He was a lawyer by trade, a vintner by choice and a horse owner for love. Those where just three qualities of Jess Jackson, the owner of Kendell-Jackson winery and Stonestreet Farm (his middle name). He lost his battle to cancer today at the age of 81. While he's most known for 2 time Horse of the Year Curlin, as well as Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra, Jackson also owned uber impressive maiden winner McLean's Music (who is named after one of his grandchildren), Kensei (half brother to 2 time Champion Lookin at Lucky), and several other horses.
Sure he ruffled some feathers along the way (calling synthetic "plastic", refusing to run Rachel in the BC after Curlin had finished 4th the year before on the same surface), but he also didn't have to bring Curlin or Rachel back at 4, but he did. There will always be people who disliked him for who he was, but everybody has their faults. So while we say Good bye to Jess, lets look back at Curlin and Rachel's best races:
2007 Preakness
2009 Preakness
2007 Jockey Club Gold Cup
2007 Breeders' Cup Classic
2009 Mother Goose
2009 Haskell
2009 Woodward
It's a shame he's not going to see the product of Curlin and Rachel, but lets hope that the little guy or girl will be able to keep on his/her parents and Jess' legacy.
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