Akiko Gothard, who trained K One King (Apalachee) to an eighth-place effort in the 1999 GI Kentucky Derby and a victory in the 2000 GI Oaklawn H., passed away July 6 in Lexington, the Blood-Horse reported. She was 89 years old.
Born Akiko Ozeki, she was married to Don McVarish, an American soldier, in her native Japan, relocating to the United States in 1956. Gothard served as a liaison in helping Japanese buyers at Keeneland. She became a trainer in the 1990s, saddling 347 winners from 2,008 starters for earnings of $5.8 million, according to Equibase statistics. She took over the training of Secreto's Hideaway (Secreto) from her then husband Marvin in late 1993 and promptly sent him out to annex that year's Listed River City H. at Churchill Downs. Secreto's Hideaway would go on to add a pair of stakes at Turfway the following season.
K One King was easily the best horse in Gothard's career, as he won the Presidents S. by six lengths and the John Battaglia Memorial S. by nine lengths before finishing runner-up to Stephen Got Even in the colors of Madeleine and Allen Paulson in the GII Galleryfurniture.com S. Beaten just over four lengths by Charismatic in the Run for the Roses, he won his first two starts at four, including a brave defeat of 1999 G1 Dubai World Cup hero Almutawakel (GB) in the Oaklawn H. She retired from training following the 2015 season.
According to Blood-Horse, Gothard is survived by her daughter Kay Boudinot and her husband Jim, two grandchildren, three siblings and an extended family in Japan.
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