A Birthday Bash for ‘Jimmy’ Kilroe

Southern California’s thoroughbred horse racing prominence rivals that of all those worldly places--say, Churchill Downs and Ascot. And in the Southland, Frank Kilroe, known to all as Jimmy, has been among those responsible for the prominence.

Last week at Santa Anita Race Track the white-haired gentleman of wit and gentility was surrounded by huge yellow sunflowers and more than 100 friends at his 80th birthday party staged by Bill Finucane.

Friends dropped the mementos, photographs and archival items they brought as gifts to hug and kiss the soft-spoken Kilroe--who is the senior vice president emeritus of racing, Santa Anita, and the director of racing emeritus, Oak Tree.

Someone quoted, “It is not the length of the course, but the manner in which you cover it,” and that had Cliff Goodrich of Santa Anita calling Kilroe “a gentleman of integrity and class;” Alan Balch referring to “Mr. Kilroe’s wit;” Lou Eilken calling him “the finest mentor I ever met in my life,” and Jim Murray saying, “I love Jimmy Kilroe because I learned more from Jimmy Kilroe than all the owners, trainers and writers I have known in 40 years.” He added, “He’s one of the purest gentlemen I have ever known in my life.”

Said Tom Robbins, who followed Kilroe as racing director and chief handicapper at Santa Anita, “There is nobody like this man.”

It was a night for the “Parade of the Post” by trumpets, “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow,” and “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.”

Santa Anita Operating Co. chairman and CEO Robert Strub missed the event--he was in the hospital for quadruple bypass heart surgery--but horse lovers were abundant: Charles Whittingham, Warren and Alyce Williamson, Peter and Anian Tunney, Brian and Anne Sweeney, Ron and Debbie McAnally (he was last year’s Eclipse award winner as trainer of the year), jockeys John Longden and Eddie Delahoussaye, Clement and Lynn Hirsch and Barbara and Joseph Harper.

More friends saluting Kilroe: Kay Paschall, Max and Helen Pegram, Joan Haskell and Bill Solaini, Victor and Eve Illig, George and Maggie Jagels, Edward and Cynthia Lasker, Long and Polly Ellis, Trevor Denman, John and Jeannette McCarty, Royce and Anne McKinley, Jack and Maggie Robbins, Fred Ryan, Georgia Ridder and B. K. Stephenson.

RACING, TOO: A few days later, the Williamsons collected friends in the Director’s Room at Hollywood Park for night thoroughbred racing and the fireworks after the 13th race. Caravaning over from Pasadena with friendly chat: Sis and Lou Jones, Kingston and Veva McKee, Jean and Boyd Higgins and Madge Burford and fiance Marshall Cleland.

Driving separately and joining in on the overeating and bets were John and Joan Hotchkis, Joni and Clark Smith (her arm in a cast from a fall on their latest adventure in Indonesia) and Mary (she piled her plate with cauliflower--”It’s good for you”) and Boyd Marshall.

THE HIGHLANDER: That beautiful yacht, the Highlander, has been docked in San Pedro. Last week, owner Christopher Forbes, vice chairman of Forbes magazine, was in town for some summery evening cruises with dinner and dancing.

NO SECRET: Vista del Mar Associates are all but giddy over their benefit evening July 19. They’re planning dinner at the Century Plaza before ambling over to the Shubert Theatre for “The Secret Garden,” 1991 Tony award winner.

THE GUARD CHANGES: New officers are abundant: The Colleagues met at Jimmy’s restaurant for lunch and presented a new slate including Bobbie Foreman, president; Doris Coleman and Marion Hall, vice presidents; Katrina Cord and Dorothy Clark, secretaries, and Joey Smith, treasurer . . . .

More new prexies: Eleanor Frank and Donna Venick (co-presidents) of Center Theatre Group-Volunteers; Sue Neuman of John Wayne Cancer Institute Auxiliary and Anne Combs of Los Angeles Music Center Opera League.

PAST PERFECT: Friends of Angels Attic in Santa Monica partied over wine and cheese at Jackie and James McMahan’s Brentwood estate and aah’d over a miniature palace of Versailles that the Attic commissioned from London artists Kevin Mulvany and Susan Rogers . . . .

Flutes of champagne were raised to eight decades of Robert Lawrence Balzer’s life in a night of prestigious wines and dining at the Beverly Hilton. Now a bronze bust of the wine authority has been created for UC Davis as well as an ongoing enology scholarship, the Balzer Award.

We’re told a Brink’s armored truck was hired to deliver the collection of rare wines for auction.

KEEPING UP: The Regent Beverly Wilshire staged a rooftop brunch to introduce its new banquet facility, the Terrace, overlooking Rodeo Drive. . . .

The Assistance League of Southern California and the International Society of Interior Designers hosted a dansant to view the Encino house they’ll redo for their fall benefit. Patricia Alcantara is house chairman. . . .

Actor Paul Linke performed “Time Flies When You’re Alive” at the Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum Theater to benefit Hospice of the Canyon in Calabasas . . . .

Suzanne Marx is back in town after attending “Festival at Ford’s” (Theatre) gala in Washington, co-chaired by Mary Jane Wick. . . .