Luis Barrera, trainer, dead

JAMAICA, N.Y. - Luis Barrera, the trainer of the 1981 Belmont Stakes winner Summing, died Wednesday morning, apparently of a heart attack, at his Belmont Park barn. Barrera was 80.

Barrera, a native of Cuba and a regular on the New York circuit since the 1970's, trained, among others, stakes winners Give Me Strength, Prismatical, Screen King, One Sum, and Its Acedemic. The biggest win of Barrera's career came in the 1981 Belmont Stakes with Summing, who upset the Triple Crown chances of Pleasant Colony.

For a period during his career, Barrera worked as an assistant to Lazaro Barrera, the late Hall of Fame trainer, one of his eight brothers.

Barrera is survived by his daughters, Carmen, the director of horsemen's relations at the New York Racing Association, Briana, and Louisa, and a son, Tommy.

Mass is scheduled for Saturday at 9:30 a.m. at St. Thomas the Apostle in West Hempstead. Viewing is at the Krauss Funeral Home in Franklin Square on Thursday and Friday.