Induction to the horse racing Hall of Fame? It's in his blood

Seth Hancock, the semi-retired former Claiborne Farms president, is from a long line of horsemen inducted into horse racing's Hall of Fame.

"My work is recognized when the horses raised on the farm win a graded stake," Hancock said. "That's enough for me. The fact a committee decided I needed to have one honor, well, I’m flattered. I worry more about the two horses we raised running in the Derby on Saturday."

So Happy, trained by Mark Glatt, and Golden Tempo, trained by Cherie DeVaux, were both born at Clairborne, Hancock said.

More: Trainer Mark Glatt mourns wife's death during his Kentucky Derby debut

A bloodline of excellence

Hancock comes from a line of legendary horsemen. His grandfather, Arthur B. Hancock, founded the farm in 1908, shortly after marrying Nancy Tucker Clay, whose family owned the property. (Clay herself was a member of a prominent family that included abolitionist Cassius Clay and Henry Clay, the ninth Secretary of State in American history.)

In 1915, the farm had exactly one stallion and 10 mares, according to a 1980 story published in the Lexington Herald-Leader.

Seth Hancock's dad, A.B. "Bull" Hancock, built upon his father's foundation by expanding Claiborne's footprint with more acreage and importing European stallions like Nasrullah, a five-time leading sire, and his son Bold Ruler.

Bull also gained top-shelf clients like the Phipps family, a powerhouse family of American thoroughbred breeding and ownership who own Derby contender Golden Tempo.

Seth Hancock attended high school at Woodberry Forest School, an all-male boarding school in Madison County, Virginia. He then spent two years at Sewanee: The University of the South in Tennessee, a private liberal arts college, before transferring to the University of Kentucky. He studied agriculture.

Then he joined the Army Reserve, with six months of active duty. He came back to the farm to begin his two-year apprenticeship.

"That was mid-February," he said. "My dad died in September."

A trio of legends, a young Seth Hancock (far right) with his father A.B. "Bull" Hancock and brother Arthur B. Hancock III. All three are inducted into horse racing's Hall of Fame.

Bull Hancock died from pancreatic cancer just weeks after his diagnosis. That was in the fall of 1972, the year before Secretariat swept the Triple Crown.

"I never really got to watch my dad," he said. "During those two years, I probably would have watched him a lot, but it ended quickly."

Seth Hancock is also the brother of Arthur B. Hancock, the owner of Stone Farm, which bred three Kentucky Derby winners, including Sunday Silence (1989) and Gato del Sol (1982).

Seth W. Hancock joins his family for a day at the races.

Seth Hancock believes his lineage is a big advantage to his success.

"You learn a lot, even if you don’t try — just by osmosis," he said. "You can’t help absorb some of the great people that come in front of you."

More: Horses and bluegrass: Arthur B. Hancock III to join music hall of fame

The relationship between the two brothers following their father's death, as well as the decision by those left in charge of the farm picking the then-23-year-old Seth Hancock to manage the farm instead of older brother Arthur has long been documented in newspaper accounts, industry publications and in Arthur's memoir, "Dark Horses."

Today, the family told The Courier Journal there is nothing but respect.

"While it was probably a little messy at times, it worked out how it should have worked out," Seth Hancock said. "He is a terrific horseman. While we didn’t work side-by-side, I learned a lot from what he did because he was as good as there ever was at doing it."

Hancock's brother, father and grandfather are all enshrined in the Hall of Fame as Pillars of the Turf.

The Great Secretariat

This time of year Seth Walker Hancock Jr., who goes by Walker, visits the foaling barn every morning, catching some of the first glimpses of soon-to-be-Derby or Oaks hopefuls.

Walker, Seth Hancock's son, now runs the family business at Claiborne.

"Heck, there's a movie made about it," he said with a laugh, talking about his father's most notable career moment of Secretariat's syndication.

In the Disney film, a box-office success, Seth Hancock is played by actor Drew Roy. Bull is played by actor Fred Thompson. The film touches on the family's work with Penny Chenery, the owner of Secretariat.

Hancock doesn't mention his Disney moment, the several Eclipse awards or even standing the world's leading stallions at his family's farm.

"He’s not much for accolades," Walker Hancock said. "This is an honor I know that he appreciates. It’s certainly hard to follow in the footsteps of his father ... Following legends is always a hard thing to do, but he certainly lived up to those lofty expectations and arguably exceeded them. I’m just so proud of him being his son and very happy for him."

On May 2, during the Churchill Downs Stakes, an undercard race before the main event of the 152nd Kentucky Derby, a five-year-old chestnut horse will run toward the wire.

He was raised among champions at Claiborne.

His name is Hall of Fame.

Seth Hancock won't be at Churchill Downs that first Saturday in May, though, to watch any of the horses the farm foaled race — even if its for the roses.

"I'll be out here at the farm," he said, "where I belong."

Stephanie Kuzydym is an enterprise and investigative sports reporter, with a focus on the health and safety of athletes. Reach her at skuzydym@courier-journal.com or@stephkuzy.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Secretariat syndicator Seth Hancock enters horse racing Hall of Fame