Warner Jones Award

Outgoing Kentucky State Senator Damon Thayer has been named the recipient of the 2024 Warner L. Jones Jr. Horseman of the Year Award by the Louisville-based Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners (KTO), which will be presented on Saturday, Nov. 23 at the Kentucky Derby Museum, the organization said via a release Thursday morning. The KTO's Warner Jones award recognizes individuals for outstanding contributions to Kentucky racing and sharing the passion exemplified by Jones, who spent 50 years on the Churchill Downs board, including eight as chairman during the track's resurgence in the...

Marty Maline, the former executive director of the Kentucky Horsemen's Benevolent & Protective Association, is the recipient of the 2023 Warner L. Jones Jr. Horsemen's of the Year Award presented by the Louisville-based Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners, the organization said in a release Friday morning. The Warner Jones award recognizes individuals for outstanding contributions to Kentucky racing and sharing the passion exemplified by its namesake. Maline, who ranked among the country's most-respected executive directors of any racing organization, will be feted at the KTO's annual awards dinner, Saturday Nov. 18 at...

Frank L. Jones, Jr., a prominent owner, breeder, and servant to the horse industry through decades of work on the boards of several Thoroughbred organizations, passed away Thursday, Aug. 10 after a long illness. The Louisville businessman was 87. In addition to other roles, Jones spent more than 30 years as the owners' vice president of the Kentucky Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA), where he was instrumental in negotiating contracts for owners and trainers with racetracks. He was also chair of the Kentucky HBPA's finance committee and a legislative...