Warner L. Jones Jr. Award to KY House Speaker Osborne

As a youngster, David Osborne was mesmerized by Hermitage Farm and Warner Jones. "Dad was friends with Warner, and I can remember as a kid going out and visiting at the farm," said Osborne, whose late father, Don, also was an Oldham County, Ky., farmer. "He was an iconic guy. First time I'd ever seen five boards on a fence. I was always amazed by that. I asked Dad why we didn't have five boards. He said, 'Son, we can hardly afford three.'" Fast forward, and Osborne—the Prospect, Ky., Thoroughbred owner and breeder who has served in Kentucky's House of Representatives for 21 years and been Speaker since 2019—is being honored with an award named for the master of the farm with five boards. The Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners (KTO) has announced that Osborne is its 2026 recipient of the Louisville-based organization's signature Warner L. Jones Jr. Horseman of the Year Award. Osborne will be feted Saturday November 14 at the KTO's annual awards dinner at the Kentucky Derby Museum. The cost is $175 for non-members, with cocktails at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m. To purchase tickets, call Lynda Woods at 502-644-5251 or by emailing lwoods1112@aol.com. The deadline for reservations is Nov. 7. "He's arguably done as much for Kentucky horse racing as anyone in the history of the industry," said KTO president Tom Drury. "When you look at the state of racing in Kentucky right now, between the purse structure and the races that we're able to offer and the stakes program continuing to get stronger, that's David Osborne's work in Frankfort. He fought wars to make sure that Kentucky got its place back at the head of the table of horse racing, and he certainly deserves to be recognized for what he's done." The Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners is an educational and social organization dedicated to the betterment of racing in the state. Membership is open not only to owners but also to anyone interested in the sport, including prospective owners. The Warner Jones Award recognizes individuals for outstanding contributions to Kentucky racing and sharing the passion exemplified by Jones, who spent 50 years on the Churchill Downs board, including eight as chairman during the legendary track's resurgence. Jones was the inaugural award winner in 1988, six years before his death. "I often had dreams about my name being uttered in the same breath as Warner Jones. I was hoping it was going to be on the horse side of things," Osborne quipped. Like maybe the world-record $13.1 million yearling Jones sold at Keeneland in 1985? "Yes, yes, and I haven't given up on that," Osborne said with a laugh. "But to be associated with his legacy in any way, shape or form is an incredible honor." Osborne, a graduate of Oldham County High School and the University of Kentucky, also has a background in the saddlebred industry and has worked for years as a real-estate professional. He was first elected to the Kentucky State House in 2005, becoming Acting Speaker in 2018 and officially Speaker in 2019. "I've been in there a long time now and have certainly taken on a lot of other policy interests," Osborne said. "But probably the driving reason that I ran for office was that I felt like our signature industries were being neglected, and they were the key to economic growth in Kentucky. I think we're seeing that right now as we continue to thrive. You look at Kentucky's overall economy, I think they run hand in hand." Osborne and his wife, Loren Hebel-Osborne, race many of their horses in the name of their Deerfield Farm in Prospect or Gallant Stables Racing and other partnerships. That includes Majestic Harbor, a $20,000 yearling who went on to earn almost $1.3 million, including the Grade 1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita in 2014 as well as Churchill Downs' Grade 2 Alysheba two years later. Their Loosen Up Stable partnership campaigned 17-time winner Unreachable Star, a multiple Indiana Horse of the Year who has a stakes named for him at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Drury said it can be too easy to take Osborne's accomplishments for granted given his quiet persona and because the Speaker is thought of as one of them: a neighbor, friend and longtime KTO member. "He's going to be the first to give credit to those around him, and he's always willing to take a step back and watch everyone else enjoy in the moment," Drury said. "I think that's just his style. But we certainly want to recognize and appreciate what he's done for the horse community. "I think if you look at David Osborne as a whole, he also is a breeder, an owner who has supported Kentucky racing all through the rough times we've had. He and Loren have managed racing syndicates." Loren, who has also spent her life in the industry, including 15 years managing the Visa Triple Crown, sees her duties on the farm double when David is in session. "They've done it all," Drury continued. "They have a farm in Prospect, and they do a lot of the care of the horses themselves. He's not just a guy that stands in front of everyone talking about horses. He's a guy who goes home every night, and there still might be some stalls to be cleaned." Osborne helped spearhead legislation over the years that transformed the Kentucky circuit to the most popular in the nation. Most famously, Osborne was part of the General Assembly leadership that protected historical horse racing in 2021, the linchpin of the dramatic growth in the circuit's purses and popularity and which has spurred hundreds of millions of dollars in racetrack investments in expansion, new facilities and jobs. Osborne had to navigate a caucus that included a vocal anti-gaming faction and to reach across the aisle to find consensus with those that wanted more tax revenue. While others in the leadership of both parties were the face of key legislation, the speaker was working behind the scenes to help secure the votes, convincing skeptics that the net gains for the state would benefit everyone, not just horse-racing participants. Indeed, more than $87 million from HHR taxes went to Kentucky's General Fund, with another $90 million helping to fund other legislatively mandated programs for fiscal year 2026, according to Kentucky Horse Racing & Gaming Corporation statistics. Osborne's support also led to standardizing the parimutuel tax rate across the board (which included protecting the rate on HHR while increasing the rate for online wagering), requiring tracks to pay out on bets to the nearest penny rather than rounding down to the dime and adding Kentucky-bred purse supplements to claiming races. Other signature legislation legalized sports betting in Kentucky, sending $41.9 million to the Kentucky Permanent Pension Fund for FY 2026, the KHRGC said. "And it's not just Thoroughbred racing that has benefited," said Drury, whose training stable is based at Churchill Downs and the Tyrone (formerly Skylight) training center in Goshen. "The Standardbred industry is enjoying its own renaissance in Kentucky, and Quarter Horse racing is back after an absence of many years. It just helps the state as a whole. A lot of people forget the trickle-down effect of horses in a state like Kentucky. Whether it's the people who sell tack and equipment, or the farmer selling hay, or a horse transportation company, having good, quality horse racing just benefits our entire state." Also at the KTO dinner: Cherie DeVaux, who this year with Golden Tempo became the first female to train a Kentucky Derby winner, will be honored with the organization's Marlene Meyer Woman of the Year Award. Baley Hare—promoted to Ellis Park's racing secretary last year after serving in virtually every other position in a racing office—will receive the KTO's John Asher Up and Comer Award. "There are not too many jobs in the racing office that Baley hasn't done, and he's done a phenomenal job at Ellis Park, especially given Dan Bork's big shoes he had to fill," Drury said, referencing Ellis Park's long-time racing secretary who took over at Churchill Downs Inc.-owned Colonial Downs. "I know Cheri doesn't want to be known as a female trainer. She just wants to be known as a great horse trainer, and she most certainly is that. But this particular award is given to a female, and I don't know how on earth we couldn't give it to her after the year that she's had, the doors that she's opened. She's kind of quietly changed the face of horse racing."