Louis R. Rowan (September 27, 1911 – September 28, 1988) was an American businessman and Thoroughbred

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, 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 basic pr ...

owner and breeder. A native of California, Rowan was educated in England. In 1968, along with

Clement L. Hirsch Clement Lang Hirsch (April 26, 1914 – March 15, 2000) was an American businessman and a prominent Thoroughbred racehorse owner who co-founded Oak Tree Racing Association. Born in St. Louis, Missouri to a very successful family of retail mer ...

and Dr. Jack Robbins, he co-founded the

Oak Tree Racing Association The Oak Tree Racing Association is an American nonprofit corporation that exists to conduct live thoroughbred horse racing in Southern California. Graded Stakes races at the Oak Tree meet Since Oak Tree Racing moved to Hollywood Park in 2010, some ...

at Santa Anita Park 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 th ...

. Rowan was also a co-founder of the California Thoroughbred Foundation. Louis Rowan bred and raced a number of successful horses. Among them were: * Mrs. Rabbit, winner of the 1948 Santa Anita Oaks; *

Spinney Spinney may refer to: *A copse or thicket People * Art Spinney (1927–1994), American football guard * Caroll Spinney (1933–2019), American puppeteer and cartoonist *Edgar Keith Spinney, (1851–1926), Canadian politician * Franklin C. Spinn ...

, winner of the 1957

Santa Anita Maturity The Strub Stakes is an American race for thoroughbred horses run at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California each year. Currently a Grade II stakes race with a purse of $200,000, it is for four-year-olds, at one and one-eighth miles on Santa Anita ...

and the Canadian Championship Stakes; * Ruken, winner of the 1966 Del Mar Futurity and the 1967 Santa Anita Derby; * Quicken Tree - outstanding marathon distance runner whose wins included the Jockey Club Gold Cup, Manhattan Handicap, Santa Anita Handicap,

San Juan Capistrano Invitational Handicap The San Juan Capistrano Stakes is a Grade III American thoroughbred horse race for horses age three and older over a distance of run on the turf track held at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California in June. The event currently offers a purse o ...

, and two editions of the

Display Handicap The Display Handicap was an American long distance Thoroughbred horse race held annually from 1955 through 1990. A race for 3-year-olds and up, it was run at the Jamaica Race Course from inception through 1958 at a distance of 2 miles. In 1959 th ...

. In his memory, the California Thoroughbred Foundation established the Louis R. Rowan Fellowship in Equine Studies at the University of California, Davis. Named in his honor, the Louis R. Rowan Stakes was run from 1988 to 1998 at Santa Anita Park. Louis Rowan was living in

Pasadena, California Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, 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 district. I ...

at the time of his death in 1988.

References

Information on Louis Rowan and Quicken Tree by
Avalyn Hunter. 1911 births 1988 deaths Businesspeople from California American racehorse owners and breeders Sportspeople from California 20th-century American businesspeople {{US-horseracing-bio-stub