Key Staff and Employees of Danada Farms
Danada’s success was not only due to Dan and Ada Rice, but also a team of dedicated employees – from famed trainers to farm managers – who worked behind the scenes. The Danada History Committee has highlighted several notable individuals on the Danada staff. Here are brief profiles of the most prominent Danada employees and their contributions:
- Robert “Tom” Smith (1878–1957) – Tom Smith was an American Hall of Fame racehorse trainer, best known for training the legendary Seabiscuit in the 1930s. After Seabiscuit’s era, Tom Smith later joined the Rices in 1947 as a trainer for their young stable. He trained at Danada for about two years (1947–1949). During that time, Smith handled Ada’s first crop of homebred stars, including Model Cadet, whom he trained to win the Washington Park Futurity and then ran in the 1949 Kentucky Derby (Model Cadet finished 7th). Having a trainer of Tom Smith’s caliber early on gave the Rices instant credibility in the racing world. Smith was known for his quiet, patient horsemanship (nicknamed “Silent Tom”). Under his tutelage, the Danada horses got top-notch conditioning. Tom Smith retired from training in 1955 and passed away in 1957, but his legacy includes being a formative influence at Danada Stables.
- Lester “Bubba” Wander – Lester Wander was the head trainer at the Danada Wheaton farm for many years, particularly focusing on initial breaking and early training of Danada’s yearlings. Wander had a reputation for being excellent with young horses. It’s said he would break on average 30 yearlings annually for the Rices! He often started with the fillies first (perhaps believing they learned differently than colts). One anecdote involves Pet Bully: the colt was rambunctious (“a bit of a bully”), and Wander tried different techniques to school him. Ada observed this and affectionately named the horse “Pet Bully” as a result. Wander’s dedication ensured a steady pipeline of well-mannered 2-year-olds for Ada’s racing stable each year. While not as publicly famous as some, within the operation Wander was crucial.
- Frank Catrone (1911–1987) – Frank Catrone (sometimes spelled Catron or Catrone) was a Thoroughbred racehorse trainer who became Ada Rice’s primary trainer in the 1960s and early ’70s. Catrone initially was an assistant or secondary trainer under Clyde Troutt in the early ’60s, but by 1963–64 he was training many Danada horses. He achieved his greatest success when he conditioned Lucky Debonair through his 3-year-old campaign. In 1965, Catrone trained Lucky Debonair to wins in the Santa Anita Derby and the ultimate prize, the Kentucky Derbydailyherald.com. That Derby win was a career high for Frank Catrone – he famously lifted Ada Rice into the Churchill Downs winner’s circle that day. The next year, he also trained Lucky Debonair to win the Santa Anita Handicap (California’s top race). Frank Catrone continued as Ada’s head trainer up until Dan’s death in 1975, after which Ada retired from racing. Under Catrone’s tenure, Danada Stable horses won hundreds of races. He was known for his astute placement of horses in races they could win. After Ada’s stable dispersed, Catrone trained for other owners until retiring in the 1980s. His legacy is tightly linked to Danada’s golden years – indeed, “Frank Catrone” and “Lucky Debonair” are inseparable in the history booksdailyherald.com.
- Clyde Troutt – Clyde Troutt was one of the trainers for Danada in the 1950s and early 1960s. Troutt was actually a son of Hall of Fame trainer Hall of Famer Hirsch Jacobs (though not as famous as his father’s other proteges). For the Rices, Troutt oversaw the racing stable during a transitional time. By 1964, Clyde Troutt was the primary trainer and Frank Catrone was his assistant, especially when the stable split strings between tracks. For example, in late 1964, when Ada decided to race at Santa Anita over the winter, Troutt remained primary but sent Catrone ahead with some horses to California. Troutt’s notable achievement for Ada Rice was training horses like Pia Star in his early races and Pucker Up. In fact, James P. Conway (see below) was often credited as trainer on paper for Pucker Up in big races, but Conway and Troutt worked together. Troutt left Danada in the mid-’60s as Catrone took over full duties. Troutt might not have had a signature win for Danada, but he kept the stable competitive in Chicago and New York circuits.
