Thomas Conway, owner and KHRC member, dead at 83

Thomas Conway, a horse owner and former Kentucky Horse Racing Commission member, died on Saturday at Baptist Health Hospital on Sept. 18 of complications arising from a recent fall, according to family members. Conway, who was the father of former Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway, was 83.

A native of Union County, Ky., in the far western area of the state, Conway was a lifelong horse-racing fan who owned Thoroughbreds for four decades. His most notable runner was Stately Victor, a winner of the 2010 Blue Grass Stakes who fulfilled a lifelong dream for Conway by making his next start in the Kentucky Derby. Stately Victor finished eighth in the field of 20 at 20-1.

A horseplayer, Conway served on the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission from 2008 to 2016 and often took an active interest in regulations impacting betting. He considered Ellis Park in Henderson as his home track due to his hometown connection to the area.

Conway became a trial attorney after graduating from the University of Louisville School of Law, which he attended at night using funds from the G.I. Bill after being stationed in West Germany from 1961-1963. At the time of his studies, he was a high school teacher and football coach at Fairdale High School. As an attorney, Conway specialized in personal-injury cases.

One of his sons, Jack, was elected Attorney General of Kentucky in 2008 and served two terms under Gov. Steve Beshear, the father of Kentucky’s current governor, Andy Beshear. Jack Conway was a co-owner of Stately Victor.

Conway is survived by his wife of 56 years, Barbara; children Jack, Kelli, Matthew, and Megan; and nine grandchildren. A service is scheduled for Sept. 27 at the Kentucky Derby Museum.