Quarter Horse trainer Jack Brooks retires

Trainer Jack Brooks, who has won an unprecedented eight runnings of the All-American Futurity for Quarter Horses, announced his retirement on Wednesday. He began training in 1959 at Ruidoso Downs. Brooks is 71.

"I've been in this business for 47 years, and it has been so great to me and my family," Brooks said in a release issued by Remington Park. "There's probably not a good time to do this, so now seems to be as good a time as any.

"I'm still healthy and want to do some things that I haven't been able to do because I've always been training and racing horses."

The decision comes following the recent death of a brother, said Brooks. He said effective March 1, he would no longer be listed as the trainer of record for any horses. Brooks does, however, plan to be involved with horses at his farm in Jones, Okla.

"I'm going to stay active some at the farm, I'm just not going to be doing all of the day-to-day activity that's required at the racetrack and the races," said Brooks.

Brooks won his first All-American Futurity in 1978 with Moon Lark. His latest came in 2000 with Eyesa Special.