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Former Trainer Stephen Ferraro Passes Aged 83

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Stephen Ferraro, a California-based trainer from 1970 through 1990, passed away this past Monday at his home in Sierra Madre, California after a lengthy illness. He was 83 years of age.

“He liked horse people. He was so good to everybody. If you talk to anybody that ever worked for him, they’ll say he was the best guy they ever worked for, whether it was his hotwalker or his swing groom. He took care of everybody and he treated everybody the same, no matter what station of life they were from,” said Ferraro’s son, Evan, Fasig-Tipton’s director of marketing.

Ferraro’s racing education came from the likes of Willard Proctor, an old school throwback of a trainer who believed there was no medication that could do a horse better than a routine spell away from the track.

“They became very close friends and he really learned a lot about training horses from Willard,” said Evan. “And Willard didn’t like everybody.”

Ferraro adopted these Proctor-learned habits into his own training regime, maintaining a small but successful barn of between 12 and 16 horses, with an emphasis on the details. Healthy, well-turned out horses. A barn kept spic and span.

“He took a lot of pride in how his horses looked, how his barn was presented,” said Evan. “He liked to do it the old-time way.”

One of Ferraro’s greatest days at the track, said Evan, was courtesy of Painted Wagon, a son of Gummo who Ferraro trained to great effect in the late 1970s.

In the GI Santa Anita Handicap of 1979, Painted Wagon made Affirmed take a few deep gulps before the Triple Crown winner forged clear with the win. Painted Wagon kept on for a noble third.

“He nursed the horse through some foot issues, got him through the winter older horse series at Santa Anita. He ran the San Antonio Stakes in the slop and finished second. Then they ran him in the Big Cap against Affirmed, the year after the Triple Crown,” said Evan.

“He said it was the most electric atmosphere he could ever imagine at Santa Anita that day,” said Evan. “And I mean, the horse just ran a blinder.”

After Ferraro retired from training, he worked for his family’s vending machine business. But he maintained close ties to the industry and an annual box at Santa Anita, which he renewed even up to this year. He also proved a breeder of some note.

Ferraro purchased a Harris Farms-bred mare called Never to Excess from a female family he liked and sent her to Tribal Rule three times in a row.

The first foal was stakes placed on his second start. But the Ferraros really struck gold with the third, a 2009 filly they named Ismene. (She was Antigone’s sister, never inclined to excess–Ferraro was an English Literature major).

Bill Spawr, a close friend of Ferraro’s, trained Ismene to multiple stakes victories, making her champion Cal-bred 2-year-old filly of 2011.

Veteran trainer Spawr and Ferraro were friends from high school, which they both attended in Downey, a city in Southeast LA.

“He played football in high school. Quarterback. He was pretty good. He went to college thinking he would play football, but he ended up playing golf and being pretty good at that, too,” said Spawr.

“We spent a lot of time together over the years,” Spawr added. “He was a classy guy and a good trainer. He did things right and he did them well.”

The Ferraros would go on to breed Ismene to Arrogate, producing the talented graded stakes winner Liberal Arts, who was on the GI Kentucky Derby trail the following year. He would go on to win the Knicks Go Stakes at Churchill Downs on the Kentucky Derby undercard as a 4-year-old.

“He knew the game in and out, and he just understood pedigrees really well. He had good success even though he didn’t always breed to the most expensive horses, although Arrogate was a big deal for him,” said Evan.

“He was such a gentleman and a top horseman who cared about California racing so much, particularly Santa Anita,” said Evan. “That was a cherished place for him.”

Ferraro was a long-time friend of Hall of Famer Neil Drysdale. “He was a great friend. We spent many years together in our youth,” he said, pointing out how the two lived together for a period of years.

“He was very passionate about racing and he has passed that passion down to his son,” Drysdale added. “He was a lovely man, and very special. I shall miss him.”

Ferraro is survived by his wife of 46 years, Richmond; sons Charlie (Devony) and Evan (Chelsea); and his grandchildren Blaise and Roman Ferraro. Details around the service are still being arranged.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the California Thoroughbred Horseman’s Foundation.

The post Former Trainer Stephen Ferraro Passes Aged 83 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

2027 Eclipse Awards Date, Location Confirmed

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The 56th Annual Eclipse Awards will once again be held at The Breakers Palm Beach in Florida in 2027, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), Daily Racing Form (DRF), and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters (NTWAB) announced Wednesday. The black-tie event will be held Tuesday, Jan. 19.

“The Breakers Palm Beach continues to be a great host for the Eclipse Awards, and we’re thrilled to return for our fifth year,” said NTRA President and CEO Tom Rooney. “Getting everyone together to celebrate the success of our sport’s equine and human competitors is the highlight of the year. The Breakers is the perfect venue to honor the best we have to offer in Thoroughbred racing.”

Tickets will go on sale Nov. 9. For more information, click here.

