After living a life celebrated for its extraordinary accomplishments and stunning longevity, James E. "Ted" Bassett III died at his Lexington home Jan. 23. He was 103.
Bassett led Lexington's Keeneland Association for decades in a variety of capacities: president from 1970-86, chairman of the board from 1986-2001, and trustee from 1993-2006. He will forever remain synonymous with Keeneland for overseeing an unprecedented period of growth in both the racing and sales divisions there, and in guiding the once-conservative organization into championing an era of cutting-edge technology and innovation.
Even after having reached 100, Bassett reported to his office each weekday in the Keeneland Cottage. There, surrounded by photos, statues, and memorabilia from world leaders, royalty, and celebrities, Bassett entertained a steady stream of visitors and well-wishers, from Keeneland presidents to maintenance staff. His intellectual curiosity was unwavering, and he would converse with each person about their area of expertise in the Thoroughbred world.
Keeneland was just one of the positions that defined Ted Bassett's life. He first and foremost identified himself as a United States Marine. As a second lieutenant, he was shipped to the Pacific theater in late 1944 as part of a raider battalion specializing in amphibious operations during World War II.
"Being in the Marines is a life-changing experience you never forget," Bassett told BloodHorse in 2006. He was throughout his life conscious of maintaining the ramrod-straight posture of a Marine, eschewing the use of a cane in his latter years. He led the fundraising campaign for the establishment of the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, Va. He also championed the commissioning of three statues of Sergeant Reckless, a Korean-bred horse who carried supplies and munitions over rugged terrain to Allied troops in the Korean War. One of them stands at the Kentucky Horse Park.
Sergeant Reckless Served With Valor
Once asked why he got involved with honoring Sgt. Reckless, Bassett banged his fists on the conference table of the Keeneland Cottage and bellowed, "Why am I involved? Because she wasn't a horse; she was a Marine!"
Ted Bassett was born Oct. 26, 1921, and grew up in downtown Lexington, the son of a strict disciplinarian father who managed Greentree Stud for the Whitney family. At 12, he was dispatched to the Kent School, a boarding school in Connecticut that ingrained a strict, spartan bent in him. He would spend three years at Yale University before volunteering for the Marine Corps during World War II.
Following the war, Bassett married Lucy Gay, a central Kentucky native, and took a variety of jobs traveling up and down the Eastern Seaboard for the Great Northern Paper Company. Eventually, the couple returned to the Bluegrass region of Kentucky, where Bassett undertook a brief career as a cattle, sheep, and tobacco farmer. A friend, Pete Widener, recruited him to join the Kentucky State Police. Bassett eventually became director of the KSP, yet another life-defining experience.
There, he helped enforce school integration, open housing, and helped those gutted by natural disasters. He reformed everything from the officers' uniforms to the design of the police cars, increased salaries, and started Eastern Kentucky University's College of Justice and Safety.
"I felt very strongly about the need for improved selection and training standards, and discipline," he said. "I thought I'd stay for six months. I did 11 years."
Keeneland president Louis Lee Haggin II hired Bassett to be his assistant. Bassett joked that "things couldn't have been going too well there if they had to bring this cop in to help oversee it."
Two years later, he assumed the presidency of Keeneland. Rapid expansion and thorough renovation followed in every aspect of Keeneland's physical plant, from the clubhouse and grandstand to new barns on the backstretch, and improvements to the sales pavilion.
Bassett was an avid supporter of the Keeneland Library, which today is a jewel of the Thoroughbred world and houses the largest archive and collection of resource material to aid authors, researchers, reporters, and fans.
Bassett was much more than an isolated bureaucrat. He would regularly travel to racetracks across the country with promotional material, walking backstretches trying to hustle trainers and owners into shipping their horses in for Keeneland's big races. He relished partaking in every aspect of the industry.
"Racing has been lucky to have him, because Ted would have been successful in any dimension of life he chose," said Charles Cella, his lifelong friend, in 2006.
Bassett took particular joy in hosting visiting dignitaries, and recalled for the rest of his life his times ushering Queen Elizabeth II around the Keeneland grounds. Elizabeth Taylor was another who left an indelible impression upon him.
"Mr. Bassett was a cherished member of the Keeneland family, and while we're saddened by his passing, we celebrate his remarkable life and indomitable spirit," said Keeneland president and CEO Shannon Arvin. "He was the embodiment of class and integrity, and his commitment to preserving Keeneland's mission and brand, often during challenging times in history, enabled our racing and sales operations to soar to new heights.
"Mr. Bassett was a giant internationally as a leader, visionary, philanthropist, beloved icon, and friend, and one of our sport's greatest ambassadors. He would want most to be remembered as a humble man who worked every day to enhance Keeneland, the Thoroughbred industry, and his hometown of Lexington."
In addition to Keeneland, Bassett served as president of the Breeders' Cup for eight years, and was active in virtually every industry organization. He was a trustee of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame and the American Horse Council; a Jockey Club steward; and chairman of the Kentucky Horse Park and of Equibase. In 1996, Bassett collected an Eclipse Award of Merit for his contributions to the business; and two years later received the Lord Derby Award from the English media.
Bassett considered fundraising a necessary component to accomplishing the greater good, and relished his talent in enlisting others to get things done. His efforts helped support the establishment of the Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center at the University of Kentucky, thanks in part to a $1 million contribution from Keeneland. He was instrumental in raising $2.7 million to acquire and save the Calumet Farm Trophy Collection, which was in danger of being auctioned off piecemeal. The Kentucky Horse Park now houses the collection, and honored Bassett with an exhibit of his life in 2014. Five years earlier, Bassett along with author Bill Mooney brought forth a biography entitled "Keeneland's Ted Bassett: My Life."
In 2019, Bassett was inducted as a Pillar of the Turf into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.
He never ceased to help his hometown, and led a fundraising drive to build or upgrade several YMCA facilities in Lexington. He was also the driving force behind raising the funds to build the Central Kentucky Blood Center. He particularly enjoyed living with his wife at her family's Lanark Farm in Woodford County. The family supported other local organizations there, including the Woodford County Humane Society.
In his later years, he enjoyed taking cruise-ship vacations and keeping up with longtime friends such as Cella, who owned Oaklawn Park; and Richard Duchossois, who had owned Arlington Park. Cella died in December 2017 and Duchossois passed in January 2022.
Ted Bassett is survived by his sister-in-law, Anne Pinckney Gay; nephew James Edward "Ted" Gay; and nieces Elizabeth Gay Freeman, Charlotte Gay Stites, and Anne Gay Donworth.
Arrangements for Mr. Bassett are pending.
