Oxley Named Thoroughbred Club's Honor Guest

John C. Oxley has been selected by the board of directors of the Thoroughbred Club of America as the 2024 Honor Guest, the club's president Charlie Boden announced July 31.

"Mr. Oxley is a true horseman whose equestrian exploits in the saddle are well documented and only eclipsed by his accomplishments as the owner of a Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks, and multiple Breeders' Cup winners," said Boden. "His generous contributions throughout his life of his time and his money put him on a short list of Thoroughbred horse racing's greatest benefactors."

The club will honor Oxley at its 93rd Testimonial Dinner, being held at Keeneland Nov. 15.

Oxley was born in Tulsa, Okla., Jan. 24, 1937, to John T. and Mary Katheryn Oxley, and would eventually follow in his father's footsteps as an oilman. He also found great success in the sport of polo. He was a top-tier polo player who won the United States Open Polo Championship in 1983, the Cowdray Park Gold Cup with the American Boca Raton team in 1970, the C.V. Whitney Cup, the Rolex Gold Cup, the America Cup, the Monty Waterbury Cup, the Pacific Coast Open, the 12 and 16 Goal Championships, three Chairman's Cups, the Butler Handicap, the North American Cup, and numerous Sunshine League titles. He was awarded the Hugo Dalmar Award in 1985, and the Florida-Caribbean Sportsmanship Award in 2001. Oxley served as president of the United States Polo Association, and as its chairman from 1988-91. In 2005, Oxley was inducted into the National Museum Polo Hall of Fame, an honor bestowed upon his father just two years prior.

In Thoroughbred racing and breeding, Oxley has a long and distinguished history. Horses he has recruited from sales and raced in his name include Monarchos, winner of the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Florida Derby (G1) in 2001; $2.7 million earner Beautiful Pleasure, winner of the 1999 Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) and that year's Eclipse Award-winning older female; Classic Empire , Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) winner and Eclipse Award champion 2-year-old male of 2016; and Gal in a Ruckus, winner of the 1995 Kentucky Oaks (G1).

Oxley also has raced a number of other notable stakes winners, including Uncaptured , who was was 2012 Canadian Horse of the Year and champion 2-year-old colt, while Spring in the Air  was the 2012 champion 2-year-old filly. In 2017, Oxley won his eighth graded stakes at Keeneland with La Coronel  and was presented with the Keeneland Milestone Tray. In 2020, Pretty Gorgeous , a 2-year-old filly, was named that year's Cartier Award of England champion in the 2-year-old filly division, and she was one of three equal topweights among juvenile fillies in the European classifications for the year. 

Oxley and his wife, Debby, have campaigned 84 stakes winners, several of whom were trained by with long-time trainers, John Ward and Donna Ward, and Mark Casse. Oxley is the breeder of a total of 38 stakes winners. Debby Oxley is an accomplished owner and breeder on her own. She is the breeder of Sierra Leone , who won this year's Blue Grass Stakes (G1) and was beaten by only a nose by Mystik Dan  in the Kentucky Derby. 

As is true in other aspects of his career, Oxley generously supports various philanthropic efforts on the turf through the Oxley Foundation (founded in 1985). A specific challenge grant initiated by Oxley created donations totaling $2 million to the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, the leader in funding of veterinary research specifically to help horses. The Oxley Foundation pledged $1 million over four years, contingent on Grayson matching that amount in other new donations, which the foundation was able to achieve.

In 2019, Oxley was awarded the Dinny Phipps Award, which was created by horseman Earle Mack to recognize outstanding achievement in philanthropy in the world of Thoroughbred breeding and racing.

The Oxleys resides in Midway, Ky., at their farm Fawn Leap Farm, which is the home of Heavenly Love, the dam to Sierra Leone.