Industry Leader Ogden Mills 'Dinny' Phipps Dies at 75

Ogden Mills “Dinny” Phipps, for decades one of the leading and strongest voices within the Thoroughbred industry in the United States, a prominent owner and breeder and successful businessman, died Wed., Apr. 6 at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan following a lengthy illness. He was 75 years old.

Born Sept. 18, 1940, Phipps was the great-grandson of Henry Phipps, the business partner of the steel industry magnate Andrew Carnegie. His grandfather Henry Carnegie Phipps was married to Gladys Livingston Mills Phipps, whose Wheatley Stable bred the likes of Seabiscuit, champions Misty Morn, High Voltage and Successor and Classic winner Bold Ruler, among others. He was the son of Lillian Bostwick Phipps, who passed away in 1987, while his legendary father and fellow horseman Ogden Phipps died in 2002. Dinny Phipps was preceded in death by his sister Cynthia Phipps in 2007.

Schooled at Yale University, from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1963, Ogden Mills Phipps assumed the role of Chairman of the Board of Bessemer Trust–his family's private bank and investment advisor established in 1907–in his mid-30s in 1976 and remained engaged in that role until 1994. From 1982 through 1994, Phipps was also the chairman of the Bessemer Securities Corporation and continued to serve on two boards at Bessemer until his retirement in 2015. For a time, Bessemer Trust was the race sponsor for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. He served on the board of the King Ranch from 1996 until 2004 and also served on the Board of Governors for New York-Presbyterian Hospitals Inc.

Business As Usual…

Phipps's son, Ogden Phipps II, indicated that the family's operation will remain in full force going forward.

“For people that knew my dad, it will come as no surprise that things were very organized,” he explained. “My father assembled and now has left a fantastic team in place. We have really, as a family, grown up with this team and have the utmost trust in them in all facets of the organization. We cannot imagine any better way to honor my dad than to keep our traditions going and always look to improve, as he did; to look to breed better horses, win more races and carry on the legacy we grew up with. The stable will be owned by the family as it has been for many years and we're going to keep it that way.

Phipps II added, “It's part of who we are. We grew up going to the races, and going to the barn, and the Phipps Stable team is a very close-knit group who we rely very heavily on, who deeply care about our horses. I think it's a testament to my dad as to how much he passed on his passion of horse racing to all of us, and it will continue to live through his children and our mom. This would have been very important to him.”

Ogden Mills Phipps–the Horseman…

Phipps's first real taste of success on his own in the Thoroughbred business came via the aforementioned Successor, bred by his grandmother, who was named the champion 2-year-old colt of 1966. In later years, the Phipps Stable runners were conditioned by Shug McGaughey and in 1989, Ogden Mills Phipps's homebred Rhythm (Mr. Prospector) provided the team with another championship after winning that year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Gulfstream Park. That Eclipse Award came just one year after his father's legendary Personal Ensign (Private Account) concluded an undefeated season and locked up an Eclipse of her own in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at Churchill Downs. Other renowned horses to carry the cherry-and-black silks include GI Kentucky Oaks winner Dispute (Danzig); champion and GI Breeders' Cup Distaff heroine Inside Information (Private Account); champion and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Storm Flag Flying (Storm Cat), a granddaughter of Personal Ensign whose daughter My Flag also won the Juvenile Fillies; and Inside Information's champion 3-year-old filly of 2005 Smuggler (Unbridled).

However, Phipps's highest achievement as a Thoroughbred owner and breeder was Orb (Malibu Moon), a colt bred in partnership with his cousin and longtime horseman Stuart S. Janney III. Brought along in typically painstaking fashion by McGaughey, Orb needed four starts to win his maiden, but took flight from there, winning the GII Fountain of Youth S. and the GI Florida Derby before validating 5-1 favoritism in the GI Kentucky Derby. It was a much-celebrated first trip to the Derby winner's circle for the owners as well as McGaughey.

“It was a dream come true really for all of us,” the conditioner commented. “It couldn't have been any better because he was a partnership horse between Phipps and Janney, who are family members and it couldn't have been any better for me or either one of them. I got to be thrilled for two people.”

Added Kevin Flanery, president of Churchill Downs, in a statement, “Churchill Downs and all in the Kentucky Derby family are saddened by the passing of Ogden 'Dinny' Phipps. There is no area of American racing that was not touched–and positively so–by Mr. Phipps and his influence. The appearance of Mr. Phipps in the Kentucky Derby Winner's Circle following the 2013 victory by the homebred Orb will always rank among the most wonderful moments in the recent history of the 'Run for the Roses' and American racing.”

Other prominent horses to race for Ogden Mills Phipps included Adjudicating, Dancing Forever, Educated Risk, Majestic Light, Mining, Mr Speaker, Pleasant Home and Point of Entry.

