The magic and allure of the Kentucky Derby (G1) never fades for owner/breeder John "Jack" Oxley.
Being a part of America's premier classic has been a goal since he bought his first racehorse in 1972, and he continues chasing the dream with as much fervor even after hoisting the Derby's golden trophy next to Churchill Downs' infield pagoda in 2001 with Monarchos.
"The Derby is so exciting, and it caught my fancy from the time I was 9 and listening to my first Kentucky Derby on my family's radio when Assault won," Oxley recalled. "The Kentucky Derby was a dream. And, of course, the odds are against you and you wouldn't think you could ever get there."
But Oxley is back in the mix this year as the breeder of highly regarded Further Ado, who won the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) by 11 lengths. The son of Gun Runner is his second Derby starter as a breeder. Up until April 29, he was on track to see his ninth Derby starter as an owner with Silent Tactic, a son of Tacitus who won the Southwest Stakes (G3) and was runner-up in the Rebel Stakes (G2) and Arkansas Derby (G1). Silent Tactic was scratched Wednesday morning because of a bruised foot.
Oxley had been in this enviable position before as the owner of one Kentucky Derby starter and the owner/breeder of another in 1995 with Jambalaya Jazz and Pyramid Peak, respectively. These two colts, both trained by John Ward Jr., were his first Derby starters.
He bought Jambalaya Jazz for $85,000 out of the 1994 Keeneland April 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. The Dixieland Band colt won the 1994 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G3) and ran third in the 1995 Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) ahead of a 15th-place finish in the Derby. Oxley co-bred Pyramid Peak with Donna Ward. The son of Mt. Livermore won the 1995 Flamingo Stakes (G3) at Hialeah Park ahead of a 17th-place finish in the Derby.
Oxley's next Kentucky Derby starter was Monarchos, a strapping gray or roan son of Maria's Mon who he bought for $170,000 from Murray Smith at the 2000 Fasig-Tipton Florida Select 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. Monarchos, also trained by Ward, won the Florida Derby (G1) and ran second in the Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) before winning the Kentucky Derby by 4 3/4 lengths in a sparkling 1:59.97, nearly half a second off Secretariat's record of 1:59.40.
The time between drinks as a Derby owner came more frequently since Monarchos. All with trainer Mark Casse, Oxley campaigned Prospective (2012), Danzig Moon (2015), Classic Empire (2017), Flameaway (2018), and Enforceable (2020). Classic Empire, the 2016 champion 2-year-old male, produced the best finish among these by coming in fourth despite a rough trip.
Oxley said being the breeder of a Derby starter is just as exciting to him as racing one.
"I've always loved the breeding side of the business," he said. "From playing polo on Thoroughbreds, you're looking for the same things in balance and conformation that you do in a racehorse. The pedigrees, too, are so important in your selection of a colt at the sale or in the breeding process. I've always done this on my own, studying pedigrees all these years, and I know what I'm looking for.
"Breeding versus racing? I'd say more or less they provide equal joy."
When selecting stallions, Oxley said he looks primarily for sire lines with generations of success.
"I'm looking at the best sires through the years. The Into Mischiefs, Tapits, and A.P. Indys, just to name a few, and I am looking for repeats of their success in the fourth and fifth generations," he said. "We don't necessarily breed for the Derby, but we do want the sire and dam to match up by conformation and have the classic balance of stamina and speed."
Because he is also a commercial breeder, Oxley pays equal attention to the young sires and was particularly enamored with Gun Runner when the 2017 Horse of the Year and champion older dirt male retired to stud at Three Chimneys Farm.
"He grew and matured nicely into a better horse every year and at 4 he was just outstanding," Oxley said. "I loved his pedigree, his race record, and was determined to be on board and breed to him when he retired. I sent two mares to him the first year and two the next year. I've sent mares to him every year because he is one of my favorite selections. There are others, of course, but he is among our top three or four stallions."
In 2022, Oxley sent his grade 3-placed winner Sky Dreamer to Gun Runner. The mare by Sky Mesa, who Oxley also raced, had already produced multiple group winner Kimbear (Temple City). Sky Dreamer produced a beautiful colt from the mating that Oxley would eventually offer at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Oxley and his wife Debby, who also breeds and races in her own name, own the 220-acre Fawn Leap Farm near Midway, Ky., where they have a broodmare band of about 18 mares. Consequently, they are commercial breeders that have to sell some foals every year to the keep the farm's economic engine running.
"I remember him, and I liked him," Oxley said of Further Ado. "Regrettably, when you have a farm, you have a payroll, you have expenses, and so you have to sell some yearlings. I liked him a lot but, nevertheless, we did sell him. I thought he would bring more perhaps, and he did bring more as a 2-year-old, but that's great. I'd be very happy if Further Ado won (the Derby) because I still have the mare. She's very healthy and her bloodlines are stellar."
Oxley sold Further Ado for $275,000 through Gainesway's consignment to George Mellon. The colt was offered again through the 2025 Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale where Spendthrift Farm bought him for $550,000 from Six K's Training and Sales' consignment.
Gun Runner has already been exceptionally good to the Oxleys and their breeding program has been good to the stallion. In 2020, Debby Oxley sent her homebred grade 1 winner Heavenly Love to the son of Candy Ride —on Jack's recommendation—and produced a colt that was named Sierra Leone . The Oxleys sold Sierra Leone in 2022 for $2.3 million at Fasig-Tipton's The Saratoga Sale, its select yearling sale in New York. The colt went on to win four graded stakes, including the 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), 2024 Blue Grass Stakes, and 2025 Whitney Stakes (G1). He also finished second by a nose to Mystik Dan in the 2024 Kentucky Derby and earned the title of champion 3-year-old male after winning the Breeders' Cup Classic that year.
Losing the Derby by a nose just underscores how difficult this classic is to win and adds to its allure.
Oxley chalks up having six starters in the Kentucky Derby as either an owner or breeder since Monarchos' victory—despite the odds—to experience.
"The odds are not too good, but you can improve that and lower your odds with experience, through learning about bloodlines and conformation," he said. "Whether it is at the sales or breeding, I'm making better decisions now than I did 10-20 years ago. At least, I think I am."
Oxley's record certainly backs up his belief. As a breeder, he's produced 42 black-type winners that include 13 graded/group stakes winners. Besides Further Ado, he also bred grade 1 winners Stalwart, Dream Dancing, and Estrela Monarchos. As an owner, he's celebrated the victories of 90 black-type winners that include 51 graded/group stakes winners, of which 13 are grade/group 1 winners.
At 89 (a number he quickly waves away), Oxley continues to be keenly focused on the next runner or the next foal that could find its way to the Kentucky Derby. He is very excited about a Maxfield colt out of Sky Dreamer that he says is his best yearling.
"I don't talk about age because it's just a number," he said. "I keep my mind working every day in this business. I think it's healthy, and it's fun."
