California breeder Bud Johnston dies at 77

Elwood Johnston, a second-generation Thoroughbred breeder who bred and raced Acclamation, the Eclipse Award winner as the champion older male of 2011, died in his sleep on Tuesday, according to a statement released by the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association.

Johnston, who was best known in racing by his nickname, “Bud,” was 77. His 78th birthday would have been Wednesday.

Johnston was the son of Elwood B. Johnston, who became involved in California racing and breeding in the late 1930s. Elwood B. Johnston formed Old English Rancho in Ontario, Calif. Bud Johnston and his wife, Judy, took over the farm in 1957 and later sold the property and relocated the farm to Sanger, Calif., not far from Fresno, in 1997.

In recent years, the farm stood several stallions, including, for a time, California’s leading stallion, Unusual Heat. The farm led the state’s breeders 13 times. This year, Old English Rancho has stood five stallions – Acclamation, Big Bad Leroybrown, Cyclotron, Surf Cat, and Vronsky.

Acclamation is by Unusual Heat. During his five-year racing career from 2008-12, Acclamation won 11 of 30 starts and $1,958,048 for trainer Don Warren. The highlight was the 2011 season, in which Acclamation won five consecutive graded stakes, including the $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar. Acclamation missed the Breeders’ Cup that year because of injury.

In a way, Acclamation was representative of Johnston’s approach to racing. He bred the horse’s first two dams – Winning in Style and Lady with Style. Johnston primarily raced homebreds, including the stakes winners Flying Sensation, who won the 1993 California Cup Juvenile and was fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile that year; June Darling, who won six stakes as a 2-year-old in 1970; and Big Bad Leroybrown, who ran in 41 races and won the 2007 Real Good Deal Stakes at Del Mar.

More recently, Johnston bred and raced Acceptance, who won the Golden State Juvenile at Santa Anita last November and the King Glorious Stakes at Los Alamitos last December.

Johnston bred the multiple stakes winner Above Perfection, who raced for David and Rita Milch in the 2000s.

Aside from his work as an owner and breeder, Johnston was a director of the CTBA for 25 years and served a term as president. He is a member of the California Racing Hall of Fame, administered by the CTBA.

As recently as last week, Johnston was a presence at Santa Anita, attending morning workouts.

Johnston is survived by his wife, Judy; and daughters, Darlene Johnston Smith and Mary Johnston Hilvers. Mary Hilvers and her husband, Peter, live at Old English Rancho in Sanger, where their son, Jonny, works as ranch manager.