A house RESOLUTION

 

TO REMEMBER AND CELEBRATE THE LIFE OF Franklin Gregory "Goree" Smith Sr., owner and operator of Elloree Training Center for fifty years, AND TO HONOR HIS REMARKABLE Career in the Horse industry.

 

Whereas, the South Carolina House of Representatives was saddened to learn of the death of Franklin Gregory "Goree" Smith Sr. on August 1, 2026. Mr. Smith grew up on the farm of his father, Dudley Smith, near Lone Star, and like the young horsemen he would later mentor, Goree Smith entered the business in his childhood. His older brother learned to gallop horses there and rode at Lucien Laurin's Branchdale Racetrack near Holly Hill and stables near St. Matthews; and

 

Whereas, his brother's racing got the family involved in the horse business in the late 1940s as the family boarded horses for Northerners who came South for the winter. His brother made connections in the business for his father who had a couple of young horses he would take with him to the races. An owner gave Dudley Smith two fillies to settle an unpaid feed bill, and he bred the mares near St. Matthews. The mares soon had a couple babies, and the Smith family was thrust into the horse business while horses still raced locally. Dudley Smith became well known throughout the horse industry; and

 

Whereas, in the proud tradition of the sons of South Carolina, Goree Smith served in the United States Air Force, and upon his return, he went back to the track and galloped horses. He began breaking yearlings for owners in the mid-1960s; when interest in owning horses grew, his business was off to the races. In 1974 and 1975, he leased a barn, bought the property in 1976, and began improving the track, building barns, and bringing in yearlings. Elloree Training Center that this legend owned is home to the Elloree Trials, a spring horse racing tradition since 1963 that draws thousands; and

 

Whereas, Mr. Smith's horsemanship earned national recognition as he mentored young jockeys, including Malcolm Franklin and the late Chris W. Antley. Malcolm Franklin began working with horses at Elloree Training Center at age eleven. Mr. Franklin's riding career began in 2005 and earned him the Indiana Grand riding title in 2013, and he recorded his one thousandth victory in 2017; and

 

Whereas, Goree Smith put Chris Antley to work at the center when the future Hall of Fame jockey was fourteen. Mr. Antley went on to win the Kentucky Derby twice and the Preakness Stakes once and was inducted posthumously into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2015. In 2016, Mr. Smith dedicated a marker honoring Mr. Antley at the entrance of the Elloree Training Center; and

 

Whereas, Travis Durr, owner of Travis Durr Training Center in St. Matthews, began galloping horses for Mr. Smith at a young age and knew him to be a great trainer. Goree Smith gave Dullahan and Done Talking early training at Elloree before both ran in the 2012 Kentucky Derby. Dullahan finished third. Paddy O'Prado, another Elloree Training Center graduate, had finished third in the 2010 Derby; and

 

Whereas, named the 2024 South Carolina Breeder of the Year by The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, Mr. Smith was the state's leading Thoroughbred breeder in thirteen of fifteen years through 2024. Nineteen horses he bred won races in 2024, like stakes-winner Spencerian; and

 

Whereas, together with his beloved wife, Bari Smith, he reared four fine children, and they blessed him with the love of ten grandchildren. His brother, Hamilton "Hammy" Smith, a longtime Maryland trainer, earned his two thousandth career victory as a trainer in 2020 with Sweet Home Dixie, a mare bred and owned by Goree Smith; and

 

Whereas, the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives are grateful for the life and legacy of this Christian gentleman, who wore his signature Keeneland flat cap and lived out his faith through generosity, compassion, and service to others. Now, therefore,

 

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:

 

That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, remember and celebrate the life of Franklin Gregory "Goree" Smith Sr. of Orangeburg County, owner and operator of Elloree Training Center for fifty years, and honor his remarkable career in the horse industry.

 

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Franklin Gregory "Goree" Smith Sr.

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