Arthur Boyd Hancock III was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame last month as a Pillar of the Turf, honoring those who have made extraordinary contributions to the Thoroughbred industry. He called the event a “profound and humbling experience.” But even as Hancock stood before a full house at his induction ceremony in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., the day-to-day work didn’t stop back at his Stone Farm in Paris, Ky. It also didn’t stop in the barns behind the Fasig-Tipton sale pavilion where the induction ceremony was held and the Stone Farm banner hung above two yearlings who had shipped from Kentucky to sell just a few days later. “He’s leaving all the work to me now,” daughter Lynn Hancock, vice president of Stone Farm, laughed. But really, it’s an interwoven tapestry of hard work from family and team that have brought Arthur Hancock, and Stone, to this point in history. Arthur Hancock is the third member of a legendary racing family to be honored as a Pillar of the Turf, joining his father, Arthur B. “Bull” Hancock Jr. inducted in 2016, and his grandfather Arthur B. Hancock Sr., inducted in 2018. Hancock III recognized his father for “imparting to me a deep respect and admiration for the horse.” He spoke of other family members during his induction speech, as well as those who have helped build Stone Farm. “I wouldn’t be here without the backing of my true friends and loyal clients who have supported me over the years, as well as the hard-working and dedicated men and women of Stone Farm,” he said. With the help of those men and women, Stone Farm sold its two lots at the boutique Fasig-Tipton Saratoga selected yearling sale for a combined $3,425,000, most of that coming from a $2.7 million Gun Runner colt for breeder Bobby Flay, a prominent client. Stone Farm now comes to Kentucky’s biggest yearling sale, the Keeneland September yearling sale, which runs Sept. 8-20, with a consignment of 47 horses, accounting for outs through Thursday. Four of those are in the elite Book 1 portion of the sale, which begins the action on Monday and Tuesday. Stone’s Fasig-Tipton home run colt was out of graded stakes winner America, who has been a prominent producer for Flay, who boards his mares and young stock at Stone. The mare also is the dam of multiple graded stakes winner First Captain, who sold for $2 million as a yearling. America is from a deep family of outstanding broodmares, tracing directly to Kentucky Oaks winner and multiple stakes producer Blush With Pride, a daughter of Broodmare of the Year Best In Show. Blush With Pride’s daughter Better Than Honour produced a pair of Belmont Stakes winners to also earn Broodmare of the Year honors. “It’s really special,” Lynn Hancock said. “We only sell what we raise, so we got the mare in foal, foaled out the mare, raised the colt, and amazing to get those kind of results. Bobby Flay is a great client, and obviously a great breeder. It shows on the racetrack.” It may show in the sale ring again as well, as Flay bred two of Stone’s Book 1 offerings – a Not This Time filly whose dam is a half-sister to America and a filly by leading sire Into Mischief who is out of Grade 3 winner Cover Song. Another of Stone’s signature families is represented by multiple yearlings in Book 1. The farm offers a Curlin colt who is a half-brother to European champion juvenile Air Force Blue. Hancock III bred that colt, cultivating a line that traces to champions Flanders and Surfside. Stone’s final offering in Book 1 is a Quality Road filly out of a full sister to Air Force Blue, bred in partnership with George Strawbridge Jr. Perhaps among this consignment will be the next significant runner for Stone, which Hancock III has built into the history books as the birthplace of multiple champions while simultaneously advocating for transparency and integrity within the sport. Hancock III was born Feb. 22, 1943, in Nashville, Tenn., into a racing dynasty. His grandfather founded Kentucky’s legendary Claiborne Farm in 1910, while his father, Bull Hancock, expanded the business. After college, Hancock III worked for a year under future Hall of Fame trainer Edward Neloy, then returned to Claiborne and worked as assistant broodmare and yearling manager. However, after Bull Hancock’s death in 1972, advisers to his estate passed leadership of Claiborne to his younger son, Seth. Many have pointed to Hancock III’s behavior in his younger days as a reason. The breeder characterized himself as “a freewheelin’, hard-drinkin’, guitar-pickin’, bar-brawlin’, skirt-chasin’ fool,” in a 1989 Sports Illustrated feature. Hancock III went out on his own, taking 100 acres near Claiborne that he had leased and establishing Stone Farm. And less than a decade after Bull Hancock’s death, it was Stone Farm that earned the Hancock family its first Kentucky Derby victory. In partnership with client Leone Peters, Hancock III bred and raced Gato Del Sol, who won the 1982 Kentucky Derby – two years before Swale would carry the Claiborne colors to win the roses. Peters and Hancock III would team again to co-breed Risen Star. Racing for Louie Roussel and Ronnie Lamarque, Risen Star won the 1988 Preakness and Belmont Stakes and earned a divisional Eclipse Award. While Risen Star was putting together that championship season, the horse Hancock III would become best-known for was taking the first steps on his racing career. Stone stood the talented but evil-tempered stallion Halo for much of his career. Stone foaled and raised that stallion’s son Sunday Silence for client Tom Tatham’s Oak Cliff Thoroughbreds. Weedy as a young horse, Sunday Silence was almost universally panned. After several twists and turns, Hancock III would eventually campaign him with Hall of Fame trainer Charlie Whittingham and Dr. Ernest Gaillard. Sunday Silence never finished worse than second while racing his way to the Hall of Fame. His 1989 championship season included the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Breeders’ Cup Classic. Despite those exploits, American breeders were not interested in Sunday Silence. He was purchased by Japanese interests and established a dynasty, leading the sire list more than a dozen times and producing multiple prominent sons and daughters to carry on his legacy. As Japan has become more and more prominent in international racing, many of its globe-trotting stars carry the stallion’s blood. Masayoshi Yoshida, president and CEO of the Japan Racing Assocation, made a surprise appearance at Hancock III’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony to extend his “heartfelt gratitude” on behalf of the “revolutionary change” the breeder helped make possible. “Without Sunday Silence, racing in Japan today would not exist,” Yoshida said. Hancock III, with Stonerside, co-bred a third Kentucky Derby winner in 2000 hero Fusaichi Pegasus, who Stone sold for $4 million at the 1998 Keeneland July yearling sale. The farm also had another Horse of the Year to join Sunday Silence, as Stone raised and sold 2019 champion Bricks and Mortar for Strawbridge. In other capacities in racing, Hancock III has served as a member of The Jockey Club, on the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, and as a director of Keeneland Association and Fasig-Tipton. He co-founded the Water Hay Oats Alliance (WHOA), a group dedicated to eliminating performance-enhancing drugs in racing. “How we treat the horse is a reflection on our industry and on each one of us,” Hancock III said. “If it is perceived that he is treated badly, the public will lose interest and walk away. Integrity with dignity is everything in our sport. We have a saying in Kentucky: If you take care of the land, the land will take care of you. I believe it’s the same for our sport. If you take care of the horse, the horse will take care of you.” :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.