Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Gary Stevens Starts Training Operation

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Gary Stevens Starts Training Operation
Gary Stevens

Gary Stevens, the Hall of Fame jockey who hung up his tack in 2005 with over 5,000 wins and earnings exceeding $221 million, opened a California-based training operation June 1. The newly organized Gary Stevens Racing Stable will have stalls at Santa Anita and runners will ship from there to various locations across the United States.

“This is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, and things finally fell into place,” said Stevens, who also works as an analyst for NBC Sports and HRTV. “We’re starting out with several nice horses and looking forward to slowly building up the stable.”

Stevens will be assisted by his son, T.C. Stevens, who worked for Ashford Stud for two years and also gained experience with other California and Florida-based operations before joining his father’s team.

Stevens, 46, won eight Breeders’ Cup races, a record nine runnings of the Santa Anita Derby (gr. I), and eight Triple Crown races in a racing career that spanned 27 years. Since his retirement, he has served as a consultant for IEAH Stables and other racing operations, in addition to his duties as an analyst.

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