Former Trainer Bearden Dies at 91

Former Thoroughbred trainer Alford Wayne Bearden died Jan. 14 at his home in Howell, Mich., surrounded by family. He was 91.

Bearden was born July 29, 1929, in Albertville, Ala., to Ossie and Minnie (Geurin) Bearden. He grew up in a large and very poor family, and later when his father joined the United States Navy for World War II in 1944, he suddenly found himself as head of the household at age 14. Reaching only the seventh grade, Bearden dropped out of school to work full time and help take care of his mother and five siblings. He was a hard-working man his entire life, and never took a vacation day. In his early years, he did many different things to earn a living, including as an auto mechanic and a used car salesman, before he was introduced to Thoroughbred horseracing.

Growing up in Alabama, Bearden's family owned work horses and mules, but not again until decades later did Bearden own another horse—a racehorse this time—that someone gave to him. Beginning with that one gift horse, Bearden eventually built a successful career as a highly recognized Thoroughbred racehorse trainer. His published statistics are quite remarkable; however, the true results are even larger due to a secret previously not shared publicly. 

Bearden was functionally illiterate. He was incapable of reading the questions and writing the answers to the application and test to obtain a trainer's license. In the late 1960's, Bearden began training horses under the name of other trainers but doing the work himself. Over the years the racing stewards had gotten to know him and offered to make an exception to allow Bearden to take the test with them reading the questions out loud and Bearden orally answered them. Bearden passed his test and officially could run his horses under his own name.

From 7,291 starts from 1976-2017 recorded on Equibase, Bearden accomplished a 1,310-1,093-921 record and more than $8.5 million in earnings. He also collected untold leading trainer titles, leading owner titles, multiple stakes wins, multi-state records as a trainer and as an owner, national records, and was once voted "United States Trainer of the Month" by the Turf Publicists of America. He dedicated his life to the horses he trained, and frankly, he got along better with them than some people.

Bearden met his second wife, Brenda Samuel, and quickly thereafter, they were married March 23, 1963 in Madison Heights, Mich. He will be remembered as a devoted husband, caring father, loving grandfather, and beloved great grandfather. Moreover, he will be remembered as "The Legend," one of the last old-school horse trainers, that did it his way, regardless of if it was the right way, and demanded attention and respect for those he chose to associate with. If he could not motive a high work level out of someone or maintain their respect, he would likely invite that person to be dragged out back behind the barn.

Even when Bearden's body no longer had the strength to perform the work necessary to be a trainer, his passion for it never left him. Over the past couple of years, he was able to continue on training (in a limited capacity) at Hazel Park Raceway, with the physical work coming from others, especially daughter Michelle Bearden and Lori Wolf. In 2018, when Hazel Park Raceway was shuttered, Bearden for the first time in over 50 years found himself without a career. His unplanned retirement lasted barely two days when he announced to his family, "I am going out tomorrow to find a job, I cannot just sit around doing nothing." Bearden came home with news that he got a job at Meijer grocery store as a greeter; and while it was not doing what he loved, he loved the customers and the kids. Bearden worked as a greeter in both the Howell, Mich., and Brighton, Mich., stores, until the COVID-19 pandemic became too much of a concern and Meijer put his position on hold, waiting on his return.

Bearden is survived by his wife, Brenda; his children, Elowayne "Ella" (fiancé, Mike West) Nowakowski, Tammy (Dan) Szymborski, Steven (Gwen Haggerty-Bearden) Bearden, Michelle Bearden, son-in-law, Bo Reinholz, ex-daughter-in-law, Carolyn Bearden; grandchildren, Melessa, Lori, Lynda, Thomas, Al, Rochelle, Jim, Stephanie, Andrew, Casey, Marty, Jake and Sophia; great grandchildren, Mark, Tylor, Alexis, Shane, Shelby, Emma, Grant, Brayden; many nieces, nephews, sons-in-law, extended Michigan and Alabama family, friends, Larry Frank, and his's beloved cat, "Homie." He is preceded in death by his parents, Ossie and Minnie Bearden; daughter Marilyn Reinholz; and siblings, Joe, Tommy, Gene, Linda, Paul, baby Donna Jo, and his assistant trainer for 30 years, Janette Flogaus.

Family and friends will gather for a memorial service at a later time to be determined. Memorial contributions are suggested to: Thoroughbred Charities of America.