Longtime California owner Marianne Millard dead at 91

ARCADIA, Calif. -- Marianne Millard, a longtime owner and breeder in California who was co-breeder of the graded stakes winner Melair and the owner of Here Tis Ranch, died recently, according to a statement on the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association’s website.

Millard, who had battled illness in recent years, according to friends, was 91.

Melair, who Millard co-bred and co-owned with Bea Rous, was unbeaten in five starts and earned $336,500. A California-bred by Debonair Roger, Melair was best known for beating males in the Grade 2 Silver Screen Handicap at a mile at Hollywood Park in July 1986.

The field included Snow Chief, who had won the Preakness Stakes and Garden State Derby in his previous two starts. Snow Chief was later named champion 3-year-old male for the 1986 season.

Melair did not race again because of a bout with colic. A race is named in Melair’s honor for statebred 3-year-old fillies and is run annually at Santa Anita in late spring.

In 1986, Millard and Rous raced Rosie’s K T, a half-brother to Melair who won the Grade 3 Los Angeles Handicap at six furlongs at Hollywood Park. Melair and Rosie’s K T were trained by John Sadler, who is currently among the leading trainers in Southern California and was at the start of his career in the mid-1980s.

“She really loved Del Mar. Tthat was her summer vacation,” Sadler recalled on Sunday. “We had good horses.”

Millard’s Here Tis Ranch was based in San Jacinto, Calif. Millard and Rous bred Chichim, who Millard raced. Chichim won 6 of 24 starts and earned $387,938.

Trained by Juan Garcia, Chichim won consecutive runnings of the California Cup Distaff at the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting in 1999 and 2000. In the 2000 California Cup Distaff, Chichim gave Hall of Fame jockey Laffit Pincay Jr. his 9,000th win.