Brocklebanks ordered by court to pay $385,000

Trainer John Brocklebank and his wife, Tarilynne, who holds an owner’s license, have been suspended after a Los Angeles Superior Court ordered them to pay a combined $385,558 in damages to owner Barbara Black involving the 2012 sale of the then-unraced filly Provenance.

The suspensions were announced in two rulings issued by Del Mar stewards on Saturday. Later that day, Brocklebank said he may have to declare bankruptcy.

“I can’t pay $385,000, and neither can Tari,” he said.

Provenance was sold privately for $60,000 to Black in early 2012 prior to a scheduled appearance in the Barretts March sale of select 2-year-olds in training. A few months later, when the filly was put in training, she was found to have a sesamoid injury, according to court documents.

Black sought triple damages, including costs related to the purchase and veterinary bills.

In a text message Sunday, John Brocklebank said he and his wife thought a lawsuit regarding the filly had been settled.

“All we did was sell the horse,” he said. “We thought it was over with. They only paid $60,000 for the filly.”

According to the ruling, Brocklebank has a responsibility of $192,484.87 to Black, while Tarilynne Brocklebank has a responsibility of $193,074.30.

Sunday, John Brocklebank expressed frustration at the legal system and thought Black was satisfied with the filly. He said his wife should have been held blameless since “her only involvement was depositing the check.”

Provenance had 1 win in 11 starts. She raced from May 2013 to June 2015 for trainers Marty Jones and Mike Puype. She was owned by Black Racing Stable and earned $63,210.

John Brocklebank is based in Utah, where he said he is breaking 70 yearlings. This year, Brocklebank has won 14 races with 94 starters. His stable has earned $420,932. He has not had a starter since September at Los Alamitos.

In 2016, Brocklebank won the Santa Anita Juvenile with California Diamond, who was later sold at auction for $125,000.