Louis A. Cella succeeds father as president of Oaklawn Park

Louis A. Cella has been named president of Oaklawn Park and of Southwestern Enterprises Inc., the racetrack’s parent company, according to a release from the track. Cella succeeds his father, Charles J. Cella, who died Dec. 6 at 81.

Cella’s family founded the Oaklawn Jockey Club in 1904.

Earlier this year, Louis Cella became the third generation of his family to serve on the board of directors of the Thoroughbred Racing Associations. He was elected to the Jockey Club in August.

“It is truly an honor to follow on the footsteps of my father and grandfather,” he said in the 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.”

Cella, a graduate of the University of Arkansas Law School, is vice-chairman and director of the St. Louis Municipal Opera Theatre, known as The Muny. He is past chairman of the Arkansas Cancer Research Center Foundation.