'Racing Was His Passion': Remembering California Icon John Harris
For many folks there's bit of a void at Del Mar this year. Missing is one of the giants of the industry, a man many credit with making California racing a major player on the national scene. He bred Thoroughbreds, raced them, and provided opportunities to countless numbers of individuals.
John Harris passed away last month just days shy of his 82nd birthday. He left behind a legacy that may never be matched. Harris was a leader and an integral part of California racing. He sits atop the list of California's racing leaders that includes John Mabee, Allen Paulson, Marty Wygod, Jerry Moss, and Clement Hirsch. Together they put California breeding on the map.
His father, Jack, started the Harris empire in Coalinga, California in the late 30's, building around a small breeding facility. They would expand with a hotel and a restaurant, raising beef for sale and hay for their horses.
Jack died in 1981 and John took over, continuing to build on what his father started and expanding the Thoroughbred operation. Before long the Harris name began appearing with stakes winners. Harris bred them, sold them and raced them, either in his name or for clients. California Chrome and Tiznow both spent time at the Harris Farm.
But John was more than just a breeder. He was also influential in helping California racing navigate the choppy waters of the 1980s through the dawning of off-track wagering and simulcasting. Without Harris' support, measures didn't pass.
He was a man of many hats. He was one-time president of the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association, a member of the California Horse Racing Board and Director of the Thoroughbred Owners of California. He was also a member of The Jockey Club.
He additionally gave people a leg up in the business. Carla Gaines was a young, aspiring trainer when she first met Harris. She was freelance galloping and had a few horses in training. She vividly remembers the first horse she won with Harris.
'Vallejo County Fair,' Gaines notes. 'I won a $4,000 claimer with a horse named Glory Quest. That was my first horse for him. You would have thought I won a Grade I. I groomed him. I galloped him. He was a $4,000 horse but he was my baby. From that day on we had great fun. We won lots of stakes races and went to the Breeders' Cup a time or two with horses. If it wasn't for him, I don't know how I would have succeeded.'
Last week, Santa Anita changed the name of their Unzip Me Stakes to the John C. Harris. It will be run September 27.
He never lost his love for the sport, even up to his last days.
'In his room they had a white board,' Gaines recalls. 'It had every horse that he was part owner, every horse he bred, and every horse he sold. They put the races (with those horses) up on the board and he would watch those races all day long, in bed. Racing was his passion and his love.'
Gaines still has about 10 horses from the Harris farm in her stable at Del Mar.
'It's sad being here without John,' Gaines says. 'California's going to miss him.'
This story was originally reported by Paulick Report on Aug 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
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