Ogden Mills Phipps–Industry Titan…

At the age of just 35 in 1976, Ogden Mills Phipps was tabbed to take over the dual roles of Chairman and CEO of the New York Racing Association and remained in that position until 1983. Phipps was elected as chairman of The Jockey Club in 1983 and served in that capacity for better than three decades until his retirement in August 2015 at which time he was named the honorary chairman. His was the longest tenure in the history of the organization dating back to its inception in 1894. During the latter years of his tenure, Phipps was vocal in his call for stiffer regulation and the gradual elimination of race-day medication, including Lasix. Janney III was elected to succeed Phipps at the helm of The Jockey Club in August 2015.

During his time at The Jockey Club, Phipps remained doggedly committed to the organization's charitable endeavors–the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation and The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation–which helped humans and equines alike.

In a 2014 speech before the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities, Phipps articulated his motivation for dedicating the better part of four decades to the Thoroughbred industry. In an address delivered in Paris, Phipps said:

“Quite simply, I see it as a way of giving back to a sport that has provided me with so much enjoyment. That was probably passed on to me from my dad, and I try to instill that sense of responsibility and commitment in my kids.”

In addition to his role with The Jockey Club, Phipps also held a variety of board positions in the Thoroughbred industry, including with Breeders' Cup Ltd., Blood-Horse, National Thoroughbred Racing Association Inc., the Equibase Management Committee, Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, and the wholly owned subsidiaries of The Jockey Club.

Accolades…

Phipps's efforts and contributions to the Thoroughbred industry were recognized throughout his career. He was the recipient of the 1978 Eclipse Award of Merit and was honored by the New York Turf Writers' Association in light of his successful efforts to have the takeout reduced on wagers at the NYRA facilities. He also received the Industry Service Award from the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, the Ogden Phipps Outstanding Breeder Award from the New York Turf Writers' Association, TOBA's “National Breeder of the Year,” the Earle Mack Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation Champion Award for his outstanding efforts and influence on Thoroughbred racehorse welfare and was the honored guest of the Thoroughbred Club of America's Annual Testimonial Dinner.

During the 2015 Saratoga meeting, Phipps was presented with NYRA “Red Jacket” upon his induction into the Saratoga Walk of Fame for his contributions to and influence on American racing. Click here for the Red Jacket ceremony.

At the conclusion of his final Round Table Conference, staged by The Jockey Club each August during the Saratoga meeting, Janney III presented his cousin with The Jockey Club Medal, an honor Phipps himself had bestowed upon 16 others for their contributions to the Thoroughbred racing and breeding industry.

“He's not much for fanfare, particularly any that focuses on him, but he richly deserves accolades for the time and effort he's devoted to the Thoroughbred industry in general and The Jockey Club in particular over a long period of time,” Janney III remarked at the time.

McGaughey, Phipps A Match Made in Heaven…

For better than three decades, trainer Shug McGaughey trained countless winners for Ogden Mills Phipps, and the Lexington native humbly remembered his client Thursday when reached by phone at Keeneland.

'It was an honor for me to have known Mr. Phipps and known his father,” McGaughey said. “They were obviously a great influence on my life and I don't think there is any way I could have had the success in racing that I've had without working for them and without their help.

He added, “I trained for the Phippses since 1985 and I can't say that as far as they were concerned I ever had a bad day. It was a pleasure, as well as an honor, to train for them. Personally, I enjoyed being with them, all the times I was with them, whether it was the horses or not. When they hired me in 1985, I considered it an honor and I still consider it an honor today. He was a wonderful man.”

Janney Credits Contributions, Cherishes Friendship…

Stuart Janney III and Ogden Mills Phipps were more than relatives–they were business associates who shared great success at the races.

“He's been my partner and a very dear friend for a long time and we've done an awful lot of things together, whether it's been at Bessemer, whether it's been at horse racing and a lot of other things as well,” Janney offered. “I'll miss him. I found him to be an extraordinary person to be around, always a lot of fun, but also someone I could admire.”

He also paid tribute to Phipps's work at The Jockey Club.

“I think that he made extraordinary contributions across a very broad range of activities,” Janney offered. “Obviously, he was very important to what went on at the Bessemer companies. For those efforts, his family is hugely indebted. He also made extraordinary contributions in the horse racing industry. There were lots of successes with his horses. For the longest time they raced at the highest levels and won you know, some great victories.

He continued, “But I think that he made unique contributions to how successful horse racing is going to be in the years to come. By taking The Jockey Club in 1980 from being solely focused on the horse registry to where it is today and in the process, he changed the perception of The Jockey Club and he gave it the resources to be effective on a broad range of fronts, to protect the integrity of the game, the welfare of the horse and to figure out ways to grow the sport. He made contributions across a broad range of other issues whether it was at the Breeders' Cup where he was instrumental in getting all that started, or to the NTRA, or to the level of cooperation that now goes on between international racing governing bodies. So it's a pretty amazing record and he did it, you know, not because he was paid to do it, but because he loved the sport. I think that that's what particularly people in horse racing will remember him for.”

