Obituary: Pope Won 1962 Kentucky Derby With Decidedly

Patricia Moffat Pope, who with her husband campaigned classic winners in the United States and England, died Aug. 4 in San Francisco. She was 93.

With her husband George, Patricia (Patsy) Pope campaigned 1962 Kentucky Derby winner Decidedly as well as the filly Mysterious, who in 1973 won both the One Thousand Guineas (G1), Epsom Oaks (G1), and Yorkshire Oaks (G1). Trained by Horatio Luro, Decidedly, a homebred gray son of Derby winner Determine, set a record at the time when he completed the Derby in 2:00 2/5 with Bill Hartack aboard—a full second better than the previous mark set by Whirlaway in 1941.

Decidedly was the third California-bred to win the Derby, and California Chrome  was the fourth to join that club in 2014.

The family obit at Sullivan's and Duggan's Serra Funeral Services in San Francisco follows:

Patricia Moffat Pope (Patsy) was born May 12,192, to parents William H. Moffat and May Martin Moffat in Reno, Nev. She grew up, a cattleman's daughter, loving the ranches and riding horses. She attended San Domenico School, The Hamlin School, and University of Oregon.

She married George A. Pope Jr. in 1959 and together they built a Thoroughbred horse racing empire that included 27 stakes winners in the United States and in Europe. Among the races that they won are the 1962 Kentucky Derby with Decidedly, the 1964 Santa Anita Derby with Hill Rise, the One Thousand Guineas and the Epsom Oaks with Mysterious in 1973 in England and they handed Seattle Slew his first defeat in 1977 with J.O. Tobin in the Swaps Stakes (G1) at Hollywood Park.

She loved ranching and farming and spent much of her time at the Arroyo Seco Ranch and the El Peco Ranch, which she turned into a garden paradise and a productive farm. Her husband called her "the Rose of the Ranch," so she planted hundreds of rose bushes and often brought big bouquets of flowers to her friends and family. She was a patron of the arts and sciences.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and her brother William H. Moffat Jr. Patsy is survived by her children Robert Page Coleman and William Tell Coleman from a former marriage, Adrianna Pope Sullivan (Robert Sullivan) and Patricia Moffat Pope Jr. and her sister Adrienne Moffat Provo. Patsy had four stepchildren with George A. Pope Jr. and a total of 22 grandchildren. She died Aug. 4, 2020.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made to the California Rangeland Trust in the name of Patricia Moffat Pope. Funeral services are private.