William T. Young

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William T. Young (February 15, 1918 - January 12, 2004) was an American businessman and major owner of thoroughbred racehorses.

William T. Young graduated with high distinction from the University of Kentucky in 1939 with a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering. After a short employment with Bailey Meter in Cleveland, Ohio, he served as a captain in the United States Army from 1941-45. Upon returning to Lexington, Kentucky after World War II, he founded W. T. Young Foods, Inc., a company that became one of the nation's leading producers of peanut butter. William Young sold his business to Procter & Gamble in 1954, but continued to manage their peanut butter manufacturing operation until 1957, at which time he founded W. T. Young Storage, Inc.

William Young was a director the Kentucky-American Water Company, and the First Security National Bank and Trust Company of Lexington. He was a community leader in such organizations as the YMCA, Junior Achievement, Spindletop Research, the Red Cross, and the Cancer Drive. Young was chief of staff for Governor John Y. Brown, Jr., and was chairman of the Kentucky Economic Development Corporation, a private organization aimed at boosting economic development. He served as a trustee at Transylvania University for more than 30 years and was chairman of the board at Transylvania for 23 years. He was a University of Kentucky trustee and also served as chairman of Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Kentucky.

[edit] Overbrook Farm

In 1972 William Young established Overbrook Farm near Lexington, Kentucky. Teamed with trainer D. Wayne Lukas, in 1994 he won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies with Flanders and was a partner in Timber Country who won that year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile. In 1994, William Young was voted the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Breeder. He won the 1996 Kentucky Derby with his home-bred colt Grindstone and captured his second Breeders' Cup Juvenile that fall with Boston Harbor. In 1999 he won the 1999 Breeders' Cup Classic with Cat Thief.

Active in the horse racing industry, he served as a director of the Breeders' Cup Limited. His daughter Lucy married renowned French horse trainer, Francois Boutin.

Currently, Storm Cat, the world's highest priced sire, stands at Overbrook Farm.

[edit] Philanthropy

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A benefactor to the University of Kentucky, the William T. Young Library there is named in his honor. William Young was inducted into the College of Engineering Hall of Distinction in 1992. His wife, the former Lucy Hilton Maddox, died in 2002 and he died in 2004. He was survived by a son, William T. Young, Jr., and daughter, Lucy Boutin Hamilton.