Carla Gaines

2009 Record: (189-28-23-34)

2009 Earnings: $2,568,891

2009 Win %: 14% In-The-Money %: 44%

Born: May 12, 1952, Birmingham, Ala.
Residence: Pasadena, Calif.
Family: Single
Education: Bachelor and master degrees in both sociology and psychology from the University of Alabama. Spent several years working as a counselor for troubled youth in rural Alabama
Racing Background: Became interested in horses while visiting her grandparents’ farm outside of Birmingham. Rode hunters and jumpers in her teens. Returned to riding in the evenings following her counseling work … Started her career in racing when she and some friends from Louisiana pinhooked a few horses. She would break and train the yearlings for the 2-year-old sales. "I considered it a sabbatical," said Gaines. "I intended to return to social work." … Moved to the West Coast in the mid-1980s, training sale horses, working as an exercise rider, eventually becoming an assistant trainer in Northern California for trainers Mike Harte and Mark Couto. Galloped horses for Chuck Jenda in Northern California, and later worked for Tommy Walker at Calumet Farm in Southern California
Racing Career: In 2007, Gaines came to the forefront of the Southern California training scene with standout Nashoba's Key. When Nashoba's Key won the Vanity Handicap at Hollywood Park, it was the first Grade 1 for the filly, jockey Joe Talamo, owner/breeder Warren Williamson and Gaines ... Earlier during the 2007 Hollywood Park summer meet, Nashoba's Key won the $150,000 Fran's Valentine and Tiz Elemental won the $200,000 Melair, completing a stakes double for Gaines and owner Williamson ... Saddled three winners on Aug. 5, 2007 at Del Mar, thought to be the first female trainer to do so. Winners were Made the Finals, Rocky Road, both owned by Harris Farms, and then Nashoba's Key took the G2 Clement Hirsch ... Harris Farms and Williamson have had horses with Gaines since she took out her trainer's license in 1989. They are still her primary clients ... Was the regular exercise rider of Harris Farms’ Glory Quest, who became her first starter and winner, winning a $4,000 claiming race at Vallejo on the Northern California fair circuit … Switched to the Southern California circuit in 1996 … Bases her stable of 40 horses at Santa Anita … In addition to Nashoba's Key and Tiz Elemental, other top stakes winners trained by Gaines are Distant Victory, Foxysox, Super High, Lucky J.H., and Spot the Diplomat ... Nashoba's Key, the trainer's only Breeders’ Cup starter to date, suffered her first career defeat in seven starts when she finished fourth in the 2007 Filly & Mare Turf ... Gaines was hit hard emotionally when Nashoba's Key kicked the fence of her outside pen and fatally broke her hind leg in May 2008. "She brought a lot of joy to everyone's lives that were lucky enough to be associated with her," she said in a statement at the time ... Among her 2009 stakes winners are Excessive Blend, John Scott and Dancing in Silks, a candidate for the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint ... Dotes on pet black Labrador named Coal and stable pony Spin, a former racehorse by Cee's Tizzy ... Buys horses in Europe or at sales, and gets California-breds from John Harris. "I have great clients, who keep sending me good horses, and a really good team," she says of her success growing each year ... She likes camping and water sports – swimming, water skiing, and sailing.