Former owner of prominent Kentucky horse farm elected to Hall of Fame
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- Seth Hancock, a Lexington native and former Claiborne Farm owner, was elected to the 2026 Hall of Fame.
- Hancock was named in the pillars of the turf category for leadership and pioneering contributions.
- The 2026 enshrinement ceremony will be Aug. 7 at Fasig-Tipton’s pavilion in Saratoga Springs and live-streamed.
A Lexington native and former owner of a Central Kentucky horse farm has been elected to the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame.
Seth Hancock, who previously owned Claiborne Farm in Bourbon County for more than 40 years, is one of 11 members of the 2026 Hall of Fame class. He was included in the pillars of the turf category of the class, which honors people who have made “extraordinary contributions to thoroughbred racing in a leadership or pioneering capacity at the highest national level,” according to the Hall of Fame’s website.
There are four categories in the Hall of Fame: The contemporary category, the historic review category, the steeplechase category and the pillars of the turf category. Each category has separate criteria and nomination procedures.
The 2026 class will be honored at an enshrinement ceremony Aug. 7 at Fasig-Tipton’s Humphrey S. Finney Sales Pavilion in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. The event is free to attend will be live-streamed on the museum’s website.
Claiborne Farm is one of the world’s leading horse breeding and training farms, located on Winchester Road in Paris. The farm has foaled/raised 10 Kentucky Derby winners, sired 6 of the 13 Triple Crown winners and topped the nation’s leading sire list 29 times, according to the farm’s website.
Who is Seth Hancock?
Hancock graduated from the University of Kentucky with a bachelor’s degree in agriculture in 1971, according to the university. He was named to the Hall of Distinguished Alumni in 1995.
Hancock took over as the leader of the farm in 1972 behind his father, Arthur B. “Bull” Hancock, Jr., and his grandfather, Arthur B. Hancock, according to the museum. One of his first decisions as owner was paying $6 million to syndicate Secretariat, an eventual Triple Crown winner.
Among Hancock’s many accomplishments as leader of Claiborne Farm is helping establish the Breeders’ Cup in 1984 by providing stallion seasons income for Breeders’ Cup funding. He also led Claiborne Farm when filly Yell won the 2003 Raven Run (G3) at Keeneland, earning the farm it’s 24th graded stakes win and a golden bowl commemorating the victory.
The golden bowl is the second-highest award in Keeneland’s milestone trophy program. The farm was the first recipient of the golden bowl and is the track’s leading stakes-winning owner.
Hancock stepped down as Claiborne Farm owner in 2015 and passed the title to his son, Seth Walker Hancock, Jr., according to the museum.
Mission of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame is located in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Its mission statement is to, “preserve and promote the history of thoroughbred racing in America and honor the sport’s most accomplished participants,” according to its website.
The museum was founded in 1950, and the Hall of Fame was created five years later. In an effort to include the earliest history of horse racing, the first Hall of Fame class included horses which had raced before 1900 and jockeys and trainers who were no longer active.
