'Good as Gold' Owner, Breeder Willis Horton Dies at 82

Known for his love of the Sport of Kings, owner and breeder Willis D. Horton died Oct. 7 in Fayetteville, Ark., of pneumonia at the age of 82.

After returning home from their annual trip to the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Horton's son Kevin said the whole family contracted COVID-19 and his father "just couldn't kick it."

Horton, a resident of Marshall, Ark., worked in numerous fields during his lifetime, including cattle ranching and home building. He retired from his nephew Donald Horton's building business—D.R. Horton—around 2000 and left Texas, where the company was based.

Upon moving back to Arkansas, Horton resumed working with cattle while continuing to pursue his love of racing.

"He loved to get up early every morning and do ranching with his hands and then be home in time to start watch horse racing or go to the races," said Kevin Horton. "Oaklawn was his home track, and back in the day him and his brother Leon Horton, they lived here in Marshall. It's two and a half, maybe three hours, away to Oaklawn, and they would get up before daylight.

"They would tend to their cattle, get back, made up, take off, and they would go to Hot Springs. They never missed a day the whole season. They'd be back home after dark and then get up and do it again. That's just how the love of racing was."

Kevin Horton added that his father did not see success for many years and that "money was tight." However, when success came, it came at the top with Lemons Forever  in the 2006 Kentucky Oaks (G1).

Since then he had multiple horses reach the highest levels of the sport, including multiple graded stakes winner and 2013 champion 3-year-old colt Will Take Charge  , an earner of nearly $4 million, and Eclipse champion 2-year-old filly Take Charge Brandi , who took the 14 Hands Winery Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) in 2014. Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas trained both horses for Horton.

Video: Horton and Lukas After Will Take Charge Wins the 2013 Clark Handicap (G1)

"He had a great eye for a horse himself and he understood the game. He was game, and he wasn't afraid to step up and spend money on a good horse," Lukas said. "He could pick one out, too. We had a great relationship, it was always real pleasant.

"We had a couple of those horses that did really good, Will Take Charge and Take Charge Brandi. He was funny; he had a great sense of humor. He showed that when he got the Eclipse Award up on the stage...I am going to miss him."

Horton also worked alongside current Three Chimneys chief commercial officer Case Clay, who managed his stable for seven years.

"He was a wonderful man, as good as gold," Clay said. "He loved racing and had some great experiences with two champions and a recent grade 1 winner with Silver State   winning the (Hill 'n' Dale) Met Mile (G1) in partnership with Ron Winchell."

Kevin Horton said he would like to continue in his father's footsteps.

"We want to keep racing as long as we can...He was in bad health for the past five years or so and he's always been the man in charge," Kevin Horton said. "He's always called all the shots on the breeding and everything. He read and knows bloodlines way back.

"He's always tried to teach it to me, and I'll never be as smart as he is on it, but maybe I got a little bit off of him. Hopefully, we can carry his legacy on...I couldn't ask for a better father than what he's been, a mentor, teaching me how to survive in the different fields that we're in."

Horton leaves behind his wife, Glenda, Kevin and his wife, Laurie, and their children, Tressa and Brandi.

The celebration of life will be held Oct. 11 at the Roller-Coffman Funeral Home in Marshall. Visitation will be from 12-2 p.m. and the service will be at 3 p.m. Kevin Horton said that upon his father's wishes, there will be a donation to the PDJF (Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund) in lieu of flowers.