Longtime Owner and Philanthropist Alex Campbell Dies

Lexington, Kentucky native Alex G. Campbell Jr., who campaigned the likes of GSWs winner Karlovy Vary, Mean Mary and Bye Bye Melvin, died in Delray, Florida, Tuesday. He was 95.

In addition to Karlovy Vary, who annexed Keeneland's GI Ashland S. in 2012, Campbell previously campaigned Turk O Witz, winner of the 1995 Santa Maria H. in addition to 1996 Big 'Cap scorer Mr Purple. Also running in his colors, dual graded stakes winner Ultra Brat, and Grade III victor It's Tea Time.

A member of The Jockey Club for 34 years, the longtime horse owner invested in First Security Bank in Lexington, which later sold to Bank One and subsequently to JPMorgan Chase. He was also among the early investors in what later became Humana Hospitals.

The philanthropic Campbell also supported the growth and development of downtown Lexington in the form of Triangle Park and Thoroughbred Park.

“I wish I had met him 30 years ago,” said Graham Motion, who trained Mean Mary and Bye Bye Melvin for Campbell. “He had a big influence on my career personally and professionally in a short space of time. It's part of a generation that we are going to miss in horse racing.”

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Thursday Racing Insights: Kitten’s Joy Homebred Debuts at Delaware

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency

3rd-DEL, $40K, MSW, 3yo/up, f, 1m 70ydsT, 1:30 p.m.

  COME ON KITTY CAT, a 3-year-old Kitten's Joy home-bred for Alex Campbell, Jr., debuts at Delaware Park Thursday. Out of the Pulpit mare The Right Pew, Come On Kitty Cat is a half-sister to eight winners including two graded stakes performers: Karlovy Vary (Dynaformer), winner of the GI Central Bank Ashland S. who herself went on to produce both back-to-back GII New York S. winner Mean Mary (Scat Daddy), and Bye Bye Melvin (Uncle Mo), who saw success in the GIII Saranac S.; and Rocket Legs (Dynaformer), a track record setter at the now-defunct Hollywood Park and second in the GII San Marcos S. Trained by Graham Motion, Come On Kitty Cat recently worked five furlongs May 7 on the all-weather track at Fair Hill in 1:01 1/5 (1/12). Jockey Jeremy Rose picks up the mount.  TJCIS PPs

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Mean Mary Coast-To-Coast In Gallorette

The odds-on selection making her seasonal debut in Saturday's GIII Gallorette S. at Pimlico, Mean Mary (Scat Daddy) gave her owner and breeder Alex Campbell, Jr. and trainer Graham Motion their second victory in four years in the race, adding to the success of homebred Ultra Brat (Uncle Mo) in bog-like conditions in 2018.

The clear speed in the scratched-down field of five, Mean Mary did no work whatsoever to lead a couple of strides away from the gates and was put to sleep up front by her regular partner Luis Saez, covering the opening quarter in :25.27 and the half in :50.92 while chased along by Flighty Lady (Ire) (Sir Percy {GB}). She continued to lob along on a long rein and Saez began to up the tempo just a bit as they neared the stretch. Shaken up passing the three-sixteenths, Mean Mary was firmly in front entering the final furlong and was under mostly hand urging to score cozily, with a final five-sixteenths of a mile in a slick :27.81. Vigilantes Way (Medaglia d'Oro) made good headway from last to round out the exacta.

“It was perfect. I couldn't have asked for anything else, really,” Motion said. “I didn't know that they would let her go that easy on the lead. My main concern was that she was settled, that she was relaxed.”

Once known as a temperamental filly, Mean Mary made rapid progress once becoming more manageable and earned her first win at this level with a wire-to-wire tally in the 12-furlong GIII La Prevoyante S. in early 2020 before adding a front-running score in the GIII Orchid S. a couple of months later. A towering winner of the GII New York S. last June, the dark bay made the majority of the running in the GI Diana S. last August, only to be outgamed by future champion Rushing Fall (More Than Ready). Coincidentally, Ultra Brat was beaten a nose by Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) in the 2018 Diana. Mean Mary was last seen weakening to seventh, though not beaten far, in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Keeneland Nov. 7. Mean Mary could make her next appearance in the $750,000 GII New York S. at Belmont Park June 4.

Pedigree Notes:

Alex Campbell, Jr. acquired Mean Mary's second dam for $230,000 at the 2000 Keeneland July, raced her to a maiden win  from eight starts and bred her to Dynaformer in her first year at stud in 2003. That first produce became Rocket Legs, who was second to Champs Elysees (GB) (Danehill) in the 10-furlong GII San Marcos S. in early 2008. Campbell, Jr. sent The Right Pew back to Dynaformer that breeding season, a mating that yielded Karlovy Vary, front-running upsetter of the 2012 GI Central Bank Ashland S. over the Keeneland Polytrack. Mean Mary's year-younger half-brother Bye Bye Melvin won the 2020 GIII Saranac S. at Saratoga and dead-heated for fourth in Saturday's GII Dinner Party S. Karlovy Vary died in 2017.

Saturday, Pimlico
GALLORETTE S.-GIII, $148,500, Pimlico, 5-15, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16mT, 1:43.10, fm.
1–MEAN MARY, 122, m, 5, by Scat Daddy
          1st Dam: Karlovy Vary (GISW, $448,596), by Dynaformer
          2nd Dam: The Right Pew, by Pulpit
          3rd Dam: Packet, by Polish Navy
O-Alex G Campbell Jr; B-Alex G Campbell Jr Thoroughbreds
LLC (KY); T-H Graham Motion; J-Luis Saez. $90,000. Lifetime
Record: GISP, 10-6-2-0, $606,160. *1/2 to Bye Bye Melvin
(Uncle Mo), GSW, $159,965. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Vigilantes Way, 122, f, 4, Medaglia d'Oro–Salute, by
Unbridled. O/B-Phipps Stable (KY); T-Claude R McGaughey III.
$30,000.
3–Great Island, 122, m, 5, Scat Daddy–Voyage, by Rahy.
($160,000 Wlg '16 KEENOV; $300,000 Ylg '17 KEESEP). O-Alpha
Delta Stables LLC; B-Ben P Walden Jr & Larry Taylor (KY);
T-Chad C Brown. $15,000.
Margins: HF, 1, 1HF. Odds: 0.80, 8.10, 9.40.
Also Ran: Flighty Lady (Ire), Feel Glorious (GB). Scratched: Tuned (GB). Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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