Lee Eaton, who established the renowned Eaton Sales Agency and co-bred such
outstanding performers as Bold Forbes and Green Desert, died Thursday evening of natural
causes in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. He was 76. Eaton had waged a successful fight
against brain cancer for more than five years, and was declared free of the
disease last year.
A native of West Virginia, Eaton graduated from the University of Kentucky
with a degree in agriculture. In 1964, he purchased the Wellington Moore Farm, a
270-acre property on Mount Horeb Pike, just north of Lexington, Kentucky. Eaton
would rename the farm, which dated back to the early 19th century, Indian Hill
Farm in honor of the nearby Adena Indian mound, nestled by North Elkhorn Creek.
Indian Hill was to become home to a number of top-class performers.
Eaton started out on his own as a bloodstock agent, and his operations became
the nucleus of Eaton Sales. Later, he sold a share in the agency to John
Williams, and the enterprise became Eaton-Williams, perennially a leading
consignor at such prestigious venues as Keeneland and Saratoga. Williams
ultimately bowed out of the firm. In late 1995, Eaton sold the agency to Reiley
McDonald and Tom Van Meter, who have maintained the Eaton Sales banner.
Eaton was highly influential on the sales scene, both as an agent, and with
his former proteges now holding prominent
positions in their own agencies. He has left an enduring legacy as a breeder as
well, one of worldwide import.
In 1963, Eaton purchased a yearling filly from Calumet Farm. Named Comely
Nell (Commodore M.), she was blind in one eye and never made it to the races,
but she would more than make up for that by becoming the dam of dual classic
winner Bold Forbes.
Eaton bred Bold Forbes in partnership with the Red Bull Stable of Marvin
Waldman and Samuel Lyon. They sold the Irish Castle colt as a yearling for
$15,200 at the 1974 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky sale. Bold Forbes went on to become
the champion two-year-old in Puerto Rico. The following year, the speedy dark
bay posted front-running victories in the 1976 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Belmont
S. (G1) and took home the Eclipse Award as champion three-year-old colt.
Comely Nell founded a family that kept producing. From her line, Eaton and
his Red Bull partners bred the unbeaten Grade 1 winner Saratoga Six, English
Group 1 victor Dunbeath and multiple Grade 1 queen Life at the Top, the latter
in partnership with Seminole Syndicate.
Eaton and Red Bull didn’t breed another Kentucky Derby winner after Bold
Forbes, but they did play a role in the pedigree of a Run for the Roses
champion. They bred Bali Babe (Drone), who later became the dam of Horse of the
Year Charismatic, the 1999 Kentucky Derby and Preakness S. (G1) hero.
Another key Eaton purchase was Courtly Dee (Never Bend), who would go on to
become the Broodmare of the Year in 1983. For Eaton and Red Bull, she produced
Ali Oop, winner of the 1976 Sapling S. (G1), and Native Courier, a multiple
Grade 3 scorer on the turf.
Eaton sold Courtly Dee, in foal to Alydar, for $900,000 at the 1980 Keeneland
November sale. The resulting foal, Althea, became the champion two-year-old
filly of 1983 and romped in the 1984 Arkansas Derby (G1).
Although Eaton and his partners no longer owned Courtly Dee, they still bred
a couple of top-caliber horses from her daughters. Azzaam, who captured the 1993
Sydney Cup (Aus-G1), is the lesser-known of the pair, for the other was the
brilliant sprinter and influential stallion Green Desert.
A $650,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase by Darley Stud Management,
Green Desert garnered the 1985 Flying Childers S. (Eng-G2) and July S. (Eng-G3)
as a juvenile. At three, he added the July Cup (Eng-G1), Vernons Sprint Cup
(Eng-G2) and European Free H. to his resume, and finished second in the Two
Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1).
Green Desert has had a global impact at stud, and he is emerging as a sire of
sires. His son Cape Cross (Ire), an English highweight miler, has sired such
luminaries as Sea the Stars and Ouija Board (GB). Two other Green Desert
stallions celebrated wins in the recent Breeders’ Cup — Oasis Dream (GB) sired
Filly & Mare Turf (G1) heroine Midday (GB), while Invincible Spirit sired
Juvenile (G1) upsetter Vale of York (Ire).
Eaton, who had moved to Florida several years ago, was an active member of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church.
The visitation is scheduled for Friday, 5 to 8 p.m. (EST), at the Baird-Case
Funeral Home, 4343 North Federal Highway, in Ft. Lauderdale (954-492-4000). The
funeral will follow next Saturday at 11 a.m. at Coral Ridge Presbyterian, 5555
North Federal Highway, Ft. Lauderdale, 33308 (954-771-8840).
Expressions of sympathy may be shown by sending flowers, or by donations to
Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church.