Frederick Van Lennep

Frederick Van Lennep (June 16, 1911 – June 16, 1987) was an American advertising executive and harness racing figure who founded Pompano Park.

Early life and education Born Frederick Leas Van Lennep in 1911 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he belonged to a Philadelphia Main Line family. He was the son of Dr. Gustave Van Lennep of Ardmore.

He attended Phillips Exeter Academy and graduated from Princeton University in 1933.

Career The Philadelphia native established himself as an advertising executive at Newsweek in New York. He retired from his position with the magazine in March 1949.

Castleton Farm He first became interested in harness horses shortly before entering the United States Navy during World War II after a friend introduced him to them. The interest developed further after the war and became prominent around his second marriage. He and Frances soon began their expansion program of Castleton Farm as a breeding and racing establishment. Under the leadership of the Van Lenneps, Castleton Farm produced a number of renowned horses. The operation eventually became part of a private corporation that included other farms in Ohio, Florida, New Jersey, and New York. F. L. Van Lennep served as the president of Castleton Inc. He developed it into the second-largest breeder of standardbred horses in the world. He had been appointed as an executive committee member in the early 1950s. In 1955, Van Lennep presided over a group acquisition of Tattersalls Arena, which conducted yearling sales of leading standardbred breeders. By 1956, he was named president of the Lexington Trots Breeders Association, then the parent organization of the Red Mile trotting track and Tattersalls Corp. He was later elected as treasurer in 1960.

Racing executive Wolverine Raceway The head of Castleton Industries purchased Wolverine Harness Raceway Inc. and stock in the Michigan Racing Association in June 1952 for $880,000. After years operating Wolverine Raceway at the Detroit Race Course, he led an investment group that purchased the track in 1969.

Pompano Park In 1952, he spotted an abandoned 1920s-era thoroughbred racetrack while flying over Pompano Beach, Florida. He acquired 150 acres of land in Pompano Beach to use as a winter training ground for the harness horses from Castleton Farm. After purchasing the property in 1953, he went to the Florida Legislature in 1955 to apply for a harness racing license. Van Lennep purchased the Key West Dog Track in 1963

He purchased the Hollywood Kennel Club (now Big Easy Casino) for around $8 million in December 1965. By 1968, he held the controlling interest in three harness racing plants and a single dog track.

Van Lennep took part in forming the American Horse Council in 1969 and served as treasurer. He was involved in efforts to win tax breaks for horsemen and led the push for pre-race drug testing of horses.

In the early 1980s, he helped develop the concept of the Breeders Crown, a year-end championship series by the Hambletonian Society. With John Gaines, he also conceived a similar model for thoroughbred racing, leading to the Breeders' Cup.

He was instrumental in forming the McDowell Cancer Foundation, serving as vice chairman, and contributed to the founding of the Lucille Parker Markey Cancer Center in 1982. Van Lennep also played a key role in the 1985 establishment of the Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center at the University of Kentucky and was on its executive board. He was named Outstanding Horseman by the Kentucky Harness Racing Commission in 1981.

At Kentucky Horse Park, the Van Lennep Indoor Arena was dedicated on September 14, 1988, in recognition of his impact. Gov. Wallace Wilkinson praised his contributions to the facility's success.