Florida Horseman Gary Caple Dies

Longtime Florida owner and trainer Gary Caple died Dec.14 in Oldsmar, Fla. after a long illness. He was 60.

 

Caple's roots in Thoroughbred racing extended back two generations. His grandfather, Hewlette R. Caple, was a respected horseman, and his father, late Louisville, Ky., native William Caple, led the trainer standings at Calder Race Course in 1971. 

 

"I've worked for a lot of horsemen," said Caple's fiancee, Chris Reynolds, a mutuels teller at Tampa Bay Downs, "and Gary was one of the best. He learned so much from his grandfather and his father, and he seemed to always figure out what each horse needed individually."

 

Caple, a Miami native who owned and trained for more than 20 years, is credited with 333 career training victories and purse earnings of $3,353,199, according to Equibase. Among his best horses was Groomstick Stock's, who finished second in the 1999 Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs at odds of 31-1.

 

Caple, who also bred horses, named several of his runners after family members, including My Granny and her homebred daughter Sherribaldi (after his sister), who won nine career races. He honored his fiancee by giving a daughter of Proud Accolade out of Blushing Sword the name Reynolds; the now-5-year-old mare won four races during the 2013-14 Tampa Bay meet for trainer William Downing.

 

"He enjoyed racing, understood the game and was very dedicated to what he did," said close friend Bernie Dickman of Ocala, a former editor of The Florida Horse and a long-time Turf writer for several Florida newspapers. "He learned from two consummate horsemen in his grandfather and father, and he was a hands-on trainer who was always at the barn."

 

Reynolds said Caple was very opinionated when it came to horses and racing.

 

"He could be very stubborn, but deep down he had a great heart," she said. "He made some very long-lasting friendships through racing."

 

A funeral service for Caple will be held at 2 p.m. EST Thursday, Dec. 18 at Countryside Funeral Home at 9185 NE Jacksonville Rd. in his hometown of Anthony, Fla. Visitation will be one hour prior.