- James P. “Jimmy” Conway (1915–1996) – Jimmy Conway was a thoroughbred trainer who had a Hall of Fame career and was associated with Danada primarily as a private trainer in the 1950s. Conway actually gained Hall of Fame induction for his broader accomplishments (training champions like Bewitch for Calumet Farm earlier). For the Rices, Jimmy Conway is credited with handling some of Ada’s top fillies. He was trainer of record for Pucker Up during her 1957 Arlington Matron win, and likely oversaw Ada’s string when they shipped to the East Coast. The Danada archives note that “Hall of Fame trainer James Conway…developed high-class mares like Pucker Up”. Conway had a knack with fillies, and Ada trusted him with her female stars. He eventually stepped back as he aged, but his involvement gave Danada horses national polish. (As context, Conway had been a top trainer for Danada’s friend Don Ameche earlier, and possibly that connection brought him to Ada’s employ for a time.)
- Howard J. Endicott – Howard Endicott was the long-serving farm manager for Danada’s breeding operations. He managed the Lexington, KY Danada Farm for ~20 years, essentially from its inception in 1947 until at least the late 1960s. Endicott’s responsibilities included overseeing stallions, broodmares, foalings, and yearling prep. Under his management, Danada Farm produced 64 stakes winners as mentioned. Endicott ensured mares were bred to top stallions (many Danada mares visited leading Kentucky sires, bringing blue-blood foals into Ada’s herd) and maintained high standards of care. He worked with veterinarians and bloodstock experts, likely coordinating with Olin Gentry early on. Endicott’s name might not ring bells publicly, but within the industry, a good farm manager is gold – and he delivered results for the Rices. After the Danada dispersal, Endicott moved on (maybe to other farms or retired).
- Frank “Pancho” Catrone (same as above, just reiterating that his name often appears as “Frank Catron” in some records, but it is the same person as Frank Catrone).
- Olin Gentry – Although not listed in the nav, it’s worth a quick mention: Olin B. Gentry was a legendary horseman who at one point “managed Danada for a time”. Gentry was known for managing Col. Bradley’s Idle Hour and later bloodstock for King Ranch, etc. His consulting for the Rices likely helped them early on with establishing Danada Farm’s quality bloodlines (perhaps advising on purchases like the mare Two Lea or stallion Olympia). He wasn’t an “employee” per se, more a high-end consultant, but his fingerprints may be on Danada’s foundation stock.
Each of these individuals contributed to Danada’s excellence:
- Tom Smith brought fame and expertise (and a Derby starter in Model Cadet).
- Lester Wander provided continuity in training young horses year after year.
- Frank Catrone delivered the biggest wins (Derby, etc.) and guided the stable in its prime.
- Clyde Troutt and Jimmy Conway gave the stable depth in training talent, each handling divisions of horses and winning stakes.
- Howard Endicott ensured the breeding farm ran smoothly, producing the champions that the trainers would later condition.
Ada Rice was known to treat her staff well – many stayed for decades, which is telling. For instance, when Ada dispersed the stable in 1976, she gave generous severance bonuses to her long-time grooms and farm workers, recognizing their loyalty. The Friends of Danada History Committee’s work to remember these employees (as evidenced by the website pages named for them) shows the value placed on their stories as part of Danada’s heritage.
In essence, Dan and Ada Rice may have been the visionaries and financiers of Danada, but without the skill and dedication of people like Smith, Wander, Catrone, Troutt, Conway, and Endicott, Danada would not have achieved the renown that it did. Their legacies live on in the success of Danada’s horses and the recollections of those glory days on the farm. The History Committee has rightly enshrined them as an integral part of the Danada story.
This comprehensive overview has been based on historical archives, the Friends of Danada History Committee’s research, and various news and institutional sources. It aims to enrich each section of the DanadaHistory.org site with deeper context, recent developments up to 2025, and acknowledgment of the broader significance of Dan and Ada Rice’s lives and legacy.
