Kiss? When I was at Tampa, I was an idiot and didn't bring my camera to get any... he's a gorgeous horse.

[jman5581]

Yes, will have to post later, probably sunday or monday.

[Cajungator26]

Originally Posted by jman5581

Yes, will have to post later, probably sunday or monday.

K, thanks... I fell in love with that horse at Tampa.

[Merlinsky]

That's a great story. What a classy guy. Not sure what I would've said if someone told me they'd won the Preakness. What is there besides some form of "wow." I think you did pretty good.

[packerbacker7964]

Yeah back in the late 80's and early 90's Loblolly Stables was big time back then. He owned a horse names Sawmill and a couple of nice fillies also. I remember back when he had a few in against a horse named Rockamundo in the Ark Derby. He paid over $200 to win.

[cal828]

Originally Posted by jman5581

My friend and I were at Oaklawn all day today....it just so happened that we found ourselves situated in the unoccupied box of a man by the name of John Anthony. We'd sat there pretty much all day because it was blustery outside and this box was not being used (it's right on the main finish line). The usher never said anything to us until about race 7 where he came by and jokingly said "John told me 2 young men were going to be using his box today, are you guys comfortable?" He kind of gave us the wink and nod and before he left said Mr. Anthony will be here a little later. So, we sat there for the 7th and here comes Mr. Anthony sure enough in time for the 8th, 9th and 10th (Count Fleet) races. I have no idea who the guy is at first. We were getting ready to leave the box when he said "No, you guys can stay, I'm alone, just scoot over and give me some room." It was a little awkward at first as he didn't say a word more and just thumbed through his racing form. Soon, I broke the ice by telling him this was our first trip to Oaklawn and asked how long he'd been coming to the track. He said "Oh, about 50 years." Nice, just half a century.

So, I butter him up a little bit and we talk about race 9 and 10. Soon I start telling him how I'm in a partneship that owns a filly that just raced at Keeneland this past week. He asked how she finished, I said, "Dead last. But it was expected." He said, "Unfortunately you have to kiss a few frogs." I didn't want to be argumentative, so I just said she's been in the money 4 out of 6 starts now.

He didn't say much else about it, so I asked him if he was an owner. He said, "I've owned a few and worked with most of these trainers on this program." He then proceeds to tell me he won the 1993 Preakness with Prairie Bayou. So, I was a little intimidated at that point. All I could think to say was, "Well, that's quite an accomplishment" or something to that effect. He then goes on to say, "I also owned Pine Bluff who won it in 1992." Uhhhhhhhh....right. The guy was just so ordinary, my friend couldn't appreciate it but I was now grateful to be sitting in this guy's box. So, he basically stayed long enough to see Bordonaro win the Count Fleet ( a little over an hour ) and give me a bad pick on the 4....but before he left he told us he would be there tomorrow (Derby Day) and to come by and see him. He's going to be "upstairs" later in the day and we can have his box (right on the finish line) then in his absence. As some of you may know, we came down to Hot Springs with NO tickets for tomorrow. We were planning on standing all day and finding a seat where we could. Now, thanks to this chance encounter, we will be sitting amongst the "connections" for the Arkansas Derby.

Here are some links I found about John Anthony and his dealings with the ill-fated Prairie Bayou and Pine Bluff ('92 Arkansas Derby winner). Turns out, he is a prominent lumberman in Arkansas which is what he does to fund his horse business This has been a great day....so glad we came.


http://www.oaklawn.com/this-season/n...iew.asp?id=317
http://www.oaklawn.com/this-season/n...iew.asp?id=309

Actually, his horses won back to back runnings of the Preakness in 1992 and 1993 (Pine Bluff and Prarie Bayou) and his horse Temperance Hill won the 1980 running of the Belmont Stakes. That was the year that Genuine Risk won the Kentucky Derby. He also owned some other stakes winners like Cox' s Ridge, and Vanlandingham. He always named his horses after places in Arkansas that were significant to his timber business, except for Vanlandingham who was named after a family that had a house on Cox's Ridge. That is a great story. I personally don't know him, but my brother was his childhood friend.

[Cajungator26]

Originally Posted by cal828

Actually, his horses won back to back runnings of the Preakness in 1992 and 1993 (Pine Bluff and Prarie Bayou) and his horse Temperance Hill won the 1980 running of the Belmont Stakes. That was the year that Genuine Risk won the Kentucky Derby. He also owned some other stakes winners like Cox' s Ridge, and Vanlandingham. He always named his horses after places in Arkansas that were significant to his timber business, except for Vanlandingham who was named after a family that had a house on Cox's Ridge.

Interesting stuff! Must have been kind of neat to own Cox's Ridge AND his stakes winning son.

[Sightseek]

Originally Posted by cal828

Actually, his horses won back to back runnings of the Preakness in 1992 and 1993 (Pine Bluff and Prarie Bayou) and his horse Temperance Hill won the 1980 running of the Belmont Stakes. That was the year that Genuine Risk won the Kentucky Derby. He also owned some other stakes winners like Cox' s Ridge, and Vanlandingham. He always named his horses after places in Arkansas that were significant to his timber business, except for Vanlandingham who was named after a family that had a house on Cox's Ridge.

This reminds me of a really cool book they have in the Oaklawn gift shop and that I've never seen since. It gave the background behind the names of some of the greatest horses we've had the pleasure of watching run.

I wish I would have bought it.

[PPerfectfan]

Oh that is a great story, thanks for sharing.

[cal828]

The same year that Pine Bluff won the Preakness (1992), Lil E. Tee, another Arkansas owned horse won the Kentucky Derby. He was owned by now deceased oil man Cal Partee. I guess those exploits were pretty much the pinnacle for Arkansas owned horses. Afleet Alex and Smarty and Sunny's Halo all raced at Oaklawn, but were owned by out of state folks.

[Pedigree Ann]

Originally Posted by cal828

The same year that Pine Bluff won the Preakness (1992), Lil E. Tee, another Arkansas owned horse won the Kentucky Derby. He was owned by now deceased oil man Cal Partee. I guess those exploits were pretty much the pinnacle for Arkansas owned horses. Afleet Alex and Smarty and Sunny's Halo all raced at Oaklawn, but were owned by out of state folks.

Don't forget champion US older horse Nodouble, Arkansas-BRED.