Westrock Stables/ Scott & Joe Ford

Residence: Little Rock, Ark.

   • A son-father team in racing and business, the Fords made their fortune with Alltel, the telecommunications
company which Scott led as C.E.O. through several acquisitions after taking over for his father in 1996. Scott
Ford was at the helm when Alltel was purchased by Verizon Wireless in 2009. He now heads his own capital
management firm and Westrock Coffee, which is Oaklawn’s exclusive coffee supplier.
• The family started with Quarter Horses, but made the transition to Thoroughbreds in the mid-2000s through
partnerships with Dogwood Stable before forming their own outfit in 2008 under the guidance of Hall of
Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas. They also use several other trainers, including another Hall of Famer, Bob
Baffert.
• Their best runners to date include stakes-placed fillies Tidal Pool, Decelerator and Be Fair, Northern Giant,
who became the stable’s first Triple Crown race starter in the 2010 Preakness Stakes and Hamazing Destiny,
who nearly pulled the upset at 23-to-1 odds when second in the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Despite many
close finishes, Hamazing Destiny had never won a graded stakes until taking the 2012 Grade 3 Maryland
Sprint Cup. He also finished second in the Grade 1 Forego.