John C. Harris, California horse breeder with ties to 2014 Kentucky Derby winner, dies at 81
He died Wednesday, according to Harris Farms. No cause of death or location was provided.
Harris didn't breed either California Chrome, a two-time Horse of the Year, or Tiznow, but both spent their early years at his Coalinga farm in California's San Joaquin Valley near Fresno. Both horses were elected to the sport's Hall of Fame.
California Chrome was the first California-bred to win the Derby since 1962. The colt went on to win the Preakness, but had his Triple Crown bid derailed in the Belmont.
Harris Farms stood many leading California sires, including Unusual Heat, Cee's Tizzy, Lucky Pulpit, Eclipse Award winner Acclamation and Smiling Tiger.
Harris was born on his family's farm on July 14, 1943. He graduated from the University of California, Davis in 1965 with a degree in animal production. He served for two years in the Army.
He became the sole shareholder and CEO of Harris Farms in 1981 following the death of his father, Jack, and led the ranch for decades, including Harris Ranch Inn & Restaurant, Harris Ranch Beef Co., Harris Feeding Co., Harris Farms Thoroughbred Division and Harris Fresh.
Harris was also known for his philanthropic efforts, supporting his alma mater as well as Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Fresno State. He donated horses to a program at Pleasant Valley State Prison in Coalinga that gives horses and prisoners a new start through its vocational training program.
'Mr. Harris' foresight, courage and willingness to invest his energy and assets in making our sport be better and rise higher in the eyes of the general public was a thing of pure beauty,' the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club said in a statement. 'We owe him a great debt for dedicating his life to the marvelous animals we all love.'
Harris served as chairman of the California Horse Racing Board for three years and was a longtime board member and former president of the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association. He served on the board of the Thoroughbred Owners of California and was a member of the California Racing Hall of Fame.
'No one understood and appreciated the intersection of agriculture and Thoroughbred breeding and racing more than John, who was a farmer at heart,' Tom Rooney, president and CEO of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, said in a statement. 'His presence was felt from his native California, to the farms and sales rings he frequented in central Kentucky, and all the way to Washington, D.C., where he helped shape and support the industry's federal policies.'
Harris was involved in horse breeding and racing for more than 50 years.
He gave trainer Carla Gaines her first horse in 1989 and she went on to train numerous stakes winners for Harris Farms.
'His contributions to the thoroughbred industry in our state cannot be overstated and his support was unwavering,' Santa Anita Park said in a statement. 'The green and white Harris Farms silks were omnipresent in Santa Anita's winner's circle and the legacy of the man they represent will be everlasting.'
Harris is survived by his wife, Cookie.
___
AP horse racing: https://apnews.com/hub/horse-racing
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
James out of Chelsea's starting lineup for Club World Cup quarterfinal vs Palmeiras due to injury
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Chelsea captain Reece James was removed from the starting lineup for Friday night's Club World Cup quarterfinal match against Palmeiras due to injury. James was listed on FIFA's squad list as injured on the bench. There was no immediate word on the extent of his injury. Midfielder Andrey Santos took James' place in the Blues' starting lineup. James played in three of the four CWC matches for Chelsea before Friday. The 25-year-old English right back played 81 minutes in the team's round-of-16 game against Benfica on Saturday, scoring the first goal in a 4-1 win. James has struggled with injuries throughout his career, having missed 21 games for Chelsea with hamstring injuries in the 2024-25 season. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. ___ AP soccer:
Toronto Star
2 hours ago
- Toronto Star
Cal Raleigh ties Ken Griffey Jr.‘s Mariners record for home runs before All-Star break with 35
SEATTLE (AP) — On the spot, Cal Raleigh compiled a laundry list of players he would consider for a Mount Rushmore of Seattle Mariners following their 6-0 victory over Pittsburgh on Friday. Ichiro was one of the first names off the board, followed by the likes of stud starting pitchers Felix Hernandez and Randy Johnson. When identifying who is the face of the Mariners, though, Raleigh immediately landed on Ken Griffey Jr., who he tied for the franchise record for home runs before the All-Star break with 35 with a pair of blasts.
Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
What a week for Whitehall
Lightning almost struck twice at Assiniboia Downs this week. It missed both times. A barrage of bolts struck the area surrounding the Downs on Canada Day evening, forcing the cancellation of the remaining races with one of the largest crowds ever in the stands, but most of those in attendance braved the rain for a fabulous fireworks display at 10:30 p.m. Jockey Antonio Whitehall prevented the second lightning strike of the week in the final race Wednesday when he won with favourite Big Ticket for trainer Will Tourangeau, wearing down 69-1 second-place finisher Really Slow and jockey Neville Stephenson in a long drive to prevail by three-quarters of a length. George Williams / Free Press Jockeys Antonio Whitehall (right) and Damrio Bynoe work a pair of two-year-olds for trainer Mike Nault at the Downs on Friday morning. The $1 Pick 4 paid $956.90 from a Pick 4 wagering pool of $163,626 and made a lot of bettors happy, except the one holding the lone live ticket on Really Slow, which would have exploded the tote board with a payoff of over $100,000. How'd you like to be holding that ticket for the length of the stretch? The Pick 4 sequence featured two favourites and two longshots. The fourth race was won by favourite Frankly ($5.20), the fifth went to longshot Burn Jakey Burn ($28.70), the sixth to Exotic's Bear ($19.30), and Big Ticket ($3.50) captured the seventh. Whitehall's win on Big Ticket gave the three-time leading ASD rider five wins on the week, including a victory in the $40,000 Frank Arnason Memorial Sire Stakes. Whitehall dead-heated for the win in the first and only race run Tuesday aboard Commandoslastdance ($2.20) for trainer Mike Nault, and added four more wins on Wednesday. He won the third race, the Frank Arnason Memorial Sire Stakes with Betterlucknexttime ($2.40) for Nault, added another for Nault in the fourth race with Frankly, then won the sixth race aboard Exotic's Bear and followed up in the seventh with the win on Big Ticket. When asked about his big week, Whitehall was taking it all in stride. 'Godspeed,' he said, pointing skyward while in Nault's barn Friday morning preparing to work a set of two-year-olds. 'You do your best to put your horse in the right spot,' said Whitehall. 'Sometimes you give your horse a perfect trip and he doesn't have anything for you. Other times, you have the horse but can't get the trip you want. When the horses and trips are there, everything works. You just have to be patient.' Betterlucknexttime, a three-year-old Manitoba-bred by Nonios-Nickel Candy by Silver Deputy, was the best horse in the Frank Arnason, and everything has gone according to plan for him. Bred by Larry Falloon and Denis Huberdeau, he was the sales topper at US$18,429 in the 2023 CTHS Manitoba Yearling Sale, and as a two-year-old he won the rich Buffalo Stakes. He has now earned $US62,434 from a record of 4-2-0 in eight starts and is well on his way to securing championship honours once again. Owned by the partnership of A2 Thoroughbreds (Nolan Allard, Arthur Roy and his father Jean-Marc Roy) and True North Thoroughbreds (Phil Allard, Pat Beavis, Grant Sissons and Ray Bouchard), Betterlucknexttime is yet another in a line of champions campaigned by Nault and his owners, who have won 11 races this year and over $US100,000 in purses. A2 Thoroughbreds also has some additional partners, some gathered from a seminar, and others who found them through their website at Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. Both ownership groups have spent above-average, but not outlandish amounts of money to purchase yearlings at Manitoba and Ontario yearling sales, and they are reaping the benefits with smart management and patient development of their horses. They are also getting excited about this year's crop of two-year-olds. Entries were taken for the first two-year-old races of the season at the Downs on Friday, and it won't be long before Nault and his owners are in the entry box. Nault, along with trainer Devon Gittens, is among the top two-year-old trainers at the Downs, but with Gittens racking up the wins at Woodbine, Nault could soon be alone at the top locally. 'With the ones that are ready, we'll go,' said Nolan Allard. 'With the ones that aren't, we'll back off a bit. It never works rushing. If you're patient, it pays off over the long term.' Nault shares his owners' patient philosophy, but he does love to run his two-year-olds. 'It's like opening up a present,' he smiled.
