Oaklawn control still with a Cella
Louis Cella, whose family founded the Oaklawn Jockey Club in 1904, has been named president of the Hot Springs racetrack and gaming facility, as well as Southwestern Enterprises, the parent company of Oaklawn.
He succeeds his father, Charles Cella, who died earlier this month at age 81 of complications from Parkinson’s disease.
John Cella has been named president of the family’s Southern Real Estate and Financial Company, also succeeding his father.
“It is truly an honor to follow in the footsteps of my father and grandfather,” Louis Cella said in a news
release. “Racing has been part of the Cella family DNA for generations, and we are committed to keeping Oaklawn one of the premier racetracks in the country for generations to come.”
Earlier this year, Cella became the third generation of his family to serve on the board of directors of the Thoroughbred Racing Association. His grandfather, John G. Cella, served as president of the organization from 1959-1960, and his father served as president from 1975-1976.
In late August, he was elected to The Jockey Club, which establishes the recommended standards for the industry, along with four other prominent figures in thoroughbred racing.
“The appointment of Louis Cella as president of the Oaklawn Jockey Club will be welcomed news throughout the racing industry as it continues the legendary involvement of the Cella family,” said James “Ted” Bassett III, a longtime family friend, Keeneland and Breeders’ Cup director, and a member of The Jockey Club.
“For over a century, four generations of this family have dedicated themselves to maintaining the highest and traditional standards of racing, ensuring public trust and the well-being of the horse. For most of his life, Louis has been actively involved in every aspect of racing.”
Louis Cella is a 1990 graduate of the University of Arkansas Law School. He is also vice chairman and director of the St. Louis Municipal Opera Theatre, America’s oldest and largest outdoor musical theater. He is past chairman of the Arkansas Cancer Research Center Foundation, director of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Foundation fund board and a member of the advisory board of the Myeloma Institute at UAMS.