Talbot's survivors include his widow, Elizabeth; two sons, William III and Thomas; and a daughter, Betsy.
Central Kentucky breeder/owner William Garrard Talbot II died Jan. 5 in Lexington at age 91. Son of a successful turn-of-the-century horseman, Talbot is a direct descendant of Gov. Garrard, the second governor of Kentucky, and it was on the original Garrard family property that Talbot operated Mt. Lebanon Farm near Paris, Ky.Talbot bred 11 stakes winners, including Tiger Rebel, whom he raced in partnership with Ned Brent. The two men started Tiger Rebel in the 1945 Kentucky Derby, and it was Talbot who provided a bit of humor just before the race by telling reporters that he "felt like a bastard at a family reunion" compared to some of the owners whose chances to win the Derby were quite good. Tiger Rebel went into the race without a stakes win or placing. A member of the field, Tiger Rebel finished unplaced behind winner Hoop, Jr. Not unexpectedly, Talbot's quote was picked up in a number of newspapers.
