John Shirreffs: Unforgettable Memories of a Master Horseman
- Turf Diario
- 6 hours ago
- 3 min read
The man who conditioned the legendary Zenyatta and won the Kentucky Derby with Giacomo passed away this Thursday at the age of 80
CALIFORNIA, United States (Special for Turf Diario).— The global racing community woke up this Thursday to news that cuts deep. At the age of 80, John Shirreffs passed away at his home in Arcadia, California. He was the trainer who guided the unforgettable Zenyatta (Street Cry) to the Hall of Fame and stunned the world with Giacomo (Holy Bull) in the 2005 Kentucky Derby (G1). He passed away in his sleep, peacefully—much like he lived a large part of his extraordinary career: far from the noise, close to the horses.
“The industry lost a great man, and I lost a great friend,” said a choked-up Mike Smith, the jockey who accompanied him in his most resounding conquests. In those few words lies the exact dimension of what Shirreffs represented: a brilliant professional, but above all, a human being of total integrity.
The owner of a medium-sized stable at Santa Anita Park, he was never a trainer of massive operations. He did not need staggering numbers to build a legacy that speaks for itself: 596 victories and over $58 million in earnings. However, beyond the statistics, his mark was engraved in the respect garnered by his way of working. Patient, meticulous, and obsessively attentive to the welfare of every horse, he shared each day with his wife, Dottie Ingordo-Shirreffs, in a nearly familial setting.
“I think kindness is the key with horses,” he had said months ago. “It’s good to talk to them, to ask the riders and the grooms to talk to them. They are always learning from their environment; if they interact more, they will be happier and more successful.” It wasn't just a catchphrase; it was his philosophy.
Born on June 1, 1945, in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, raised between New York and the family farm in New Hampshire, and a veteran of the Marine Corps in Vietnam, he began training in the 1970s. His big break came in the 1990s when he took over as the private trainer for 505 Farms. From then on, his name began to resonate strongly across the West Coast.
But his story will inevitably be linked to Zenyatta. With her devastating closing kick, the mare won 19 consecutive races before falling just short against Blame (Arch) in the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1). In 2009, she became the only female to win that event and was named Horse of the Year in 2010. Shirreffs handled her with infinite patience, without haste, building a campaign that transcended the sport and drew new fans to the stands.
“He never rushed a horse,” Smith recalled. “He gave them time. And when he had them right, they stayed right for a long time. Sometimes they even improved.” That same insight allowed Giacomo, at 50-1, to pull off the upset at Churchill Downs in 2005, in the very first Derby his trainer ever contested.
In recent years, he proved his relevance once again with Baeza (McKinzie), who finished third in the Derby and later became a major factor in the Belmont (G1) and the Pennsylvania Derby (G1). Even his final stakes victory came as recently as January 31, when Westwood took the San Pasqual Stakes (G2). Until the very end, he worked with the same passion.
Reserved in front of the microphones, he often had to be coaxed for a quote before returning to the barn with his horse. There, in the intimacy of the stable, he would allow for long, reflective, and deep conversations.
Santa Anita bid him farewell, noting that every horse that runs there passes in front of the statue of Zenyatta—a symbol of a masterpiece that marked the track’s 90-year history.
A notable trainer is gone. Above all, a loyal man is gone, beloved by his people and faithful to his principles. In a sport that so often chases immediate results, John Shirreffs always chose another path: that of patience, respect, and conviction. And that, perhaps, was his greatest victory.
