Gary Tussey

Born: Sept. 22, 1940, in St. Francisville, Ill.
Residence: St. Francisville, Ill.
Family: wife Barbara; sons Kevin and Brian; six grandchildren
Professional Background: For 50 years has been in the crude oil-producing business. Owns Tussey Oil in St. Francisville, and Tussey Trucking ... Also owns corn and bean farms in Illinois
Racing Background: Tussey enjoyed betting the races over the years and about 35 years ago decided to try owning horses ... He began by claiming horses and got into breeding as some of his mares were retired and by buying a few broodmares
Breeding/Racing Operation: Now he mostly races what he raises. "I've never won a stakes race myself," said Tussey, who, in early 2007, sold Breeders' Cup Distaff contender Tough Tiz's Sis privately to Watson and Weitman Performances after she broke her maiden ... Has about 25 horses total, including six broodmares, two owned in partnership with Tom Dorris ... Dorris, who was Tough Tiz's Sis' first trainer, trains for Tussey in Chicago, and David Vance trains for him in Kentucky ... Keeps his mares at Tom and Judy Dorris' Oak Tree Farm in West Frankfort, Ill., and at Nuckols Farm in Kentucky ... Claimed Leaseholder, dam of Tough Tiz's Sis, and when he lost her in a claiming race, he claimed her back ... Leaseholder is in foal to Tiznow and has a 2007 filly by Even the Score ... Her daughter Leaseholders Dream, by Meadowlake, is in foal to Unbridled Energy and is scheduled to be bred to Tiznow in 2008. Tussey had not yet decided on a stallion for Leaseholder in 2008 ... Tough Tiz's Sis is named after her full brother, Tough Tiz, who had to overcome several physical problems to get to the races, where he is now an allowance runner. As a foal he had a non-malignant knot on his back that was removed several times after it kept returning. Upon advice from New Bolton Center, Tussey sent him to Auburn University, where they removed it and treated him with radiation, which solved the problem. Later when getting ready to race, Tough Tiz colicked and had to have surgery to remove several feet of intestines ... As of Mar., 2008, he was in training at Hawthorne Racecourse in Chicago.