Obituary: Richardson Immersed Himself in Racing

Owner-breeder Dr. J. David Richardson, who expressed his love for racing by immersing himself in roles in nearly every corner of the industry, died Sept. 7 while visiting Saratoga Springs, N.Y. He was 76. Richardson, a renowned surgeon and educator as chief of surgery at University of Louisville Hospital, enjoyed considerable success as an owner and breeder, but shaped racing by serving in numerous industry leadership roles. A member of The Jockey Club, Richardson served as a board member and former chairman of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, including previously serving as chair of the American Graded Stakes Committee. He was a board member of BloodHorse, and a director emeritus, as well as a former president, of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association. Governors of both major political parties appointed him to the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission and he served on the advisory board for the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund. TOBA president Dan Metzger welcomed Richardson's sharp mind and willingness to immerse himself in tough tasks like hammering out grades for America's top stakes races. "He was a first-team All-American," Metzger said Tuesday morning before pausing to compose himself. "It's been a tough day." KHRC executive director Marc Guilfoil marveled at Richardson's commitment—always with the goal of furthering the sport. His guidance shaped a KTDF program that is both helping the Kentucky racing circuit thrive while encouraging breeding in the state. "He's a true foundation person. Everything's got to have a solid foundation regardless of what is in life, and Dr. Richardson is our foundation in horse racing," Guilfoil said. "If you take any issue, I don't care if it's health and welfare of the human being, welfare of the horse, KTDF money, anything; Dr. Richardson was always the foundation. He's truly irreplaceable." Metzger said Richardson contributed to TOBA through his expertise in so many areas of the wide-ranging industry. "He understood racing as an owner and a breeder. He understood sales. He understood the regulatory end," Metzger said. In that role as an owner and breeder Richardson enjoyed some top victories. Some of his top horses in his nearly 50 years in racing include Mrs. Revere, a multiple stakes winner in the mid-1980s whom he co-owned with Dr. Hiram Polk and in whose name Churchill Downs runs a grade 2 stakes in the fall. Also, he and Polk campaigned 1995 Flower Bowl Invitational Handicap (G1T) winner Northern Emerald. In his professional and racing life, Richardson enjoyed all things Louisville. "Dr. Richardson positively impacted the lives of countless individuals and meant so much to so many people in this community as well as the horse racing industry," said Churchill Downs track president Mike Anderson. "The Churchill Downs family is absolutely devastated to learn of his passing. He was such a fantastic man of the highest integrity and a tremendous champion of Thoroughbred racing. … Churchill Downs won't be the same without 'Doc' Richardson around." Richardson also brought his talents to Breeders' Cup. "We were very fortunate to have Dr. Richardson serve as a long-standing member of the Breeders' Cup and as a director on our board during the previous decade," Breeders' Cup noted. "Dr. Richardson held positions on various committees and was a guiding hand on critical issues impacting our racing programs, equine safety, and integrity." Richardson based his horses at Hermitage Farm near Goshen, Ky., through three generations of the farm's ownership: former Churchill chairman Warner Jones, former Churchill chairman Carl Pollard, and, now, the era of Steve Wilson and Laura Lee Brown. While Richardson spent much of his life learning to be a surgeon and then educating future doctors, he would never call an ivory tower home. Bill Landes, the longtime farm manager at Hermitage, marveled at Richardson's ability to communicate with people throughout racing. "David plays at every level with the horses, every level," Landes said in a recent BloodHorse feature on Richardson. "He plays at every level with the people in the horse business, too, from the mighty to the lesser. From the backside groom to the fellow members of The Jockey Club, he can play at every level and connect with them." Guilfoil noted the same attribute, counting his blessings that Richardson had focused his passion on improving racing. "He's one of those kind of guys that can talk to anybody, and not talk over their head," Guilfoil said. "You would understand what we're talking about whether he's talking about something that he had done as a surgeon or something in racing. … There are very few people out there that are truly a foundation; he was. And we lost him. "He was a friend but I don't want to be selfish and say 'I lost him.' But it's all of horse racing that lost him." Metzger agreed that Richardson's passing is a loss for all of racing. "We are heartbroken and saddened by the passing of Dr. J. David Richardson, a remarkable man both in the medical community and the Thoroughbred industry," Metzger said. "Dr. Richardson gave selflessly of his time in supporting many of our sport's organizations, including four years as TOBA chairman and nine years on the American Graded Stakes Committee, including seven as chairman. He was admired and loved by the countless he touched throughout the industry and we will forever be indebted to him for his steady leadership at TOBA." Landes and Richardson served together in the advisory role at KTDF. In that role, Richardson found it was possible to put changes in place that would benefit the industry in Kentucky. "There've been some times that we've pushed some tracks to do some things that perhaps they weren't terribly anxious to do, but we've said this really is your obligation to get KTDF money," Richardson said in the feature that ran in the July issue of BloodHorse. "There's no reason logically if we can keep things going as we are that we will be not only the best breeding state, but the best racing state in the country." In that same story Richardson explained his drive in medicine, education, and racing. "I've always tried to be fairly broad-based in things," Richardson said. For those who knew him, the above quote would be termed an understatement. Churchill Downs and TOBA both expressed their condolences to Richardson's friends and family, including wife Maxine, children Amy, Britt, and Melissa, and brothers Ron and Paul. BloodHorse plans to update this story or post a new story on any memorial services that are scheduled.