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| Derby Winner’s Family Tree Is Linked to His Owners’ | Derby Winner’s Family Tree Is Linked to His Owners’ |
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| BALTIMORE — When Orb rallied in the slop on May 4 to win the Kentucky Derby, the first for the trainer Shug McGaughey and the Phipps family, it evoked images of horse racing’s rich past and made it seem as if they had all been there before. | BALTIMORE — When Orb rallied in the slop on May 4 to win the Kentucky Derby, the first for the trainer Shug McGaughey and the Phipps family, it evoked images of horse racing’s rich past and made it seem as if they had all been there before. |
| But for one prominent member of the family, Stuart S. Janney III, a Preakness victory would matter just as much. | But for one prominent member of the family, Stuart S. Janney III, a Preakness victory would matter just as much. |
| Janney, 64, was born in Baltimore and resides in Butler, Md. In 1998, the moody Coronado’s Quest landed Janney and McGaughey on the Triple Crown trail, but the horse’s temperament just as quickly took them off it. | Janney, 64, was born in Baltimore and resides in Butler, Md. In 1998, the moody Coronado’s Quest landed Janney and McGaughey on the Triple Crown trail, but the horse’s temperament just as quickly took them off it. |
| “I grew up around it, went there all the time,” Janney said, referring to Pimlico Race Course, home of the Preakness. “We thought years ago that we had Coronado’s Quest all geared to go to Baltimore, and unfortunately a day beforehand, he decided he wanted to be lame for about six hours.” | “I grew up around it, went there all the time,” Janney said, referring to Pimlico Race Course, home of the Preakness. “We thought years ago that we had Coronado’s Quest all geared to go to Baltimore, and unfortunately a day beforehand, he decided he wanted to be lame for about six hours.” |
| Janney’s parents, Stuart Jr. and Barbara Phipps Janney, owned the Locust Hill Farm racing stable in Glyndon, Md., and campaigned the superstar filly Ruffian. She won her first 10 starts but broke down during a 1975 match race at Belmont Park with the Derby winner Foolish Pleasure and was euthanized. | Janney’s parents, Stuart Jr. and Barbara Phipps Janney, owned the Locust Hill Farm racing stable in Glyndon, Md., and campaigned the superstar filly Ruffian. She won her first 10 starts but broke down during a 1975 match race at Belmont Park with the Derby winner Foolish Pleasure and was euthanized. |
| Barbara inherited a love for racehorses from her mother, Gladys Mills, who with her brother Ogden Mills ran Wheatley Stable, which bred the prominent stallion Bold Ruler, the 1957 Preakness winner. Barbara’s brother Ogden Phipps became the head of Phipps Stable. | |
| Stuart Janney Jr. especially loved steeplechase racing, and he won the Maryland Hunt Cup, a four-mile race with 22 timber fences, four times. | Stuart Janney Jr. especially loved steeplechase racing, and he won the Maryland Hunt Cup, a four-mile race with 22 timber fences, four times. |
| “My father was a lawyer, but the other part of him was he loved to ride in the races,” his son said. “I grew up with him getting up at 6 in the morning and riding two or three horses, training them, and then getting off to work at 8 o’clock.” | “My father was a lawyer, but the other part of him was he loved to ride in the races,” his son said. “I grew up with him getting up at 6 in the morning and riding two or three horses, training them, and then getting off to work at 8 o’clock.” |
| As his parents grew older, and racing in the Hunt Cup became a bigger challenge, Gladys Mills gave them a couple of mares. She also gave their stable fairly regular matings with some of the stallions she had, including Bold Ruler and his son Reviewer, the sire of Ruffian. | |
| “I was there for all her races, maybe saving one,” said Janney, who received a law degree from the University of Maryland. “I wasn’t described as active in the sport. I was working in Washington at the time. So I was more a Saturday afternoon person.” | “I was there for all her races, maybe saving one,” said Janney, who received a law degree from the University of Maryland. “I wasn’t described as active in the sport. I was working in Washington at the time. So I was more a Saturday afternoon person.” |
| When Janney’s parents died within a year of each other in the late 1980s, he inherited their stable and was faced with a difficult decision: sell their stock and leave the game, or buckle down and invest in their passion. | When Janney’s parents died within a year of each other in the late 1980s, he inherited their stable and was faced with a difficult decision: sell their stock and leave the game, or buckle down and invest in their passion. |
