Southern California Trainer Sherlock Dies at Age 73

Trainer Gary Sherlock, who saddled Intangaroo to three grade 1 wins in 2008, died Dec. 29 at an Arcadia, Calif., care facility. 

Santa Anita Park media reported Sherlock's passing, noting he would have turned 74 Jan. 1.

A successful Quarter Horse trainer in the 1970s, Sherlock turned his focus to Thoroughbreds and enjoyed his greatest success in 2008 with the 4-year-old filly Intangaroo, owned by Tom Grether Farms. The three grade 1 wins for Intangaroo came at three different tracks as the daughter of Orientate won the Santa Monica Handicap in February at Santa Anita, the Humana Distaff Stakes in May at Churchill Downs, and the Ballerina Stakes in August at Saratoga Race Course. 

Sherlock and Grether bought a number of yearlings and after the initial grade 1 win by Ingangaroo, a $37,000 purchase at the 2005 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Sherlock recalled a talented runner that would elude him.

"I buy the best I can with the money I have," Sherlock told BloodHorse after Intangaroo's Santa Monica win. "One of the fillies I really liked that I didn't buy was the filly of John Shirreffs, Zenyatta."

At that point Zenyatta had just a grade 2 win on her résumé but Sherlock had a sense of the success that would follow for the filly who edged Intangaroo for champion older female in 2008—the first of three wins in that category for the eventual Horse of the Year who was purchased for $60,000 at that same Keeneland sale.

Sherlock was born at 1:12 a.m. Jan. 1, 1946 in San Francisco, and was thus celebrated as the first baby born in the city that year. Raised in Pleasanton, Calif., as the son of a jockey, William, and racing official, Mary, Sherlock was destined for a life on the racetrack. In addition to training, he also enjoyed success as an insurance agent, specializing in racetrack workers' compensation policies for trainers and also as a bloodstock agent.

A top trainer for many years with Quarter Horses at Los Alamitos, Sherlock routinely finished in the top five slots in the standings in the 1970s along with the likes of D. Wayne Lukas and Blane Schvaneveldt. Sherlock won high profile races such as the 1977 Los Alamitos Derby with Azure Three and the 1980 Doc Severinsen Handicap with American Jet.  Prior to switching to Thoroughbreds full time, he won 353 Quarter Horse races from 1966 to 1980.

After Intangaroo's success, Sherlock went on to win the Santa Monica a second time, in 2016 with California-bred Lost Bus, who scored at odds of 64-1. Owned and bred by Sherlock's primary client, Terry Lovingier, Lost Bus, a 4-year-old daughter of Bring the Heat, paid $131.20 with Fernando Perez aboard.

Also that year, Sherlock experienced a Triple Crown race for the first time as his speedy Uncle Lino , who was third in the grade 1 Santa Anita Derby and a subsequent winner of the California Chrome Stakes at Los Alamitos, set the early pace before fading to seventh in the Preakness Stakes (G1).

Sherlock's most recent "big horse" was Lovingier's California-bred Show It N Moe It, a soon-to-be 5-year-old mare by Grace Upon Grace who to date has earned $515,541 from an overall mark of 27-6-6-6.  A two-time stakes winner, Show It N Moe It's most recent start came Nov. 17 at Del Mar—a second place finish in the Betty Grable Stakes.

Sherlock was also a savvy handicapper who loved playing the races. He is survived by his wife Sharon and sons Brian and Michael (Mikey), as well as grandsons Tanner and Luke.

At Sherlock's request, there will be no memorial services.