NEWS
Reynolds, co-breeder of Tabasco Cat, dies at 96
Posted: Thursday, September 01, 2011 3:36 PM
by Frank Angst
With the family name forever tied to its popular aluminum foil, David P. Reynolds also will be forever tied to one of America’s top Thoroughbreds of the 1990s.
Reynolds, who helped make Reynolds Wrap a household staple and was co-breeder and co-owner of dual-classic winner Tabasco Cat, died at the age of 96 on Monday in Richmond, Virginia.
Through a foal share agreement with the late William T. Young’s Overbrook Farm, Reynolds provided the Sauce Boat mare, Barbicue Sauce, who was bred to Overbrook stalwart Storm Cat. Racing for Overbrook and Reynolds, Tabasco Cat would post victories in the Preakness (G1) and Belmont (G1) Stakes in 1994 after placing sixth in the Kentucky Derby (G1), won in the slop by Go for Gin.
After the Preakness, Reynolds confessed that the loss on Churchill’s off track had him wondering.
“We were really in the depths of despair with that rainstorm in Kentucky, I’ll tell you,” Reynolds said. “We thought we had a chance at the Triple Crown, but it wasn’t to be.”
Young said after the Preakness win that campaigning Tabasco Cat in partnership with Reynolds made everything more special.
“The greatest thing about this win to me is that I won it with one of my dearest friends, David Reynolds.” Young said. “It’s been a real pleasure to own this horse and race this horse with him.”
Young served on the board of Reynolds Aluminum, the family company headed by Reynolds for many years beginning in the 1950s. Reynolds’ father founded the company and his son then took the reigns. The company was sold to Alcoa in 2000. Young became friends with Reynolds while serving as chairman of Royal Crown Cola Co. when it started using aluminum cans.
Reynolds first began racing horses in the 1950s and his breeding operation would include about 30 mares at farms in Lexington and Maryland.
Reynolds also campaigned homebred Lord Carson to six stakes wins, including a two-length victory in the 1996 Boojum Handicap (G2) at Belmont Park. Lord Carson set track records for six furlongs at Churchill Downs and Turfway Park. He closed out his career with a fourth-place finish in the 2006 Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) at Woodbine won by Lit de Justice.
Other horses owned or bred by Reynolds include Be Somebody, Lady Dean, Lord Gaylord, and 1977 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2) winner Small Raja.
In a New York Times obituary, Reynolds was credited as being the driving force at Reynolds Metals behind aluminum foil and aluminum cans, now American household staples.
Despite all of his business successes, it was racing that captured Reynolds’ heart. After Tabasco Cat’s three-quarter length Preakness victory over Go for Gin, Reynolds wrote a short note to a friend that said, “This is the greatest day of my life.”
In Reynolds’ case especially, that is saying something.
Frank Angst is senior writer of Thoroughbred Times.