| “It was pretty clear in my mind that it wasn’t something that I necessarily wanted to do then,” Janney said. “I was professionally doing other things that were taking a fair amount of time, my family was young, and all the rest. I also realized that if I dispersed the stable that I would probably never pick it up again. I knew it was something that my parents really enjoyed immensely, particularly as they got older.” | “It was pretty clear in my mind that it wasn’t something that I necessarily wanted to do then,” Janney said. “I was professionally doing other things that were taking a fair amount of time, my family was young, and all the rest. I also realized that if I dispersed the stable that I would probably never pick it up again. I knew it was something that my parents really enjoyed immensely, particularly as they got older.” |
| That is when his uncle Ogden Phipps stepped in and persuaded him to keep his parents’ stable by offering to buy half-interests in some of the mares and to mentor him in the family business. He demanded only that the horses be trained by McGaughey. | That is when his uncle Ogden Phipps stepped in and persuaded him to keep his parents’ stable by offering to buy half-interests in some of the mares and to mentor him in the family business. He demanded only that the horses be trained by McGaughey. |
| “I didn’t want him to be a silent partner,” Janney said of Phipps, who died in 2002. “I wanted him telling me what I should be doing. He was always happy to help if I asked him. | “I didn’t want him to be a silent partner,” Janney said of Phipps, who died in 2002. “I wanted him telling me what I should be doing. He was always happy to help if I asked him. |
| “I really didn’t know Shug really well then. I had seen him in a few races, but he had a growing reputation as a trainer. It all just seemed like a great thing to do.” | “I really didn’t know Shug really well then. I had seen him in a few races, but he had a growing reputation as a trainer. It all just seemed like a great thing to do.” |
| Janney sold Phipps a half-interest in Steel Maiden, Orb’s great-grandmother. But Ogden’s son Ogden Mills Phipps, known as Dinny, was so unimpressed by Orb’s mother, Lady Liberty, as a broodmare, that he tried to persuade Janney to sell her. Instead, Janney bred her with Malibu Moon, who began his stud career at Country Life Farm in Bel Air, Md., and had regional success. That pairing produced Orb. | Janney sold Phipps a half-interest in Steel Maiden, Orb’s great-grandmother. But Ogden’s son Ogden Mills Phipps, known as Dinny, was so unimpressed by Orb’s mother, Lady Liberty, as a broodmare, that he tried to persuade Janney to sell her. Instead, Janney bred her with Malibu Moon, who began his stud career at Country Life Farm in Bel Air, Md., and had regional success. That pairing produced Orb. |
| After Orb won the Derby, Dinny Phipps, 72, said, “He outsmarted me and bred her with Malibu Moon, and here I am.” | After Orb won the Derby, Dinny Phipps, 72, said, “He outsmarted me and bred her with Malibu Moon, and here I am.” |
| McGaughey, who trained Orb’s mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, knows something about family. | McGaughey, who trained Orb’s mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, knows something about family. |
| Janney and Dinny Phipps do, too. Janney took over for Phipps as chairman of the family’s Bessemer Trust in 1994 and is vice chairman of the Jockey Club. Phipps is a member of its board of directors and was its chairman. They have relied on the wisdom of their great-grandfather Henry Phipps Jr., a titan of the steel industry with Andrew Carnegie. | Janney and Dinny Phipps do, too. Janney took over for Phipps as chairman of the family’s Bessemer Trust in 1994 and is vice chairman of the Jockey Club. Phipps is a member of its board of directors and was its chairman. They have relied on the wisdom of their great-grandfather Henry Phipps Jr., a titan of the steel industry with Andrew Carnegie. |
| “He’s not really my first cousin, he’s really my best friend,” Phipps said of Janney. “He’s just a wonderful individual.” | “He’s not really my first cousin, he’s really my best friend,” Phipps said of Janney. “He’s just a wonderful individual.” |
| Janney is cherishing every minute of their ride with their prized colt. | Janney is cherishing every minute of their ride with their prized colt. |
| “We both have the same outlook on what we would like to accomplish in the horse business,” he said, “and obviously have the same kind of relationship with and affection for the trainer that’s doing this.” | “We both have the same outlook on what we would like to accomplish in the horse business,” he said, “and obviously have the same kind of relationship with and affection for the trainer that’s doing this.” |
| He added: “I don’t either think either Dinny or I would be where were are with Orb if it weren’t for my parents or his father or for our grandmother. It’s a continuation that I like a lot.” | He added: “I don’t either think either Dinny or I would be where were are with Orb if it weren’t for my parents or his father or for our grandmother. It’s a continuation that I like a lot.” |