A Tribute to Marcel Zarour

by Tom Thornbury

 Racing and breeding in South America has lost one of its greats. Marcel Zarour lost his struggle with cancer early Sunday. To say that Marcel led an interesting life and that he had an impact on racing in his home country of Chile and throughout South America is selling him short. 

I became acquainted with Marcel and his wife, Icha (Maria Luisa Solari) in 2002, when Keeneland and the KTOB organized a trade mission to Santiago. Since that time, I refer to Marcel and Icha as my “adoptive parents in Chile,” as they have been so welcoming and have become such great friends to my wife and me. 

Marcel had panache, celebrity, and style. How else could he have landed a doll like Icha? Together, they were like two kids in love; from their beginning to the end. I stayed at their home, as recently as two years ago, and would often see them walking hand-in-hand, and occasionally catch them stealing a kiss, like a couple of love-struck teenagers.

In 2007, Marcel lost his only son Omar in a tragic accident on their farm in the south of Chile. Omar had spent some time in Kentucky, working with Ted and Mac Carr at Diamond A Farm. He was an excellent horseman; quiet, steady, kind, and serious. His sudden death left Marcel inconsolable. 

Later that year, Marcel and Icha’s stable, Haras El Sheik, had a sensational homebred filly named Paloma Infiel, who won G1 Las Oaks, the G1 Copa de Plata, and went on to win the 2008 G1 Derby against a field of top colts. She also won the G1 El Ensayo, Chile’s oldest stakes race and was named champion 3-year-old filly and Horse of the Year. There is a shrine at the site of Omar’s death, as a tribute to him for this wonderful success. Marcel told me that he was certain that Omar had orchestrated this filly’s success, so that his father would have something to live for. 

Within the racing industry of South America, Marcel was a very large figure. He became the president of OSAF, the governing body of South American racing and part of the International Federation of Horse Racing Authorities (IFHA). He was brash, loud, defiant, but his heart was always in the right place. As president of OSAF, Marcel immediately formed a strong bond with IFHA Chairman Louis Romanet, as he desperately wanted to see that South American racing achieved world status and recognition as credible and acceptable. He was resolute in his quest. Perhaps he knew that this cancer would make immediate change necessary, and that he couldn’t afford to waste time. 

His loss is racing’s loss, as it will be difficult to find such determination in those who follow him. 

Along with countless others who knew and loved Marcel Zarour, I am deeply saddened by his death. To be with Marcel and Icha was to celebrate all that is joyful in life, and I will cherish that relationship always. This was a man who loved racing and breeding, loved those friends involved, loved his wife and family, and wanted the best for them all. This was a life truly well-lived. I am at peace, knowing that he and Omar are together, once again.