Gary & Mary West Stables Born: Gary: 1945 in Harlan
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Gary & Mary West Stables Born: Gary: 1945 in Harlan, Iowa; Mary: 1946 in Miami, Florida Residence: Rancho Santa Fe, California Breeders’ Cup Record: 8-1-0-1 | $1,700,000 • Gary and Mary West have had eight Breeders’ Cup starters, with New Year’s Day securing the couple’s only victory to date in the 2014 Juvenile (G1) at Santa Anita. • The husband-wife team finished third in last year’s Classic (G1) with West Coast, who was named the country’s champion 3-year-old male of 2017 on the strength of victories in the Travers Stakes (G1) and Pennsylvania Derby (G1). West Coast is out of Caressing, who was named the country’s champion 2-year-old filly in 2000 after winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1). West Coast, who is trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, is pointing for this year’s Classic. • The Wests and Baffert could have the favorite for this year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) in unbeaten Game Winner, who captured the Del Mar Futurity (G1) and American Pharoah Stakes (G1) in his last two starts. • Through Oct. 18, the Wests ranked ninth nationally this year among owners in purse earnings ($3,479,163). • Entered the game almost 40 years ago after claiming Joe Blow, who would win races for the Wests at their home track, the now-defunct Ak-Sar-Ben in Omaha, Neb. • First graded stakes winner and Kentucky Derby starter was Rockamundo, who recorded a monumental upset in the 1993 G2 Arkansas Derby (odds of 108-1). Rockamundo finished 17th in the Kentucky Derby (G1) two weeks later and would run seventh in the Preakness Stakes (G1). Rockamundo was trained by Orin J. “Benny” Glass Jr., the Wests’ longtime racing manager and bloodstock advisor. • Other top horses campaigned by the Wests include Grade 1 winners Book Review, Power Broker, Room Service, Mongoose, Mass Media and Buddha and millionaire Dollar Bill. Buddha was among the favorites for the 2002 Kentucky Derby off his victory in the Grade I Wood Memorial. He was scratched from the Kentucky Derby (foot bruise) and never ran again. • In addition to Baffert, the Wests’ coast-to-coast operation has had winners saddled this year by Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, trainer Jason Servis and trainer Boyd Caster. • The Wests, who reside in Southern California, made their fortune in the telecommunications industry and in 2006 established the Gary and Mary West Foundation, which focuses on lowering the cost of health care for senior citizens. • Gary West began his career in hospital administration and went on to build one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world. Along with Mary, West has founded numerous companies over the last four decades – beginning with WATS Telemarketing in 1978 and followed by West Corporation in 1986. • West Corporation became one of the largest customer relationship management providers in the world with more than 35,000 employees and $3.5 billion in annual sales. Since West Corporation was taken private in 2006, West and his wife have started and now lead a range of enterprises based in Southern California and the Midwest, including West Development and West Partners, a private equity firm..