Carl Nafzger Birthdate: Aug. 29, 1941 Birthplace:Plainview, Texas Residence: Olton, Texas Family: wife, Wanda

2007 Gulfstream Record

Career:

• Was on his way to retirement when longtime owner Jim Tafel asked him to continue with his string. That bunch included Street Sense, who eventually took the 2006 2-year-old championship and the 2007 Kentucky Derby and Travers Stakes.
• A regular at Gulfstream, he turned most of his stable over to longtime assistant Ian Wilkes. Nafzger’s long history includes two triumphs in the Florida Derby with Vicar in 1999 and Unbridled in 1990.
• The latter went on to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic and Kentucky Derby following his Florida Derby success. His Kentucky Derby triumph is best remembered for Nafzger’s description of the race to the colt’s owner, Frances Genter, a moment captured on national television.
• He also won that year’s Super Derby with Home at Last and the Secretariat Stakes with Super Abound to earn the Eclipse Award.
• Took out trainer’s license in 1968 and his first victory came with the quarter horse Sportmobile in Texas later that year. First thoroughbred winner came in 1971 at Santa Fe Downs with Speedy Karen.
• Trained Banshee Breeze to an Eclipse in 1998 as top 3-year-old filly and won the Travers with Unshaded.
• In addition to Street Sense, Nafzger campaigned Lady Joanne to three stakes wins in 2007, including the Grade 1 Alabama at Saratoga.

Other: Competed on rodeo tour as a bull rider and went to national finals in 1963, ‘64 and ‘65, ranking third in the nation that year. Took a course on the anatomy of horses in 1967 at California Polytechnical University ... Has written a book, “Traits of a Winner,” about training thoroughbreds ... Inducted into the Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2007.