Cot Campbell, who innovated horse racing ownership, dies
NEW YORK — W. Cothran "Cot" Campbell, the South Carolina horseman who pioneered shared ownership of race horses and was an advocate for the American racing thoroughbred industry, has died. He was 91.
He died Saturday at his home in Aiken, South Carolina, the New York Racing Association said Sunday.
Campbell made his mark in 1969 when he introduced syndicated ownership, which features numerous owners sharing a percentage of the costs and the risk. It allowed new people to enter the expensive sport.
He founded Aiken-based Dogwood Stable. Among the champions that carried his green-and-yellow silks were 2013 Belmont Stakes winner Palace Malice, 1990 Preakness winner Summer Squall and 1996 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Storm Song, who won the Eclipse Award as the nation's champion 2-yearold filly.
Dogwood had eight Kentucky Derby entrants from 1990 to 2013, and its best finish was second with Summer Squall in 1990.
Another Dogwood horse, Inlander, won an Eclipse Award as 1987's champion steeplechaser.
Todd Pletcher, who trained many prominent horses for Dogwood including Palace Malice, recalled Campbell's kindness and love of the sport.
"He always embraced the game with great enthusiasm. He loved horses, he loved horse racing and his impact on the industry, not only through Dogwood Stable, but through the number of new people he introduced to the game at the highest level is a major contribution to racing as we know it today," Pletcher said. "He was always very kind and knew every groom's name. He was a terrific person to work for. He gave a lot of young trainers over the years an opportunity and a chance to prove themselves."
In August, Campbell was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, New York, as part of the Pillars of the Turf in recognition for "extraordinary contributions" in leadership positions or as pioneers in the industry.
"Years ago I bought a thousand-dollar filly with two pals and thus I stumbled into the idea of group ownership of a racehorse," he told the Hall of Fame gathering. "It made sense and it caught on. Well over 1,200 people have come into racing through Dogwood. And I believe half the people racing horses in America are racing in some sort of partnership."
A member of The Jockey Club, Campbell received an Eclipse Award of Merit in 2012.
"All my life I have been besotted with racehorses," Campbell said in his Hall of Fame speech. "Now as I pointed out I've got a little age on me. I'm probably the only person in this building — or maybe this town — who ever saw Man o' War. And I thank Man o' War because he lit the fuse that caused me to pursue an absolutely wonderful life."