Celebrated Kentucky-Based Veterinarian Smith Dies at 78

Dr. Johnny Mac Smith, DVM, whose work with the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation and with the Keeneland yearling inspection team made him a celebrated equine veterinarian around the world, died Oct. 10 at his Woodford County, Ky. home after a battle with liver cancer. He was 78 and surrounded by family at the time of his death. In addition to his acclaimed skills as a veterinarian, Johnny Mac Smith always will be valued and remembered for his friendly demeanor, smile, and a ready one-liner. He put people so at ease that nobody ever referred to him as "Dr. Smith." He was "Johnny Mac" to virtually everyone. He liked to say that he hailed from LA—lower Alabama. Smith was a graduate of the prestigious Auburn University Veterinary School. He began practicing on the racetracks of Florida before establishing the Peterson and Smith clinic in Ocala with Dr. John Peterson. Their clinic blossomed into one of the most highly respected equine practices in the United States. While in Kentucky for a horse sale, Smith met Lucy Graddy of Versailles, Ky., and the two married shortly thereafter. They lived for a time in Ocala, until Johnny Mac Smith, ironically, became severely allergic to horses. The couple moved back to Versailles, where they raised their three sons, cattle, crops, flowers, and quail at their Springside Farm. Smith became the first person appointed to the Gary Lavin Research Chair at the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, which funds study for the benefit of equine health. In that position, he oversaw the organization's advisory committee of researchers and practicing veterinarians that help select grant recipients every year. He also made sure research projects were on deadline and that work was being done in the proper manner. "He will be missed not only here at Grayson Jockey Club, but by a whole universe of veterinarians with whom he's come in contact over the years," said Jamie Haydon, president of the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation. "He filled a lot of roles for many different people: friend, mentor, confidante, father figure, and educator. He touched a lot of lives." Added Dell Hancock, who worked alongside Johnny Mac for years at Grayson, "When Dr. Gary Lavin suggested Johnny Mac take over the position of veterinary consultant at Grayson, I knew he had to be both capable and smart. But never could I have imagined what a wonderful person he was. Always helpful, always with a can-do attitude. Johnny Mac got things done, whether for the foundation, for his farm, or for the family he adored." Tom Thornbury spent 10 years with Smith on the Keeneland yearling inspection team, traveling to farms in order to select horses for the September yearling sale. "I loved being around him. He was a salt of the earth guy who was a powerful figure even though his nature was quiet, kind, and thoughtful," Thornbury said. Added Tony Lacy, Keeneland's vice president of sales, "Johnny's professional and personal skills made him highly respected by his peers and by people throughout the Thoroughbred industry. Given his veterinary background, his opinions were highly valued. "But it was also his humanity. He was devoted to figuring out problems for people. He was a genuine, good person. He had a respect for the process of inspecting horses, for what the breeders were doing and what they were raising. It was easy to be his friend." Smith also was involved in setting up the repository at the Keeneland sales, where buyers and veterinarians go to study radiographs and medical records. Smith is survived by his wife, Lucy; their three sons and nine grandchildren. A funeral service and celebration of life are being planned for November.