Interview with Bill Landes, July 18, 2019

Partial Transcript: Chris I am rollin' whenever you are ready.

Segment Synopsis: Bill Landes offers a brief history of Hermitage Farm and recounts one of its owners, Warner Jones.

Keywords: 200 acres; 700 acres; A.B. Hancock; American Horse Council; Architecture; Arthur B. Hancock; Arthur Boyd Hancock; Australia; Barns; Bars; Bull Hancock; Calumet Farm (Fayette Co., Ky.); Cattle; Claiborne Farm (Bourbon Co., Ky.); Cleveland Indians; Commercial breeding facility; Crops; Europe; European horse trade; Greentree Farm (Fayette Co., Ky.); Greentree Stud (Fayette Co., Ky.); Grooms; Guggenheim, Harry; Hancock, Arthur B.; Hancock, Arthur Boyd; Hancock, Arthur Boyd "Bull"; Hancock, Bull; Hancock, Jr., Arthur Boyd "Bull"; Harry Guggenheim; Henry County (Ky.); Henshaw family; Hermitage Farm (Oldham Co., Ky.); Highway 42; Hogs; Horse ownership; Horse sales; Jones, Jr., Warner; Kentucky Oaks; Land; Land grants; Lexington (Ky.); Madden, Preston; Manila Dodgers; Napier, "Skippy" Scipio; Oldham County (Ky.); Philippines; Preston Madden; Red Gable Bar; Revolutionary War; Salesmen; Scipio "Skippy" Napier; Stallions; Stud barns; Studebakers; Tax benefits; Trap doors; Traveling baseball teams; Veterans; Virginia; WW2; WWII; Warner Jones, Jr.; World War 2; World War II; World War Two

Subjects: Bull Dog (Race horse); Dark Star (Race horse); Horse buyers; Horse buyers--Kentucky; Horse farms--Kentucky; Horse industry; Horse industry--Kentucky; Horse syndication; Is It True (Race horse); Kentucky Derby; Man O’War (Race horse); Nancy Jr. (Race horse); Native Dancer (Race horse); Royal Gem (Race horse); Thoroughbred sales; Thoroughbreds; World War, 1939-1945

Partial Transcript: Um, what about, um, before, before, you entered the Hermitage story in '77, what was your story?

Segment Synopsis: Landes, originally from Pennsylvania, discusses how he arrived in Kentucky and what drew him to the horse industry.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; Athleticism; Bar exams; Breeding; Broodmare bands; Carl Pollard; Children; Citizen’s Fidelity Bank; Commercial breeders; Competition; Cox, Edward; Criminal law suit; David Grissom; Davidson, Gordon; Eclipse Award; Edward Cox; European horses; Families; Gordon Davidson; Grissom, David; Hancock, Seth; Henry Co., Ky.; Horse racing; Horses; J. David Grissom; Jones, Jr., Warner; Law clerks; Lessons; Mares; Oldham County (Ky.); Pollard, Carl; Race horses; Race tracks; Raising children; Real estate; Secretary; Seth Hancock; Stallions; Students; University of Louisville Law School; Warner Jones, Jr.

Subjects: Breaking Sticks (Race horse); Flatter (Race horse); Horse breeders; Horse buyers; Horse buyers--Kentucky; Horse farms--Kentucky; Horse industry; Horse industry--Kentucky; Horse racing; Nijinsky (Race horse); Northern Dancer (Race horse); Thoroughbred horse; Travers (Race horse); West Coast (Race horse)

Partial Transcript: We got to come to him at some point, we've come to him now, let's have that story.

Segment Synopsis: Landes recalls the story of Seattle Dancer as well as the visit of Queen Elizabeth, which includes a humorous story about the ensuing visit and photo shoot.

Keywords: Ashford Stud (Woodford Co., Ky.); Ben Castleman; Ben S. Castleman Sr. Castleman, Ben S. Sr.; Blood-Horse (journal); Broodmares; Carter David; Castleman, Ben; Conformation shots; Coolmore Stud (Woodford Co., Ky.); D. Wayne Lukas; El Dorado Hotel (Kentucky); Farish, Will; G-2 races; Grooms; Headshots; Highway 42 (Kentucky); Jones, Jr., Warner; Keeneland sales; Leonard, Tony; Lightening; Livestock; Look of eagles; Lukas, D. Wayne; Lukas, Wayne; Marketing; Mr. Farish; Mr. Kilroy; Norman Phil; O'Brien, Vincent; Phil, Norman; Photographs; Queen Elizabeth II; Robert Edmund Sangster; Robert Sanster; Sangster, Robert; Sangster, Robert Edmund; Shartle; Thoroughbred Record (publication); Thunderstorms; Tom David Carter; Tom Shartle; Tony Leonard; Vincent O'Brien; Warner Jones, Jr.; Wayne Lukas; William Stamps Farish, III; Work ethic

Subjects: Farm management; Horse syndication; Horse trainers; Horsemen; Horses--Training; My Charmer (Race horse); Pike Place Dancer (Race horse); Seattle Dancer (Race horse); Travers (Race horse); Triple Crown (U.S. horse racing)

Partial Transcript: You mention that the Queen of England was here the following year.

