“TIME FOR A NEW CHALLENGE”
Hall of Fame Trainer Reade Baker Moves to Consulting
He developed two Horses of the Year, 13 Champions and saddled 128 stakes winners and now Reade Baker is looking for more challenges.
On Jan. 15, Baker announced that he putting training aside for a career transition into Racing, Breeding and Sales Consulting.
“I am starting anew,” said Baker from Florida. “I am transitioning to racing manager/bloodstock agent. I am looking to consult in buying and selling horse, manage a racing stable or a horse, much as I did with Afleet and work in pedigree matches.”
Baker’s first stakes winner was his own Brock Street. His training career following careers as a jockey agent and racing manager.
He trained Fatal Bullet, a Horse of the Year, for Bear Stables. Biofuel, also a HOY, for Brereton Jones. He won the Grade 1 Cotillion with Bear Now for Danny Dion’s Bear Stable and Woodbine Oaks with Gold Strike and Academic.
Among his favourite horses he trained, said Baker, was Free Fee Lady, who won the Wonder Where Stakes “on talent and guts” for Harlequin Ranches and the fleet Van Patten, one of the first big name horses ridden by champion jockey Patrick Husbands.
“[Training] is great as long as you had great horses. It’s not that great if you have slow horses. My position I was in now, with mostly claimers, I don’t think we have a level playing field.”
Baker was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2018 and he is also a member of the Etobicoke Sports Hall of Fame.
From Reade Baker racing Stable on Facebook:
Reade wishes to thank the owners who confidently entrusted to him their young and talented prospects many of whom became Stakes winners and also his dedicated team of employees several of whom were with him for an extended time.
Highlights for Reade include excelling at the highest level at home and being competitive in the best races throughout North America.
Reade’s formative years in the game were spent in Racing Stable Management where he directed the development of one of Canada’s most prolific Champions and Horses of Year, Afleet
Reade will continue to be based in Toronto within easy reach of the major markets. With his exceptional knowledge and extensive industry contacts Reade is approaching these new challenges confidently. Reade can be reached at readebaker@me.com or (561)573-0124.
