Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt II Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt , Jr . ( September 22 , 1912 – November 12 , 1999 ) was a member of the prominent Vanderbilt family , a son of the first Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt , who died a hero in the sinking of the RMS " Lusitania " . His mother , Margaret Emerson ( daughter of the Bromo - Seltzer inventor Isaac E Emerson ) , was one of America ' s wealthiest women and most sought - after hostesses , operating at least seven large estates around the country . His grandfather , Cornelius Vanderbilt II , had been one of America ' s most revered businessman ; his great - grandfather , William Henry Vanderbilt had been the richest man in the world . " Commodore " Cornelius Vanderbilt started the family fortune in shipping and railroads as the founder of the New York Central Railroad and builder of Grand Central Terminal in New York . Early years . Of American parents , Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt II was born in London , England . His mother , Margaret Emerson , gave him a 600 acre ( 2 . 4 km² ) horse farm in Glyndon Maryland called Sagamore Farm for his 21st birthday , and it was in Thoroughbred horse racing that he made his mark . The Vanderbilt family had by then given up control of most of their former railroad interests . Alfred G . Vanderbilt was President of Belmont Racetrack in New York and was the principal owner and president of Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore . When he was called into service for World War II , he captained a PT Boat in the South Pacific , earning the Silver Star for bravery . On his discharge , he returned to racing in a major way . Racing . Vanderbilt was one of the driving forces behind thoroughbred racing in America for most of the 20th century . His mother , Margaret Emerson , took him to his first race , the Preakness Stakes , in 1922 . He often said , " After that , I was hooked . " On his 21st birthday , his mother gave him Sagamore Farm , her racing operation in Glyndon , Maryland . In the early years , Vanderbilt often slept in the barns , overseeing the breeding and training of his stable . He was President of Pimlico twice , the first time when he was 20 . As a stable owner , his first major acquisition was Discovery , one of the great handicap horses of the age who became his foundation sire . Vanderbilt was elected to The Jockey Club as the youngest member in its history in 1935 and eventually campaigned four Eclipse Award champions : Discovery , Next Move , Bed O ' Roses and Native Dancer . During the late 1930s and early 1940s , he owned and ran Pimlico Racetrack outside Baltimore and arranged the famous match race between Seabiscuit and War Admiral in 1938 . He was President of Belmont Park and Pimlico at the same time before joining the Navy . During the Second World War , he captained a PT boat in the South Pacific and was awarded the Silver Star for bravery under fire . He then returned to racing , bringing his greatest champion , Native Dancer , to the track in 1952 . Native Dancer won all 9 starts as a 2 - year - old and was named Horse of the Year . He won every start as a three - year - old too , except the Kentucky Derby , which he lost by a head to Cain Hoy Stable ' s Dark Star . However , Native Dancer was named 3 year old Male Champion and was Horse of the Year again in his 4th year . All told , he won 21 of 22 starts , with the single second - place finish in the 1953 Kentucky Derby his only career loss . Many consider the Grey Ghost of Sagamore to have been the first Thoroughbred television star , and TV Guide ranked him as a top icon of the era " . Vanderbilt continued racing throughout his life and served as Chairman of the Board of the New York Racing Association from 1971 to 1975 . The New York Turf Writers voted him " The Man Who Did The Most for Racing " a record four times , posthumously renaming the award in his honor . In the early 1950s , he was a regular panelist on the NBC game show " Who Said That ? " along with H . V . Kaltenborn , Boris Karloff , and American actress Dagmar . Death . He died November 12 , 1999 at his home in Mill Neck , New York after attending the morning racehorse workouts .