From The Jockey club
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 17, 2016) — Barbara Banke and J. Michael O’Farrell Jr. have been elected to the board of stewards of The Jockey Club, filling the expired positions of Stella F. Thayer and Peter S. Willmott.
Banke is a Thoroughbred owner and breeder and proprietor of Jackson Family Wines, based in Santa Rosa, California. She serves on the boards of the Breeders’ Cup, TOBA, and National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame and has been a member of The Jockey Club since 2013. She owns Stonestreet Stables, which has campaigned the winners of 100 stakes races, including horses of the year Curlin (2007, 2008) and Rachel Alexandra (2009), and is a leading developer of stallions, including Curlin, Kantharos, Carpe Diem, Maclean’s Music and Astrology. Her Lexington-based Stonestreet Farm is a leading commercial breeder and has produced the winners of 38 graded stakes and more than $38,000,000 in purses.
O’Farrell owns and operates Ocala Stud, the oldest active Florida Thoroughbred farm, in Ocala, Florida. Ocala Stud has bred and sold more than 150 stakes winners throughout its history. O’Farrell has served on the boards of organizations including Breeders’ Cup Ltd., the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association, and Florida Equine Publications. He is the chairman of Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company.