Stone Farm

2008 Record: (32-4-4-4)

2008 Earnings: $348,109

2008 Win %: 12% In-The-Money %: 37%

Owner(s): Arthur B. Hancock III
Born: Feb. 22, 1943, in Nashville,Tenn.
Residence: Paris, Ky., on his 2,000-acre Stone Farm
Family: wife, Staci; son, Arthur IV, and daughters, Alex, Hutchi, Kate, Lynn and Walker
Professional Background: Elder son of legendary horseman A.B. (Bull) Hancock and grandson of A.B. Hancock, Sr., who owned Ellerslie Stud in Virginia before transferring the bulk of his operation to the present-day Claiborne ... Arthur went to work for trainer Eddie Neloy in 1966 and worked with the Claiborne yearlings after returning home. He operated the farm until his father died in 1972 ... His brother Seth was named as president of Claiborne ... Aside from the horse business, Hancock enjoys writing and singing country-western music
Web site: www.stonefarm.com
Racing Background: Leased the original part of Stone Farm, then just 100 acres, from his father and started his own operation
Breeding/Racing Operation: Co-owned Kentucky Derby winners Gato Del Sol and Sunday Silence ... Sunday Silence went on to win the Preakness, but was denied the Triple Crown when he lost to his nemesis, Easy Goer. Sunday Silence, also the winner of the 1989 Breeders' Cup Classic, went to stud at Stone Farm, but lack of interest from breeders prompted Hancock to sell the colt to Japanese breeder Zenya Yoshida. Sunday Silence was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 1996, and was Japan's leading sire from 1995-2005 ... Also raced Kentucky Oaks winner Goodbye Halo (in partnership), G1 winner Infinidad and G1 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes winner Menifee (in partnership) ... Was the co-breeder with Robert and Janice McNair of 2000 Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus (whom they sold for $4 million at the 1998 Keeneland July sale), and with Leone Peters of Gato Del Sol and Preakness-Belmont winner Risen Star ... Co-bred graded stakes-winning E Dubai, who was a $1.35 million yearling ... Sale consignments have included such top racemares as Kentucky Oaks winners Princess Rooney (1985 Keeneland November, $5,500,000) and Goodbye Halo (1990 Keeneland January, $2,100,000), and Dublino ... The farm has produced four Eclipse champions, two Breeders’ Cup Classic winners and victors of six Triple Crown races ... Gato Del Sol will always be remembered for his last-to-first finish in the 1982 Kentucky Derby. The gray horse stood at Stone Farm from 1986 through 1992, when he was sold to Gestut Goerlsdorf in Germany ... The Hancocks bought him back and returned him to Stone Farm after the 1999 season. He lived out his life on the farm and was euthanized due to the infirmities of old age in August 2007 ... The farm also lost their retired stallion Northern Baby earlier that year at age 31 ... Northern Baby stood his entire stud career at Stone Farm, siring eight champions and more than 100 stakes horses in 21 crops, including Eclipse Champion Turf Female and six-time grade 1 stakes winner Possibly Perfect and English champion 3-year-old colt Michelozzo ... Standing at Stone Farm in 2008 was Quest, who won the Clark Handicap (G1). The farm's other stallion Wagon Limit was on loan to Moon Lake Farm ... His best horse of late has been Wanderin Boy, fourth-place finisher in the 2007 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and second to Curlin in the 2008 Jockey Club Gold Cup (GI); the 7-year-old has earned in excess of $1.2 million ... As the medication issues have come to the forefront this year, Hancock has been quite vocal in his call for the elimination of drugs on race day. ... He also has been vocal on anti-slaughter and finding homes for retired racehorses.