Danada topiary honors Lucky Debonair

Fifty years ago, Lucky Debonair, a thoroughbred trained on the property that is now Danada Equestrian Center in Wheaton, won the Kentucky Derby. To mark that anniversary, the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, which now owns the property, recently dedicated a topiary horse at Danada.

"Lucky Debonair was raised at Ada Rice Farms and trained here at Danada for his Kentucky Derby win and winning legacy," said Forest Preserve District Commissioner Tim Whelan, District 4. "The topiary is our dedication to the lasting memory of that unique part of Wheaton and DuPage County history."

Lucky Debonair was bred by owners Dan and Ada Rice, racing enthusiasts who purchased Danada in 1928. On May 1, 1965, jockey Willie Shoemaker rode Lucky Debonair across the wire in a neck-and-neck finish to win the Kentucky Derby in 2:01:20, the race's third-fastest finish at the time.

"This beautiful tribute to Lucky Debonair is a welcome addition to the Danada Equestrian Center grounds and symbolic of Danada's rich equestrian history," said Joe Cantore, president of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County.

The topiary was donated by the Friends of Danada, the nonprofit volunteer group that manages and rents the Danada House on behalf of the Forest Preserve District and supports projects and programs at the Danada Equestrian Center.

Three individuals also donated a commemorative plaque for the site. The Friends of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, the nonprofit fundraising arm of the district, served as a conduit between the Friends of Danada and the district on the project.

In addition to viewing the topiary, Danada visitors can tour the two horse barns from the Ada L. Rice Stables and circle the half-mile regulation racetrack on the west side of Naperville Road where Lucky Debonair and other horses trained. They also can stroll through the gardens surrounding the Danada House, the former estate of Dan and Ada Rice.