The post 2027 Eclipse Awards Date, Location Confirmed appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Former Trainer Stephen Ferraro Passes Aged 83

---

Stephen Ferraro, a California-based trainer from 1970 through 1990, passed away this past Monday at his home in Sierra Madre, California after a lengthy illness. He was 83 years of age.

“He liked horse people. He was so good to everybody. If you talk to anybody that ever worked for him, they’ll say he was the best guy they ever worked for, whether it was his hotwalker or his swing groom. He took care of everybody and he treated everybody the same, no matter what station of life they were from,” said Ferraro’s son, Evan, Fasig-Tipton’s director of marketing.

Ferraro’s racing education came from the likes of Willard Proctor, an old school throwback of a trainer who believed there was no medication that could do a horse better than a routine spell away from the track.

“They became very close friends and he really learned a lot about training horses from Willard,” said Evan. “And Willard didn’t like everybody.”

Ferraro adopted these Proctor-learned habits into his own training regime, maintaining a small but successful barn of between 12 and 16 horses, with an emphasis on the details. Healthy, well-turned out horses. A barn kept spic and span.

“He took a lot of pride in how his horses looked, how his barn was presented,” said Evan. “He liked to do it the old-time way.”

One of Ferraro’s greatest days at the track, said Evan, was courtesy of Painted Wagon, a son of Gummo who Ferraro trained to great effect in the late 1970s.

In the GI Santa Anita Handicap of 1979, Painted Wagon made Affirmed take a few deep gulps before the Triple Crown winner forged clear with the win. Painted Wagon kept on for a noble third.

“He nursed the horse through some foot issues, got him through the winter older horse series at Santa Anita. He ran the San Antonio Stakes in the slop and finished second. Then they ran him in the Big Cap against Affirmed, the year after the Triple Crown,” said Evan.

“He said it was the most electric atmosphere he could ever imagine at Santa Anita that day,” said Evan. “And I mean, the horse just ran a blinder.”

After Ferraro retired from training, he worked for his family’s vending machine business. But he maintained close ties to the industry and an annual box at Santa Anita, which he renewed even up to this year. He also proved a breeder of some note.

Ferraro purchased a Harris Farms-bred mare called Never to Excess from a female family he liked and sent her to Tribal Rule three times in a row.

The first foal was stakes placed on his second start. But the Ferraros really struck gold with the third, a 2009 filly they named Ismene. (She was Antigone’s sister, never inclined to excess–Ferraro was an English Literature major).

Bill Spawr, a close friend of Ferraro’s, trained Ismene to multiple stakes victories, making her champion Cal-bred 2-year-old filly of 2011.

Veteran trainer Spawr and Ferraro were friends from high school, which they both attended in Downey, a city in Southeast LA.

“He played football in high school. Quarterback. He was pretty good. He went to college thinking he would play football, but he ended up playing golf and being pretty good at that, too,” said Spawr.

“We spent a lot of time together over the years,” Spawr added. “He was a classy guy and a good trainer. He did things right and he did them well.”

The Ferraros would go on to breed Ismene to Arrogate, producing the talented graded stakes winner Liberal Arts, who was on the GI Kentucky Derby trail the following year. He would go on to win the Knicks Go Stakes at Churchill Downs on the Kentucky Derby undercard as a 4-year-old.

“He knew the game in and out, and he just understood pedigrees really well. He had good success even though he didn’t always breed to the most expensive horses, although Arrogate was a big deal for him,” said Evan.

“He was such a gentleman and a top horseman who cared about California racing so much, particularly Santa Anita,” said Evan. “That was a cherished place for him.”

Ferraro was a long-time friend of Hall of Famer Neil Drysdale. “He was a great friend. We spent many years together in our youth,” he said, pointing out how the two lived together for a period of years.

“He was very passionate about racing and he has passed that passion down to his son,” Drysdale added. “He was a lovely man, and very special. I shall miss him.”

Ferraro is survived by his wife of 46 years, Richmond; sons Charlie (Devony) and Evan (Chelsea); and his grandchildren Blaise and Roman Ferraro. Details around the service are still being arranged.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the California Thoroughbred Horseman’s Foundation.

The post Former Trainer Stephen Ferraro Passes Aged 83 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

2027 Eclipse Awards Date, Location Confirmed

---

The 56th Annual Eclipse Awards will once again be held at The Breakers Palm Beach in Florida in 2027, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), Daily Racing Form (DRF), and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters (NTWAB) announced Wednesday. The black-tie event will be held Tuesday, Jan. 19.

“The Breakers Palm Beach continues to be a great host for the Eclipse Awards, and we’re thrilled to return for our fifth year,” said NTRA President and CEO Tom Rooney. “Getting everyone together to celebrate the success of our sport’s equine and human competitors is the highlight of the year. The Breakers is the perfect venue to honor the best we have to offer in Thoroughbred racing.”

Tickets will go on sale Nov. 9. For more information, click here.

The post 2027 Eclipse Awards Date, Location Confirmed appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.