Segment Synopsis: Elaborating more on the Queen's visit from the previous segment, Landes elaborates on his interactions with the Queen. In this segment, Landes also shares stories of other memorable Hermitage Farm clients.

Keywords: Allen, Joe; Belmont; Belmont Stakes; Boarding mares; Brant, Peter; Brookmeade Stable (Upperville, Virginia); Corrective shoeing; Cox, Edward; Craig Singer; David Reynolds; Dr. David Richardson; Dr. Hiram Polk; Dr. Polk; Dr. Richardson; Edward Cox; Families; Farish, Will; Feeder cattle; Foals; Front yards; Grandchildren; Helicopters; Herding cattle; Horseshoeing; Isabel Dodge Sloane; Joe Allen; Kelly, Tommy; Lane's End Farm (Woodford Co., Ky.); Leonard, Tony; Marcus Vogel; Mint juleps; Mr. Farish; My Old Kentucky Home (Song); New York; Nickels and Dimes Ranch (Texas); Pastures; Peter Brant; Photographs; Porches; Queen’s visit; Race horses; Reynolds Metals; Reynolds, David; Saratoga; Shartle, Tom; Singer, Craig; Sloane, Isabel Dodge; Stakes races; Subdivision; Technology; Tom Shartle; Tommy "T.J." Kelly; Tommy Kelly; Tony Leonard; Transportation; Twenty-dollar bills; Versailles (Ky.); Vogel, Marcus; W. T. Young; William Stamps Farish, III; William T. Young; Worms; Young, W. T.; Young, William T.

Subjects: Barbeque Sauce (Race horse); Churchill Downs (Louisville, Ky. : Racetrack); Elizabeth -- II, -- Queen of Great Britain, -- 1926-; Horse breeders; Horse buyers; Horse buyers--Kentucky; Horse industry; Horse industry--Kentucky; Horse racing; Horse trainers; Horsemen; Horses--Training; Sauce boat (Race horse); Storm Cat (Race horse); Tabasco Cad (Race horse); War Front (Race horse)

Partial Transcript: Uh, you, you, mention Mr. Cox.

Segment Synopsis: Landes discusses his and Hermitage Farm's experiences with Ed Cox. Numerous other business partners and relationships, and the horses involved, are recalled in this segment.

Keywords: A.B. Hancock; Arlington International Racecourse; Arthur B. Hancock; Arthur Boyd Hancock; Bull Hancock; Carl Pollard; Claiborne Farm (Bourbon Co., Ky); Disperse; Doc Lavin; Dr. Gary Lavin; Eaton, Lee; Equine recession; European racehorses; Hancock, Arthur B.; Hancock, Arthur Boyd; Hancock, Arthur Boyd "Bull"; Hancock, Bull; Hancock, Jr., Arthur Boyd "Bull"; Horse dispersals; Horse vans; Jones, Jr., Warner; Kentucky July Sales; Lavin, Dr. Gary; Lee Eaton; Luck; Mares; Met Mile; New York; Ogden Mills "Dinny" Phipps; Ogden Mills Phipps; Palpate; Partners; Phipps, Ogden Mills; Phipps, Ogden Mills "Dinny"; Pollard, Carl; Ramp trailers; Stallions; Transportation; Warner Jones, Jr.

Subjects: Buck Passer (Race horse); Danzig (Race horse); Eager Emma (Race horse); Hoist the Flag (Race horse); Horse breeders; Horse buyers; Horse buyers--Kentucky; Horses--Health; Lady Diplomat (Race horse); Mr. Prospector (Race horse); Playmate (Race horse); Swale (Race horse); Unfurled (Race horse); Veterinarians; Woodman (Race horse)

Partial Transcript: Marquetry, and in fact, Marquetry as a foal.

Segment Synopsis: In this short segment, Landes recalls the horse Marquetry. Landes also discusses the signs he looks for in a good foal, particularly birth weight.

Keywords: Birth weight; E. P. Taylor; Edward Plunket Taylor; Foals; Good bone; Good foals; Good length; Phipps mares; Stakes horses; Tape measurers; Taylor, E. P.

Subjects: Conquistador Cielo (Race horse); Horse breeders; Horse industry; Marquetry (Race horse); Regent's Walk (Race horse); Thoroughbred horse; Vice Regent (Race horse)

Partial Transcript: Now you've mentioned Raja Baba a couple times.

