Edwin Janss Gregson (August 7, 1938 – June 4, 2000) was an American

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...

trainer. He was the trainer of

Gato Del Sol Gato Del Sol (February 23, 1979 – August 7, 2007) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for his win in the 1982 Kentucky Derby. Background Gato Del Sol was a gray horse foaled at Stone Farm in Paris, Kentucky. He was sired by the ...

who won the 1982 Kentucky Derby. He died on June 4, 2000, of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. In his honor, a charitable institution founded by the association of California Thoroughbred Trainers (CTT) designed to "enhance the quality of life of California's backstretch workers and their families" was renamed the Edwin J. Gregson Foundation.

Personal life and education

Edwin's father George Gregson, from Bisbee, Arizona, worked for

Janss Investment Company The Janss Investment Company was a family-run, Los Angeles–based real estate development company that operated from 1895 to 1995. First generation The Janss Investment Company was founded by Peter Janss, an immigrant doctor from Denmark. Pet ...

. He met Patricia Cluff Janss there and they married. Gregson was born in Los Angeles and grew up in

Holmby Hills Holmby Hills is a neighborhood on the Westside of Los Angeles, California, United States. The neighborhood was developed in the early 20th century by the Janss Investment Company, which developed the rest of Westwood, Los Angeles as well as oth ...

. His uncle Edwin Janss Jr. was a real estate developer. His grandfather owned the 10,000 acre

Janss Conejo Ranch Wildwood Regional Park is a suburban regional park in the western Simi Hills and Conejo Valley, in Ventura County, California. It is located in western Thousand Oaks, northern Newbury Park, and southern Moorpark. Wildwood is home to over 27 m ...

. He had a sister, Patricia. Gregson attended

Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...

to study pre-law but left after two years to become an actor in New York, including a small part in ''

The Naked and the Dead ''The Naked and the Dead'' is a novel written by Norman Mailer. Published by Rinehart & Company in 1948, when he was 25, it was his debut novel. It depicts the experiences of a platoon during World War II, based partially on Mailer's experienc ...

''. He married actress

May Britt May Britt (born May Britt Wilkens; 22 March 1934) is a Swedish former actress who had a brief career in the 1950s in Italy and later in the United States. She was married to American entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. from 1960 to 1968. Career Bri ...

in Tijuana, Mexico on February 22, 1958. They separated in September 1959 and divorced. He then finished his Stanford degree in European history. Before he died, he was living in

Pasadena Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial d ...

and married to Gail, a show jumper and racehorse rehabilitator, who he wed in 1968 and with whom he had twin daughters in 1970.

Career

After graduating he worked as a cowboy and a groom, before becoming a racehorse trainer. He was president of the California Thoroughbred Trainers Association and the secretary and a director of the

California Thoroughbred Breeders Association The California Thoroughbred Breeders Association (CTBA), founded in 1937, is a non-profit organization committed to the advancement of thoroughbred breeding and racing in California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western Unite ...

Edwin J. Gregson Foundation

The Edwin J. Gregson Foundation, Inc. is a

nonprofit foundation A foundation (also referred to as a charitable foundation) is a type of nonprofit organization or charitable trust that usually provides funding and support to other charitable organizations through grants, while also potentially participating d ...

in the American

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...

industry based in

Arcadia, California Arcadia is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, located about northeast of downtown Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley and at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. It contains a series of adjacent parks consisting of t ...

. Its stated objective is to "enhance the quality of life of California's

backstretch Backstretch refers to either: (1) the portion of an oval racetrack on the far side of the grandstand, parallel to the homestretch, or, (2) particularly in North America, the area near the racetrack where horses are stabled and the daily work of mai ...

workers and their families." Founded in 1998, in 2000 it was renamed to honor the memory of trainer and former CTT president, Edwin J. "Eddie" Gregson, who was the first to advocate the creation of the Foundation. Among its functions, the Foundation provides College Scholarships to the children of backstretch workers. Since July 2001, trainer Jenine Sahadi has been President of the Foundation.

References

External links

Edwin J. Gregson Foundation, Inc. official website

Video at Bloodhorse.com on the activities of the Edwin J. Gregson Foundation
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gregson, Edwin J. 1938 births 2000 deaths American racehorse trainers Suicides by firearm in California People from Pasadena, California Stanford University alumni People from Holmby Hills, Los Angeles