By Bren O'Brein/TDN America
Australian Hall Of Fame trainer Gai Waterhouse has been among those to pay tribute to California-based businessman and thoroughbred owner Jon S. Kelly, who passed away Saturday at his home in Tres Palomas in Rancho Santa Fe, a day after he marked his 84th birthday.
Kelly's global racing interests stretched from the United States to England and Ireland and Australia, where he raced several horses with Waterhouse. He passed away following a lengthy battle with cancer. Kelly had been in hospice care and several family members, including his wife, Sarah, were at his side at the time of his death.
Waterhouse took to social media to post her tribute to Kelly.
"A very special person left our lives in the passing of Jon Kelly. He embraced life to the fullest, he loved the game & he gave it his best shot. Hugely successful in all ventures, it was a pleasure & joy knowing him. Our love goes to his widow Sarah & his family," Waterhouse wrote.
Born in Berkeley and schooled in the east and at the University of California–Berkeley, Kelly entered the broadcasting business, founding Kelly Broadcasting Company and later founded and ran Summit Broadcasting Radio Company. He owned television stations in Seattle and Sacramento. He was also a successful banker, having founded River City Bank in the state capitol and was also a successful real estate executive.
A horse owner since the 1960s, Kelly has raced horses around the world. He most notably raced Grade 1 winner Borrego (USA) (El Prado {Ire}) with trainer Beau Greely and also had horses with Bob Baffert and Richard Mandella and Christophe Clement.
Gingham (USA) (Quality Road {USA}), a horse raced by Sarah Kelly and Jane Wilt, won the Angels Flight S. just last month at Santa Anita. Kelly and his wife also campaigned Red Vine (USA) (Candy Ride {Arg}), a stakes winner and runner-up in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and G1 Cigar Mile H., with Clement.
The former media executive has spent up big at Australian yearling sales in recent years, including a total of $5.4 million across six yearlings in conjunction with Reg Inglis and Paul Frampton at the 2018 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Vin Cox and Jon Kelly
That included the sale-topper, a $2 million I Am Invincible colt from the draft of Yarraman Park Stud. Named Faretti, he has raced with success in Kelly's colours for Waterhouse and co-trainer Adrian Bott, who was part of a syndicate that recently re-purchased the 3-year-old.
Kelly, Inglis and Frampton also purchased the top filly at that 2018 sale on the Gold Coast, paying $1.8 million for a daughter of Snitzel offered by Arrowfield Stud, who was a sister to Group 1 winner Sweet Idea.
The filly, Evening Slippers, a winner of one of her five starts for Waterhouse and Bott, will be offered for sale as Lot 144 of the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale on the Gold Coast on Monday. Two-year-old fillies Missouri Waltz (Hinchinbrook) (Lot 36), Profiterole (Snitzel) (Lot 52) and Twilight Affair (Zoustar) are others owned by Kelly which will be offered by Arrowfield Stud on the Gold Coast this week.
That trio were all purchased out of the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale, where Kelly and Inglis purchased in partnership with agent Jamie McCalmont. They also purchased a Fastnet Rock colt out of Ballet Suite (High Chaparral {Ire}) for $1.1 million.
Reg Inglis and Jon Kelly, with Paul Frampton, invested in quality bloodstock at Magic Millions
As well as his racing stables in Australia with Waterhouse, he had stables in Ireland with Jessie Harrington. Sarah Kelly’s Cayenne Pepper (Ire) (Australia {GB}) was runner-up in the G1 Irish Oaks July 18.
“He was quite a guy,” said Dr. Greg Ferraro, chairman of the California Horse Racing Board and a longtime Kelly friend. “He could make anyone laugh. He always lifted your spirits.”
Ferraro told of business associates Kelly had worked with 30 and 40 years ago writing him letters recently sending thanks for his council and guidance and how it had shaped their careers and lives. He spoke personally of Kelly sending him to a Louisville hospital for a life-saving operation, then made a huge donation to the hospital in Ferraro’s name.
“He didn’t make it in his name, which he should have,” said Ferraro, “but that was Jon. He did so many good things for so many people and he never bragged or looked for credit. He just was a good person who did good things. He was special.”
Kelly is survived by his wife and six children, as well as many grandchildren.