Janney looks forward to furthering his relationship with the Phippses.

“I'm very happy to have them as my partners in some of the horses where we are partners, I look forward to that,” he commented. “That's what Dinny wanted. I think that really, nothing will change there, which is exactly what he would have envisioned. I think we've all got quite a few horses running this weekend and he would want them to do well.”

An accomplished athlete, Ogden Mills Phipps is set to be inducted into the International Court Tennis Hall of Fame this summer and he was also an avid golfer and outdoorsman. Phipps is survived by his wife of 46 years, Andrea; children Kayce, Kelley, Lilly, Daisy, Samantha, and Ogden; and 24 grandchildren. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at this time. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation or The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation. Both are located at The Jockey Club, 40 E. 52nd Street (15th floor), New York, NY 10022.

—Additional reporting by Sue Finley, Christie DeBernardis and Heather Anderson

REMEMBERING OGDEN MILLS PHIPPS

“With the passing of Ogden Mills (Dinny) Phipps, Thoroughbred racing has lost not only a tremendously successful breeder and owner, but a deeply committed leader, sportsman, steward and advocate for the sport he loved.”
–Alex Waldrop, president and CEO of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association

“The Breeders' Cup and all of Thoroughbred racing extend our sincere condolences to the Phipps family on the passing of our friend Dinny Phipps. His accomplishments as a breeder and owner are unmatched and we are indebted to Dinny for his numerous contributions to what is right about our game and for speaking out when we fell short. He was extraordinarily gracious and kind and a true sportsman. He will be missed.“ –Craig Fravel, Breeders' Cup president and CEO

“This is a sad day for our sport. Mr. Phipps was one of the titans of Thoroughbred racing and breeding, and he and his family have always stood for the highest in integrity. I have had the greatest respect for all that he has done for our industry, even when we didn't see eye to eye on an issue. His legacy will have a lasting effect for generations to come. Our sincere condolences go out to his family.” –Rick Violette Jr., president of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association

“Dinny Phipps gave far more to the racing industry than he ever took from it. The TRA was fortunate to have had him serve on its Board of Directors for seven years and to have worked in close partnership with The Jockey Club for the many years of his leadership of that organization. His dedication to racing was born indisputably of a love of the sport and the horse. The membership of TRA extends heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the Phipps family.”
–Chris Scherf, Executive Vice President of the Thoroughbred Racing Associations of North America

“I cried when I heard that my boyhood friend Dinny died. He gallantly fought this terrible disease to the end like the great stretch runner that he is. Unfortunately, we have lost him. He was the pinnacle of integrity and stood for all of the ideals for which our sport represented. He was my childhood friend; he walked softly but had a giant presence. What he cared for the most was the safety of the Thoroughbred. He leaves a legacy in racing and breeding that is unmatchable. I loved him. On the outside, he was very restrained, but he was a kind soul and devoted his life to this sport.” –Earle Mack

“It was the privilege of a lifetime to work for Dinny Phipps. He was a very active chairman and he insisted that The Jockey Club stand for integrity in everything we do.”
–James L. Gagliano, who began his career with The Jockey Club in 2005 and became its president in 2010.

“I knew and worked with him since the late 70s when I was Hugh Carey's deputy chief of staff. He always treated me with respect and friendship, as I did him with great admiration. He was a giant of a man, both in life and in the industry. On behalf of the entire NYRA board, we extend our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones.”
–Michael Del Guidice, Vice-Chairman, NYRA Board of Directors

“It was my privilege and pleasure to get to know Mr. Phipps, a great leader and a great philanthropist, and I admired him tremendously. We extend our sympathies to his family, friends, and those who worked with him.” –Christopher Kay, NYRA President and CEO

“The Stronach Group and all of Thoroughbred racing is deeply saddened by the passing of Ogden Mills 'Dinny' Phipps. His accomplishments as a breeder, owner and advocate for the industry and the horse are unparalleled. We offer our sincere condolences to his family. It is a sad day for racing.” –Statement from The Stronach Group

“Mr. Phipps and his family are icons within the sport, and at this time of grieving we all should reflect on the influence he had on our industry. The National HBPA and its members send our sincere condolences to his entire family. The National HBPA and its members truly appreciate what Mr. Phipps has done for this industry. Mr. Phipps had, even in times of disagreement, the utmost respect for every participant in racing, and he built a reputation and a legacy which will have a long lasting effect on future generations.”
–Eric Hamelback, CEO of the National HBPA

“Dinny Phipps's contributions to the sport of Thoroughbred racing were immeasurable, from the breeding and racing of champions and many top class graded stakes winners, to his stewardship of many organizations and his steadfast commitment to the integrity of the breed. His impact on the sport which he loved will leave a lasting legacy for generations to come. On behalf of TOBA, its board of trustees and members, we extend our condolences to the Phipps family. He will be missed.” –Dr. J. David Richardson, TOBA Chairman