Prominent New Jersey Owner-Breeder De Tomaso Dies at 96

Longtime New Jersey owner/breeder and trailblazing race car driver Isabelle de Tomaso died Oct. 29, according to the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association of New Jersey. She was 96. De Tomaso was the second youngest of Annette and Amory Haskell's five children and raised in Middletown, N.J. Her mother was an equine enthusiast and her father played a key role in the legalization of pari-mutuel wagering in New Jersey. Amory Haskell would build Monmouth Park and serve as president of its Jockey Club until his death in 1966. While she grew up riding horses, auto racing was de Tomaso's main passion early on. In the 1950s, she competed internationally against some of the best drivers in the world. At 23, she worked for a battery company in Palm Beach, Fla., the owners of which were auto racing enthusiasts, according to a 2017 feature in the New York Post. The business owners encouraged her to get her sporting driving license, and she competed in her first race the next day in October 1953. Through auto racing, she met her future husband Alejandro de Tomaso. Together, they built their own automobile company called De Tomaso Automobili, which manufactured Formula One cars and exotic sports cars, including the Pantera and later the Maserati. De Tomaso began breeding Thoroughbreds in 1969 and, since then, has bred more than 100 New Jersey-breds, according to the state breeders association. Her most accomplished homebred was Irish War Cry, a son of Curlin who won three graded stakes with trainer Graham Motion. He became a stakes winner at 2 in the 2016 Marylander Stakes at Laurel Park and launched his 3-year-old campaign with a victory in the Holy Bull Stakes (G2). Irish War Cry went on to win the Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) and run second in the Belmont Stakes (G1). At 4, he added another graded win to his résumé in the Pimlico Special Stakes (G3). He retired with a 5-2-0 record from 13 starts and $1,257,060 in earnings. De Tomaso also bred and raced grade 3 winner Irish Strait, a son of English Channel who won nearly $500,000, and several other black-type winners including Irish Boolum, Irish Mias, and Regally Irish. The family eventually sold the auto company, and she returned to the States from Italy, living part time with her sister, Hope, in Palm Beach, Fla. Together, they co-bred and raced black-type winner No Cents, a son of Goldencents, who won two stakes and placed in eight others, primarily at Monmouth. "Beyond her accomplishments in Thoroughbred racing, Mrs. de Tomaso was an accomplished businesswoman," the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association of New Jersey said. "Her determination, competitive spirit, and contributions to the racing industry made her a remarkable figure whose legacy will endure."