Gary Barber

The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) has named its finalists for the TOBA National Owner of the Year. In alphabetical order, the five finalists are Gary Barber; Godolphin; Klaravich Stables; the partnership of Spendthrift Farm LLC, MyRaceHorse Stable, Madaket Stables LLC, and Starlight Racing; and Three Diamonds Farm. The winner will be announced Saturday, Sept. 11, at the TOBA National Awards Dinner at Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa in Paris, Ky. Motown legend Gladys Knight will perform. TOBA will also honor breeders from 18 states and Canada, as well...

Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable and Swilcan Stable's reigning champion juvenile filly Vequist (Nyquist) breezed a half-mile in :47.77 on Saratoga's main track Friday under Jose Lezcano in preparation for a potential seasonal debut at the end of the Saratoga meet. According to trainer Butch Reid, Jr., the filly will target Parx's GI Cotillion S. Sept. 25. Winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile fillies at Keeneland last fall, last summer's GI Spinaway S. winner finished ninth in her season return in the GII Davona Dale S. in February. "She did...

Providing a boost to Subjectivist (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) who had beaten him so readily in the Mar. 27 G2 Dubai Gold Cup, Team Valor and Gary Barber's Spanish Mission (Noble Mission {GB}) was at the fore with a smooth success in Friday's G2 Yorkshire Cup. Held up in last early by William Buick, last year's G2 Doncaster Cup winner who was making his European return having been fifth at Meydan was moved closer travelling notably strongly as Sir Ron Priestley (GB) (Australia {GB}) attacked approaching three out. Getting the better...

The Deputy (Ire) (Petardia {GB}), winner of the 2000 GI Santa Anita Derby and second choice in that year's GI Kentucky Derby, was rescued from a kill pen in Texas earlier this month by his old connections, Barry Irwin's Team Valor, Gary Barber and trainer Jenine Sahadi. The 24-year-old, who had stood stud in several states, was reportedly bought cheaply in Iowa and sent to a feedlot north of Dallas, at which point word quickly spread on the internet and made its way to The Deputy's past connections. By utilizing...

Gary Barber's Get Her Number (Dialed In), off since winning the GI American Pharoah S. last September, continued to work towards his comeback with a four-furlong drill in :49.80 (1/1) at San Luis Rey Training Center Monday. While his next start has yet to be confirmed, it could come as soon as next Saturday's GII Rebel S. at Oaklawn Park. "I'm happy with the work and he's doing very well," trainer Peter Miller said Monday afternoon. "We are just deciding whether to put him on the plane Wednesday for the...

The 2020 racing season was fraught with many challenges, largely due to the coronavirus pandemic, and halted racing in New York for about three months, continuing to wreak havoc with on-track attendance at many of the nation's racing venues throughout the remainder of the year. And while for many it was a time of turmoil and struggle, it proved to be a banner season for Wachtel Stable, campaigning not one but two Eclipse champions in 2020--Vequist (Nyquist, Champion Juvenile Filly) and Channel Maker (English Channel, Champion Turf Male). "Unfortunately, I...

Mark Casse topped the Woodbine trainers leaderboard for the 12th time with 93 wins during the abbreviated 2020 meet. Beginning June 6, the meet was originally scheduled to conclude Dec. 13, but was forced to end early Nov. 22 due to a government-mandated lockdown for the region of Ontario due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The jockeys' race went right down to the wire with Rafael Hernandez edging out Justin Stein. It was the first riding title at Woodbine for Hernandez, who racked up 129 wins. Barber was the leading money-winning...

War Front is undoubtedly heralded as one of America's top turf sires, but Claiborne's Bernie Sams said he finds any stereotype that the stallion is solely a grass producer is unjustifiable. "I think War Front has been labeled to some extent as a turf sire, but unfairly so because he got his start with dirt stakes winners," he said. "Then a lot of people started breeding to him and taking a lot of them to Europe. He probably is equally as good on dirt as he is on turf, if...

Making just her second lifetime appearance in a true one-turn race and trying a distance as short as 5 1/2 furlongs for the first time in career start number 25, the classy Got Stormy (Get Stormy) needed every inch of the Keeneland stretch, but was shoved across the line by Tyler Gaffalione to win Friday's GIII Buffalo Trace Franklin County S. Got Stormy broke outward at the start, bothering Chalon (Dialed In) to her outside, and settled near the back of the field through the opening exchanges. Not rushed into...

8th-Woodbine, C$83,390, Msw, 10-8, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f (AWT), 1:03.38, ft, 5 1/2 lengths. CALIFORNIA LILY (f, 2, California Chrome--Wildcat Lily {GSW & MGISP, $477,165}, by D'wildcat) was favored at first asking by just less than $2,000 and became the sixth winner for her freshman sire (by Lucky Pulpit) with an impressive debut success in Thursday's finale from Woodbine. Quickly into stride beneath Rafael Hernandez, the blaze-faced chestnut set the pace with a bit of pressure to her outside for the opening couple of furlongs. But she pinched a break...

The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA)'s 35th Annual National Awards ceremony was held virtually on Saturday at Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa near Paris, Ky. Gabby Gaudet was the host. TOBA's National Owner of the Year title went to Gary Barber, while William S. Farish was named the National Breeder of the Year. Larry Karp of Barlar LLC was honored as National Small Breeder of the Year. Beyond the Waves (Ocean Crest), dam of 2019 Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar (Giant's Causeway), GSW Emerald Beech (Maria's Mon),...

Gretzky the Great (Nyquist), who became freshman sire Nyquist (Uncle Mo)'s first stakes winner in August, became his second Grade I winner less than a month later with a victory in Sunday's GI Summer S. at Woodbine. The score in the "Win and You're In" event punched Gretzky the Great's ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and gave Japanese-born jockey Kazushi Kimura his first career Grade I triumph. Unveiled going five furlongs on the local turf July 12, the Ontario-bred was runner-up to re-opposing rival Ready to Repeat...