Gary F. Jones facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gary Jones |
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|---|---|
| Occupation | Trainer |
| Born | June 16, 1944 Long Beach, California, U.S. |
| Died | October 11, 2020 (aged 76) Del Mar, California, U.S. |
| Career wins | 1,465 |
| Major racing wins | |
| San Antonio Handicap (1976) San Pasqual Handicap (1976) San Fernando Stakes (1979, 1992) Autumn Days Handicap (1979, 1986) Westchester Stakes (1980) Wilshire Handicap (1980, 1992) La Brea Stakes (1982) Balboa Stakes (1983, 1992) El Encino Stakes (1983, 1987, 1988) Hollywood Futurity (1983, 1990) Malibu Stakes (1983) Norfolk Stakes (1983) Providencia Stakes (1983, 1991, 1992, 1996) San Felipe Stakes (1984) Santa Barbara Handicap (1984, 1992, 1996) Palomar Handicap (1985, 1993, 1995) Marlboro Cup Invitational Handicap (1986) Oaklawn Handicap (1986, 1992) Widener Handicap (1986) Del Mar Mile Handicap (1987) Fayette Stakes (1987) Hawthorne Handicap (1987, 1993) Oak Tree Derby (1987) Apple Blossom Handicap (1988) La Cañada Stakes (1988) Santa Maria Handicap (1988) Fantasy Stakes (1989) Silver Belles Handicap (1990) NYRA Mile (1990) San Diego Handicap (1990, 1994) Las Palmas Handicap (1991) Monrovia Handicap (1991) Pacific Classic Stakes (1991) Santa Ana Handicap (1991) Sunset Handicap (1991) Yellow Ribbon Stakes (1991) Beverly D. Stakes (1992) John Henry Handicap (1992) San Simeon Handicap (1992, 1994, 1996) San Gabriel Handicap (1992) San Marcos Stakes (1992) Santa Anita Handicap (1992, 1994) Strub Stakes (1992) A Gleam Handicap (1993) Buena Vista Handicap (1993) Del Mar Futurity (1993) Hollywood Gold Cup (1993) Miesque Stakes (1993) Santa Catalina Stakes (1993) San Francisco Mile Stakes (1993) San Vicente Stakes (1993) Santa Monica Stakes (1993) Vernon O. Underwood Stakes (1993) El Rincon Handicap (1994) Hollywood Oaks (1994) Las Virgenes Stakes (1994) Mother Goose Stakes (1994) Santa Anita Oaks (1994) Santa Ynez Stakes (1994) Harold C. Ramser Sr. Handicap (1995) Santa Ysabel Stakes (1995) San Carlos Handicap (1996) |
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| Honours | |
| National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame (2014) | |
| Significant horses | |
| Best Pal, Kostroma, Lakeway, Quiet American, Stuka, Turkoman, Wishing Well | |
Gary F. Jones (born June 16, 1944 – died October 11, 2020) was a very successful trainer of Thoroughbred racehorses. He started his career in 1974 and retired in 1996. During his time, his horses won over $52 million in prize money and he trained winners of 1,465 races. This included 102 important races called graded stakes. In 2014, Gary Jones was honored by being chosen for the United States Racing Hall of Fame.
Gary Jones: A Champion Horse Trainer
Gary Jones trained 104 horses that won major races. One of his most famous horses was Turkoman, who was named the best older male dirt horse in America in 1986.
His Amazing Career
Gary Jones won 15 "meet titles" in Southern California. A meet title means he trained the most winners at a specific racetrack during a racing season. He won four titles at Santa Anita Park. He is ranked sixth all-time there for the most wins (576) and seventh for the most stakes victories (72). In 1976, he set a record at Santa Anita with 47 wins, beating the previous record of 44 set by his own father, Farrell Jones.
At Hollywood Park Racetrack, Gary Jones is ranked 13th all-time in wins (463) and 10th in stakes victories (58). He also won 17 stakes races at Del Mar. This included the very first Pacific Classic Stakes in 1991 with a famous horse named Best Pal.
Jones led Turkoman to big wins in 1986. These included the Marlboro Cup, Widener Handicap, and Oaklawn Handicap. Gary Jones also won the Santa Anita Handicap twice, which is a very important race in California. He won it with Best Pal and another horse named Stuka. Besides the Pacific Classic and Santa Anita Handicap, Jones trained Best Pal to win other races like the Hollywood Gold Cup and Strub Stakes.
Gary Jones trained a horse named Time to Explode. This horse equaled a world record for speed at Hollywood Park. He also trained Beautiful Glass, who set a track record for a short race at the same place.
Famous Horses He Trained
Some of the most outstanding horses Gary Jones trained include:
- Best Pal: This horse is in the Hall of Fame.
- Turkoman: He was voted the best older male horse in 1986.
- Kostroma: This horse set a world record for speed on turf (grass track) in the Las Palmas Handicap.
Other notable horses trained by Gary Jones were Quiet American, Wishing Well, Lakeway, By Land by Sea, Fali Time, Radar Ahead, Eleven Stitches, and Lightning Mandate. Gary Jones passed away on October 11, 2020.
