John D. Hertz Historical Marker

“John D. Hertz 1879-1961

Yellow was the color and name of his taxicab company, and yellow and black were his stable colors. Mr. and Mrs. John D. Hertz’ most famous Thoroughbred was Count Fleet, which won the triple Crown (Kentucky Derby, Preakness, Belmont Stakes) in 1943. Count Fleet was a son of Reigh Count, which had won the Knetucky Derby for the Hertz stable in 1928, and he sired a later derby winner in Count Turf (1951). Hertz embodied the American success story. An immigrant from Austria, he left home and first found work driving a newspaper delivery wagon in Chicago. He later scuffled through his youth as a newspaperman, boxer, fight manager, and bookmaker’s assistant. After marriage to Fannie Kesner, he sought more stability. Hertz established the Yellow Cab company and at one point was building a majority of the cabs used in the United States. He later launched the Hertz Rental Car system. During the 1920s, Hertz’ interest in racing led him to organize respectable businessmen in Chicago to purchase the financially troubled Arlington Park, blocking the plans of Al Capone’s mob to take over the track. The Hertzes originally had a breeding farm in Illinois, but then established Stone creek Stud near Paris, Ky.”