Segment Synopsis: Landes shares his memories of the race horse Raja Baba. In this segment, Landes also returns to the topic of Mr. Jones, focusing especially on his successes breeding outside the Kentucky Bluegrass in Oldham County, Kentucky.

Keywords: Blocky horses; Bluegrass Region, Kentucky; Bowling Green (Ky.); Bullitt County (Ky.); Carroll, Del; Del Carroll; Delmer W. "Del" Carroll; Equine reproduction; Evansville (Ind.); Farish, Will; Fertility; Goshen (Ky.); Henderson (Ky.); Highway 42 (Kentucky); Kelly, Tommy; Lexington (Ky.); Maryland; Michael Phipps; Mr. Farish; Northern Kentucky; Ogden Mills "Dinny" Phipps; Ogden Mills Phipps; Owensboro (Ky.); Phipps, Michael; Phipps, Ogden Mills; Phipps, Ogden Mills "Dinny"; Quarter horse type; Saratoga Race Course; Shelby County (Ky.); Sires; Stallions; Tommy "T.J." Kelly; Tommy Kelly; William Stamps Farish, III

Subjects: Elusive Quality (Race horse); Gone West (Race horse); Horse breeders; Horse farms--Kentucky; Horse industry--Kentucky; Horse syndication; Missy Baba (Race horse); My Juliet (Race horse); Pembroke (Race horse)

Partial Transcript: You, um, you've, you've referred a couple of times to the incredible record you had in Europe with graduates of this farm.

Segment Synopsis: Landes shares his theories on why horses raised at Hermitage Farm have traditionally done well in Europe.

Keywords: Arabian sales agents; BBA Ireland; Chester Vase; Coolmore Stud (Fethard Co., Tipperary, Ireland); Coolmore Stud (Woodford Co., Ky.); Cooper, Tom; Darley sales agents; Darley team; Eaton, Lee; English champion miler; Horse dispersal; Ireland; Jones, Jr., Warner; Juddmonte Farm (Fayette Co., Ky.); Juddmonte horses; Lee Eaton; O'Brien, Vincent; Robert Edmund Sangster; Robert Sanster; Sales agents; Sangster, Robert; Sangster, Robert Edmund; Shed raising; Tom Cooper; Vincent O'Brien; Warner Jones, Jr.; Yearling sales

Subjects: Europe; Horse breeders; Horse buyers; Horse buyers--Kentucky; Horse industry; Northern Trick (Race horse); Woodman (Race horse)

Partial Transcript: We should, um, mention, besides that European success, you've had a very iconic American success: uh, the first-ever Breeders' Cup.

Segment Synopsis: Landes elaborates on the 1984 Breeders' Cup Sprint race, which was won by the race horse Eillo. Landes also discusses the 1987 Jones dispersal.

Keywords: Administrative work; Arlington International Racecourse; Bill Mott; Breeders' Cup Sprint; Claude "Shug" McGaughey; Cohen, Ollie A.; Early promise; Hollywood Park Racetrack; Jones, Jr., Warner; McGaughey, Claude "Shug"; Mott , William I. "Bill"; Mott, Bill; Ollie A. Cohen; Penrod, Steve; Sales agents; Sand colic; Stallions; Steve Penrod; Stewards; Turf courses; Warner Jones, Jr.; William I. "Bill" Mott

Subjects: Carborundum (Race horse); Churchill Downs (Louisville, Ky.); Donuts Pride (Race horse); Eillo (Race horse); Fit for a Queen (Race horse); Here’s Your Silver (Race horse); Horse buyers; Horse industry; Horse industry--Kentucky; Horse racing; Mr. Prospector (Race horse); Northern Prospect (Race horse); Raja Baba (Race horse); Super Fan (Race horse)

Partial Transcript: But Mr. Jones was able to buy these horses right then.

Segment Synopsis: Landes shares his insights on the changes in the horse breeding and buying industry and outlines many changes that have taken place since the 1980s, particularly as it relates to the increase in technology.

Keywords: Alternative gaming; Argentina; Buying horses; Carl Pollard; Crutch; Digital x-ray machines; Disease prevention; Doc Lavin; Dr. Gary Lavin; Foals; Funny times; Good times; Graded stakes winners; Historical racing; Jones, Jr., Warner; Lavin, Dr. Gary; Less litigious; Less technical; Maiden winners; Orthopedic prevention; Orthopedics; Pollard, Carl; Procedures; Steve Wilson; Talent; Ultra sound machines; Ultrasounds; Warner Jones, Jr.; Wilson, Steve

Subjects: Bayakoa (Race horse); Horse breeders; Horse buyers; Horse buyers--Kentucky; Horse farms--Kentucky; Horse industry; Horse industry--Kentucky; Horse racing; Thoroughbred horse; Veterinary medicine