Carl Nafzger
Encyclopedia
Carl A. Nafzger is an American Hall of Fame
horse trainer
. Before he was involved in horseracing he was a championship Rodeo
bullrider.
Nafzger trained Unbridled
who won the 1990 Kentucky Derby
and Breeders' Cup Classic
. In 1990 he was voted the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer
and the Big Sport of Turfdom Award
. In 1994, he wrote a book on the training of Thoroughbred
horses titled Traits Of A Winner that was published by R. Meerdink Co. (ISBN 978-0929346328).
In 1998, Nafzger trained Banshee Breeze
who won that year's Eclipse Award for Outstanding 3-Year-Old Filly
. In 2006 he was back in the national spotlight as the trainer of the colt Street Sense
who won the 2006 Breeders' Cup Juvenile
and the 2007 Kentucky Derby
. Now in semi-retirement, Nafzger will only train for two clients, James B. Tafel, owner of Street Sense, and for Bentley Smith, who now has eight horses being trained by Nafzger. Smith's first wife (who died in 1999) was the daughter of Unbridled's owner, Frances A. Genter
, and ran the Genter stable before its dissolution.
Inducted to the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame
in 2008
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers...
horse trainer
Horse trainer
In horse racing, a trainer prepares a horse for races, with responsibility for exercising it, getting it race-ready and determining which races it should enter...
. Before he was involved in horseracing he was a championship Rodeo
Rodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
bullrider.
Nafzger trained Unbridled
Unbridled
Unbridled was a Champion American Thoroughbred racehorse.The colt was sired by Fappiano , by Mr. Prospector, and his dam Gana Facil, by Le Fabuleux. Unbridled retired with a career record of 8 wins, 6 places and 6 shows in 24 starts, and $4,489,475 in career earnings...
who won the 1990 Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
and Breeders' Cup Classic
Breeders' Cup Classic
The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3 year olds and older run at a distance of 1¼ miles on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships...
. In 1990 he was voted the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer
Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer
The Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor for trainers. Created in 1971, it is part of the Eclipse Awards program and is awarded annually.Its Canadian counterpart is the Sovereign Award for Outstanding Trainer....
and the Big Sport of Turfdom Award
Big Sport of Turfdom Award
The Big Sport of Turfdom Award has been given annually by the Turf Publicists of America since 1966 to a person or group who enhances coverage of Thoroughbred racing through cooperation with the media and Thoroughbred racing publicists....
. In 1994, he wrote a book on the training of Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
horses titled Traits Of A Winner that was published by R. Meerdink Co. (ISBN 978-0929346328).
In 1998, Nafzger trained Banshee Breeze
Banshee Breeze
Banshee Breeze was an American Champion Thoroughbred filly racehorse. A winner of five Grade 1 races, she was voted the 1998 American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly....
who won that year's Eclipse Award for Outstanding 3-Year-Old Filly
Eclipse Award for Outstanding 3-Year-Old Filly
The American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually to a female horse in Thoroughbred flat racing. It became part of the Eclipse Awards program in 1971....
. In 2006 he was back in the national spotlight as the trainer of the colt Street Sense
Street Sense (horse)
Street Sense is an American Thoroughbred racehorse, U.S. Champion 2-Yr-Old Colt and winner of the 2007 Kentucky Derby, the 2007 Travers Stakes and runner up in the 2007 Preakness Stakes by a head. Owned and bred by James B...
who won the 2006 Breeders' Cup Juvenile
Breeders' Cup Juvenile
The Breeders' Cup Juvenile is a Thoroughbred horse race for 2-year-old colts and geldings raced on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships....
and the 2007 Kentucky Derby
2007 Kentucky Derby
The 2007 Kentucky Derby was the 133rd running of the Kentucky Derby. The race took place on May 5, 2007. The announced attendance was 156,635, the third largest in Derby history....
. Now in semi-retirement, Nafzger will only train for two clients, James B. Tafel, owner of Street Sense, and for Bentley Smith, who now has eight horses being trained by Nafzger. Smith's first wife (who died in 1999) was the daughter of Unbridled's owner, Frances A. Genter
Frances A. Genter
Frances A. Genter was a major figure in American Thoroughbred horse racing. She is best known as the owner of Unbridled, the 1990 American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse and winner of the 1990 Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic...
, and ran the Genter stable before its dissolution.
Inducted to the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame
Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame
- History :Now housed in the Historic Cowtown Coliseum in the Fort Worth Stockyards. The organization, dedicated to the sport of rodeo and the recognition of Texas' contribution to that sport, the TRCHF was founded in 1975 by Johnny Boren and a group of Belton, Texas, businessmen...
in 2008