Mt. Brilliant Farm Owner Goodman Dies at 72

Horse racing lost one of its most respected breeders Oct. 25 when Greg Goodman, owner of Mt. Brilliant Farm near Lexington, died in Houston, Texas. He was 72. Goodman loved his broodmares, the relaxed horse farm life, the excitement of equine sports from racing to polo, as well the energy of Thoroughbred sales. "He absolutely loved the Keeneland September Yearling Sale," his son Hutton recalled Wednesday. "He loved selling horses—talking with people about what horses and pedigrees they were interested in." Goodman, owner of the 1,400-acre Mt. Brilliant Farm near Lexington, is the breeder of 2016 Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Creator, grade 1 winners Salty You, Snow Ridge, and Gaming, and is a founder of the Fayette Alliance, a land-use advocacy group protecting Central Kentucky farmland. He loved racing, breeding, and the land. Goodman's love of the equine life proved contagious. Hutton serves as Mt. Brilliant's racing manager and is a Breeders' Cup member. Son Bo is also a partner in Mt. Brilliant Farm and is an agent at Justice Real Estate, where his knowledge of Central Kentucky farmland is all-important. "Horse racing, it was his life," Bo Goodman said. "All of the people at Mt. Brilliant meant so much to him; they were so important to him. I think that's what he loved about racing is the family of a farm, the unity. He met everybody where they were." Last month, the Thoroughbred Club of America honored Goodman's lifetime commitment to bettering the sport by naming him Honor Guest of its 2026 dinner. The award is one of the most prestigious in the sport, and is one of many Goodman received recognizing his accomplishments in racing, land conservation, and as a philanthropist. READ: TCA Celebrates Breeder Goodman as Honor Guest "Dad has always said he's the luckiest man in the world, and he has worked hard to give back to the horses, the land, and the people who have given our family so much," Goodman's daughter Mary Jane Goodman Rosenstein said at the TCA Honor Guest dinner in September. "Dad has been an amazing father to my siblings and me. He shows up. He's always there to talk, to offer advice—whether you ask for it or not (she said with a laugh)—and to love us unconditionally. "I see that same care in the way he looks after his horses and the land. That sense of responsibility passed from one person to the next is what makes this industry so special." Goodman is also survived by his wife, Rebecca, and daughter, Hannah Goodman Goodlett. Greg Goodman followed his father, Harold, owner of Brazo T Farm in Brookshire, Texas, into Thoroughbred racing and breeding. Greg Goodman went on to race horses throughout the world, with trainers such as Michael Stidham in North America, Sir Mark Prescott in Europe, and Gai Waterhouse in Australia. With his family, he purchased Mt. Brilliant in 1995. Today, Mt. Brilliant shows off the passions of Goodman. It includes the land where Man o' War once stood, and each year it plays host to the Bluegrass International Cup, a polo match that raises money for the Fayette Alliance and the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center. "As he built the farm and his breeding stock, he realized the importance of protecting the horse farms and farmland and worked hard to preserve as much as he could," Waterhouse said in one of the many testimonials gathered in the TCA Honor Guest program. "He loves being in the business and passed that love on to his children, who are also active in the horse business." The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association along with the Equine Land Conservation Resource has honored Goodman with the Robert N. Clay Award in recognition of his conservation efforts. The Kentucky Thoroughbred Association-Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders have honored him with the William T. Young Humanitarian Award, and the Thoroughbred Charities of America honored him with its Allaire du Pont Leadership Award. This year Goodman was named a member of The Jockey Club. The family will soon announce plans for services.