Featured Owner: John Holleman

Residence: Little Rock, AR

• An Arkansas native and Little Rock attorney, Holleman entered mid-January as Oaklawn’s fourth-leading owner with three victories from eight starts at the 2022-2023 meeting.

• Recorded his first career Oaklawn victory as a sole owner when Bal Harbour captured the $200,000 Tinsel Stakes Dec. 17. Trainer Robertino Diodoro, on behalf of Holleman, claimed the gelding for $50,000 out of a Sept. 5 victory at Saratoga. In his first start for Holleman, Bal Harbour finished third in the $350,000 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes (G2) Nov. 4 at Keeneland. Holleman, as a sole owner, also has victories at Delta Downs, Remington Park and Keeneland.

• Holleman, in partnership, campaigns Lovely Ride, who won Oaklawn’s $150,000 Mistletoe Stakes Dec. 10 and the $150,000 Pippin Stakes Jan. 7. The Mistletoe represented Holleman’s first Oaklawn victory as an owner.

• Started his first horse, Indimaaj, Nov. 13, 2021, at Churchill Downs. Diodoro had claimed the horse roughly 6 ½ weeks earlier at Churchill Downs for $40,000. Holleman’s first career victory came Nov. 24, 2021, at Delta Downs with the Diodoro-trained Puye Timing. It was Holleman’s second career starter. Indimaaj marked Holleman’s first career Oaklawn starter, Dec. 4, 2021.

• Entered 2023 with roughly 15 horses (owned solely or in partnership) in training. All were with Diodoro, who was Oaklawn’s leading trainer in 2020 and topped the 2022-2023 standings with 16 victories through Jan. 8.

• Grew up in Van Buren, about 100 miles northwest of Hot Springs, and attended the University of Arkansas School of Law with Oaklawn owner Louis Cella, earning a Juris Doctor degree in 1990. Holleman obtained his Master of Laws degree in 1991 from Tulane University. He now primarily focuses on helping individuals and businesses with complex legal matters.

• Decided on Thoroughbred ownership after attending Oaklawn for many years as a fan with Tim Steadman, his law partner at Holleman & Associates P.A., in downtown Little Rock. Holleman was steered to Diodoro through a mutual friend, owner Clayton Wiest, a longtime client of the trainer.