Tribute to Noble Threewit

Santa Anita Park Racecourse opened its doors for business in the year 1934, and Noble Threewit was one of the first trainers to have his horses in their stables. He remained loyal to the track until 2007, when he officially retired from the horse racing industry at the age of 96. With over two thousand victories, Noble Threewit walked away from his beloved track with seventy-five years of experience and unforgettable moments, and left behind memories of a man who was always a gentleman, eager to assist others and was known for his kind manner. In 2006 he enjoyed his last victories, and horses such as Correlation, winner of the Wood Memorial Stakes and Florida Derby, will always be synonymous with Threewit.

Noble Threewit was also awarded numerous trainer titles during his career, of which one was the 2005 Hollywood Park Laffit Pincay Jr. Award, which is given to people who have contributed greatly to the sport. The Noble Threewit Health Centre, the medical facility at Santa Anita, was named in his honor. He also served as president to the California Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Foundation and to the California Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association. Everyone who had ever come in contact with Threewit remembers him with admiration and respect, and trainers such as Leonard Dorfman fondly look back at their time with him, saying: “There was no one better. He was probably the classiest guy I’ve ever known. I worked for him for five years and it was probably the happiest days of my life. He had a good feeling about a horse. He could look at a horse and give you a good opinion. He’d be at the barn about the time the grooms were getting out of bed.”