Wednesday memorial service for Julian "Buck" Wheat at Churchill Downs

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The memorial service for Julian “Buck” Wheat will be held Wednesday, Dec. 28, at 1 p.m. Eastern in the Triple Crown room at Churchill Downs, where Wheat was employed in various capacities for more than 60 years, including the last 25 as the track’s director of horsemen’s relations. Wheat died Wednesday, Dec. 21, at age 78 from a head injury suffered in a fall at his home the previous day.

Visitation will be held from noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Highlands Funeral Home on Taylorsville Road in Louisville. Also, visitation will be held for the two hours prior to the memorial service in the Triple Crown room at Churchill.

The family has requested that memorial contributions be made to any of the following racing charities: the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, the Permanently Disabled Jockeys’ Fund, the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, or the Racetrack Chaplaincy of America.