Stonereath Farm’s Darrell Brown Passes Away

Darrell Brown, who owned and operated Stonereath Farm in Bourbon County, Kentucky, for four decades, has passed away. He was to turn 88 years old next month.

Born Dec. 14, 1934, to Joseph and Ona Brown in Oklahoma City, Brown grew up during the Oklahoma dust bowl and attended school in a one-room schoolhouse in Mustang, Oklahoma, before proceeding to public school and the University of Oklahoma. He flew in the Air Force during the Vietnam War, delivering helicopter blades to Da Nang and also transporting caskets back to the U.S.

Following the war, Brown became the head accountant for Kerr McGee Oil Co., but remained in the Guard and was eventually hired by Aero Commander as test pilot and sales rep. His skills led him to demonstrate a plane to legendary golfer Arnold Palmer, while led to being hired as Palmer's personal pilot and personal manager.

A skilled sportsman, Brown achieved much success, particularly at golf, where he made the cut every time he competed in the AT&T/Bing Crosby Pro-Am tournament at Pebble Beach, California. He also played polo with victories in the U.S. and against the Guards Polo in England. He was an excellent shot in the dove fields of Kentucky accompanied by his dog Birdie and took numerous European bike trips with his wife and enjoyed his cycling and European adventures.

Stonereath co-owner Broodmare of the Year Best In Show and many stakes winners, including GI Kentucky Oaks winner Blush With Pride. He was on the board of Kentucky Bank, Breeders' Cup and was President of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association from 1984-1988, its Vice President from 1981-1984 and was one of the founders of the organization. Brown believed that the owners and breeders of Thoroughbreds should have a strong voice in the development of the Thoroughbred business and its decisions. Two of his early principles were the development of a modern simulcasting program for Kentucky and the designation of the pari-mutuel tax to purses for improvement and growth of racing. Darrell was known for his integrity and honesty and advocated for what was good for the industry and for horsemen. These two programs are still the cornerstones of racing today.

Brown is survived by his son Jay Brown (Darice), Dr. Joel Brown and Jamie Brown and one granddaughter, Darrelyn Leebov. A celebration of live will be held at a later date.

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Herb Moelis of Delaware’s CandyLand Farm Dies at 91

Funeral services were held Sunday for Herb Moelis, who bred, raced and sold horses for parts of five decades at the CandyLand Farm he founded in Middletown, Delaware. He was 91 and had recently suffered a bout of pneumonia as a complication from a years-long battle against Parkinson's disease.

Known for his passion for the sport, an even-keeled nature, and quiet, steadfast generosity, Moelis helped to create the Thoroughbred Charities of America (TCA), which since 1990 has distributed over $26 million to over 200 approved organizations.

Mike Palmer, who over the course of 30 years worked his way up from farm worker to CandyLand's general manager to being Moelis's business partner in various bloodstock endeavors, confirmed the details of his Oct. 6 passing in a Monday phone interview, noting that Moelis died “extremely peacefully” at his home on the farm property.

“He was a friend and a mentor. I'd call him my 'employer,' but what I did for Mr. Moelis wasn't work,” Palmer said. “It was what we both loved to do. In fact, he probably wouldn't want me to be calling him 'Mr. Moelis.' He always wanted me to call him Herb. He never thought he was better than anybody else. He was just a man's man. A true, true gentleman is what he was.

“He'd walk up to the barn with his dogs, a half mile every single day for 30 years, just to check in,” Palmer said. “And he and I would chat. Mostly the horses, matings, work that needed to be done. But a lot of times, we would just talk about life, for hours at a time. He was one of those guys whose horse could win by 17 lengths or lose by 17 lengths and he would have the same emotion. He was just very low key, and nothing excited him.”

Originally from New York, Herbert Irwin Moelis graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1953, then earned a law degree and graduate degree in taxation from New York University Law School in 1956. According to his TCA biography, Moelis established a career as a certified public accountant and tax attorney for 30 years, retiring from practice and relocating to Delaware in 1986.

Fulfilling a longtime horse racing dream, Moelis and his wife, Ellen, began to breed Thoroughbreds from a broodmare band of about 20, racing some and selling others at auction.

According to the TCA bio, in 1988 the Moelises claimed a 2-year-old filly named Redeemer for $20,000 because she was a descendant of the influential broodmare La Troienne. Redeemer injured herself in a paddock accident shortly thereafter and was retired, but she produced a foal by Houston who was the top-selling colt in the 1993 Saratoga sale. CandyLand was also a regular fixture atop the sales-topper lists at Timonium over the last several decades.

Racing under the name Candy Stable and in various partnerships, the Moelises campaigned such stakes winners as Cat Be Nimble, Surely Six, Shapely Scrapper, Dr. Unright, Time To Dream, Five Star Deputy and Scary Bob.

In addition to the TCA, Herb and Ellen established The Moelis Family Foundation, which is involved in granting funds to charities involved in medical research, animal welfare, and children's causes.

“Herb Moelis was a visionary for sure,” said TCA President Mike McMahon. “Before the formation of TCA, there was not a broad discussion about the aftercare of racehorses. 'Aftercare' wasn't even in our lexicon yet, but our founders knew they needed to help provide Thoroughbreds with an appropriate retirement from racing. Thirty-two years later the Herb's vision for TCA has helped thousands of Thoroughbreds and the people who care for them.”

