Wes Lanter, handler of famed Kentucky stallions, dies at 58

Wes Lanter, who worked with some of Kentucky’s greatest stallions over more than half a century in the racing industry, has died, according to his longtime friend, trainer Eric Reed. He was 58.

A native of Lexington, Lanter had been hospitalized for the past 11 weeks after falling while staying at Reed’s house in Lake Okeechobee, Florida, and then battling congestive heart failure, Reed said.

“He fought and fought and fought, but finally he couldn’t fight anymore,” Reed said, adding that he was able to speak to his lifelong friend about 9:30 p.m. on Friday night, just a little more than an hour before Lanter died with his son, Noah, at his bedside.

“He was a really good-hearted friend that you don’t have too many of, and now he’s gone,” Reed said.

Lanter got his introduction to horses as a sophomore in high school, when Reed, who had known him since grade school, got him a job walking horses for his father, trainer Herbert Reed.

Upon graduating, Lanter went to work at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington and worked his way up the ladder there before shifting to Spendthrift Farm in 1983 and working his way up to manager of a stallion roster that included Seattle Slew.

Lanter accompanied the 1977 Triple Crown winner when he was moved to Three Chimneys Farm in Midway in 1985. Then prominent breeder and owner William T. Young lured him to his Overbrook Farm to oversee Storm Cat, where he remained until the stallion was pensioned in 2008.

In addition to Seattle Slew and Storm Cat, Lanter cared for a number of greats at the Kentucky Horse Park, including John Henry and Funny Cide, both of whom he paraded on the grounds for admiring fans and also occasionally visited tracks with them for fan appreciation events, Reed recalled.

“He took care of two of the best stallions and a lot the best horses around in his day,” he said. “He had quite a resume.”

In addition to his prowess handing horses, Reed said Lanter was “a great family man and a good friend to a lot of people in Lexington.”

“I’ve had literally more than 100 texts today wanting to know when the services will be,” he said.

Plans are still being finalized, but Reed said a celebration of life service for Lanter would be held sometime after the first of the year.