by Frank Angst

John Petty, founder of Paradise Farms in Longview, Texas, died on August 9.

Petty, 97, established Paradise Farms in 1970 and continued that operation until 1996. The East Texas farm also featured a high-level training track.

Petty homebred Day Time Tudor won the 1978 Texas Derby at Louisiana Downs, where that same season he established a track record of 1:40 2/5 in winning a one-mile and 70-yard allowance race.

By *Tudor Black, Day Time Tudor earned $193,185 in ten seasons of racing.

An owner of a successful construction company, Petty primarily campaigned horses at Louisiana Downs, Fair Grounds, Oaklawn Park, and other tracks in the region.

Frank Angst is senior writer for Thoroughbred Times