Henry Moreno, prominent Southern California trainer, dies at 90

ARCADIA, Calif. – Retired trainer Henry Moreno died early Sunday at an assisted living facility near Santa Anita, according to his daughter, Elizabeth Stellwagen.

Moreno was 90. He had been suffering from dementia in recent years, his daughter said.

Through his career, Moreno won 886 Thoroughbred races. His stable earned $24.09 million.

Moreno, who was a visitor to morning training at Santa Anita in recent years, kept in close contact with friends in racing as recently as last week.

Moreno had a lifelong involvement in racing, growing up in Southern California on his family’s Quarter Horse ranch. Moreno initially trained Quarter Horses until he made the transition to Thoroughbred racing in early 1960s.

Prior to his training career, Moreno served in the army in the Korean War.

In the 1970s, the stable was led by runners such as Tizna, who won the Santa Margarita Handicap for fillies and mares in consecutive years in 1974-75 as well as the 1974 Santa Monica Handicap.

In the 1980s, Moreno’s top horses included Sangue, who won races such as the Beverly Hills Handicap in 1982, and the Matriarch Stakes and Yellow Ribbon Stakes in 1983; Sam Who, who won the 1989 Los Angeles Handicap; and Timely Assertion, who won the 1987 Santa Anita Oaks.

Moreno had his best season in 1989, winning 39 races from 301 starters.

Re Toss won the 1993 Vanity Handicap at Hollywood Park, beating reigning champion older female Paseana. In that decade, Moreno also won such races as the Las Virgenes Stakes and Santa Anita Oaks with Lite Light in 1991 and four stakes for sprinters with the California-bred Red from 1996-98.

Lite Light was transferred out of Moreno’s stable in the spring of 1991 and later won the Kentucky Oaks for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer. Moreno had five runners in Breeders’ Cup races. His best result was a third by Re Toss in the 1993 Distaff.

Spud Spivens was Moreno’s final leading runner before his retirement in 2015. Spud Spivens placed in three stakes, including a third in the Grade 3 Affirmed Handicap at Hollywood Park in 2011.

A memorial service is being planned. Aside from Stellwagen, Moreno is survived by two other children – Stacey Hicks and R.J. Chambers.