Eduardo Inda, trainer of champion Riboletta and longtime assistant to Ron McAnally, dies at 78

Eduardo Inda, who was a longtime assistant for Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally during the glory days of John Henry and went on to train Eclipse Award winner Riboletta, died last week, his family reported to the Santa Anita publicity department. He was 78.

Inda, a native of Chile, was instrumental in the care of John Henry and also South American imports such as Bayakoa and Paseana, who won two Eclipse Awards each for McAnally.

After working for McAnally for more than 20 years, Inda went out on his own in 1995, and in 2000 guided Brazilian import Riboletta to an Eclipse Award as champion older female, the same title won by Bayakoa and Paseana.

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Riboletta in 2000 ran 11 times and won five Grade 1 races, the Santa Margarita at Santa Anita, Milady and Vanity at Hollywood Park, and Ruffian and Beldame at Belmont Park. She also won the Clement Hirsch at Del Mar and Hawthorne at Hollywood Park, both Grade 2 events.

The Hirsch win was particularly meaningful to Inda, as Riboletta was a Chilean import purchased by Hirsch, whom Inda accompanied to the United States in 1961. He never left. Inda first worked for Hirsch’s trainer Warren Stute for more than a decade before moving to McAnally.

A kind, friendly man with a ready laugh, Inda retired a decade ago but remained in the Arcadia, Calif., area. He is survived by his wife, Monica, two daughters, and four grandchildren.