Palmer detailed to TDN how his relationship with Moelis grew into almost a “father and son” type of bond.

After Palmer had worked for Moelis for about 10 years, the CandyLand founder underscored to Palmer how important it was to him to have Palmer be with the horses on his 160-acre property on a 24/7 basis. To accomplish that, Moelis offered Palmer land on the farm to build a house for his family, with Moelis paying for the design and construction of the home.

“I mean, who does that, right?” Palmer said. “I had to pinch myself when he offered me that.”

Later, Palmer would run his own Thoroughbred venture, DreamTime Stables, on that same land, always adding “at CandyLand” on his signage at sales out of respect for Moelis and the farm's good reputation.

“Sunday was hard,” Palmer said of Moelis's services. “His death wasn't a surprise, but I don't know if I've come to terms with it. But I have come to terms with Herb not being tired anymore. He fought as long as he could, and I think he might have fought a little too hard in my personal opinion–but that's just me knowing him.”

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Owner of Champions Willis Horton Dies

Willis Horton, an owner and breeder in Thoroughbred racing for decades whose Willis Horton Racing campaigned champions Will Take Charge (Unbridled's Song) and Take Charge Brandi (Giant's Causeway), passed away Friday at the age of 82 after a bout with COVID-induced pneumonia. The news was first reported by Daily Racing Form.

Originally from Zach, Ark., Horton grew up on a farm and competed in rodeos. His wife of 64 years, Glenda, had a similar upbringing, and the two owned quarter horses before branching out into the world of Thoroughbreds. Horton's home racing base was Oaklawn Park, and he maintained a cattle operation at his farm in Marshall, Ark.

“Oaklawn sends our condolences to the entire Horton family and the racing community,” Oaklawn Park said in a tweet. “Willis Horton will be greatly missed by everyone that knew him.”

Horton's family founded D.R. Horton Homes in 1978, which grew to become America's largest homebuilder with revenue over $27 billion. The company has more than 11,000 employees and is traded publicly on the New York Stock Exchange.

As an owner, Horton's career reached new heights with D. Wayne Lukas trainee Will Take Charge, who won five graded stakes as a 3-year-old in 2013, including the Grade I Travers S. and GI Clark H., and was runner-up in that year's GI Breeders' Cup Classic en route to champion 3-year-old male honors at the Eclipse Awards. The chestnut, who Horton purchased for $425,000 as a Keeneland September yearling, currently stands at Three Chimneys Farm and was represented this past Friday at Keeneland by GII Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix S. winner Manny Wah.

Soon after Will Take Charge's breakout Travers score, Horton went to $435,000 to secure Take Charge Brandi at KEESEP. Named after Horton's granddaughter, she scored in the 2014 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and added a victory in the GI Starlet S., also under Lukas's tutelage, to be named champion 2-year-old filly. In the fall of 2015, Horton sold the filly for a whopping $6 million at Keeneland November.

Horton also scored major victories in the 2007 GI Kentucky Oaks with Lemons Forever (Lemon Drop Kid) and more recently in the 2019 GII Rebel S. with Long Range Toddy (Take Charge Indy) and this year's GII Oaklawn H. with Last Samurai (Malibu Moon).

Horton is survived by his wife Glenda Holsted Horton; his son Kevin Horton and wife Laurie; his granddaughters, Tressa de Miranda and husband Ben, Brandi Horton and fiancé Grant, and Courtney Matyja and husband Shay; his great grandchildren, Wyatt Dale, Emma Pearl, Noah Matyja and Chloey Matyja; his brother Leon Horton; and his sister-in-law Wilma Horton.

Visitation will be held Tuesday, Oct. 11 from 12-2 p.m. at the Roller-Coffman Chapel (923 US-65, Marshall, AR 72650). A funeral service will be held Tuesday at 3 p.m. at the same location.

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Longtime Horseman Jack Willis Dies

Clarence H. Willis III, better known as Jack, a longtime horseman and assistant in racing on the East Coast, died Monday at the age of 81.

Willis worked for the prominent Bostwick family in Aiken, SC before going on to work for the Phipps family under trainer Angel Penna, Sr. in the 1980s. He oversaw all of the powerhouse stable's yearlings and some layups in Aiken before moving north to help manage the Phippses' racing stable on the New York circuit of Belmont and Saratoga.

Some of the more well-known horses Willis worked with during that period included multiple Grade I-winning millionaire and GI Breeders' Cup Sprint champion Dancing Spree (Nijinsky), Grade I winner Time for a Change (Damascus) and Roselawn Farm/Airdrie Stud stallion Turkey Shoot (Seattle Slew).

In his later years, Willis went on to drive transport vans for Brook Ledge Horse Transportation before retiring to Florida to sell insurance.

“Jack was a good horseman and a friend to all. He was loyal and had a good sense of humor. I owe my entering horse racing to him,” said Jean Bickley, racing manager for Peter Brant.

Willis is survived by his wife of 50 years, Miryam, and their two sons, Steve and Jack.

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