The horse racing world often celebrates well-known trainers and stables, but sometimes, quieter operations achieve remarkable success. Trainer Librado Barocio, a figure likely unknown to many in the sport, has recently seen his stable achieve a significant milestone. His horse, Lovesick Blues, secured a surprising victory in the GI Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar on Saturday, overcoming more favored competitors. This win marks Barocio’s first Grade I victory, a career highlight for a trainer who has been in the sport intermittently since 1999.
Barocio shared his emotions about this significant achievement on the TDN Writers’ Room Podcast, presented by Keeneland. He was featured as this week’s Gainesway Guest of the Week. “It’s a blessing and it’s a big blessing for my family,” Barocio expressed. “I consider myself an underdog who is trying to play in this arena. I found a horse that was an underdog, too. The horse did it all. For him just to accomplish that, it means a lot for my family. It means a lot for my parents.”
Lovesick Blues, a 7-year-old gelding, has been a consistent performer on the California racing circuit, with his best performances traditionally on the turf. Barocio initially considered purchasing another horse, Desmond Doss, also by Grazen, but opted for Lovesick Blues when informed that horse was not actively training.
The GI Bing Crosby Stakes is a “Win and You’re In” race, offering automatic entry into the prestigious GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint. However, Barocio faces a $100,000 fee to enter Lovesick Blues, as the horse was not initially nominated for the Breeders’ Cup.
The decision to pursue the Breeders’ Cup was influenced by Barocio’s son, who is an assistant coach for the UCLA football team. The elder Barocio recounted his son’s encouraging words: “‘Dad, you made it to the Super Bowl,'” he said. “Right now he’s at UCLA, but two years back he was with the Washington Commanders and Coach Rivera. And of course, their goal was to get to the Super Bowl. And when he played football at UCLA, their goal was to get to the national championship game. He said, ‘Dad, you’re in the Super Bowl.’ He equated this victory with the Super Bowl. I agreed with him. The Breeders’ Cup is the Super Bowl of racing. He said, ‘You have to go,’ and I said, ‘absolutely, you are right.'”
Barocio, who also dedicates time to his business as a filmmaker, experienced his most successful year in 2023, with 24 wins. This year, his record stands at 16 wins from 65 starts, a commendable win rate of 25%. Earlier in 2024, Barocio also secured his first graded stakes victory in the GIII Senorita Stakes with Visually.
He emphasized the importance of his team: “I have to give all credit to my help, my workers, my assistants,” he stated. “They work endlessly and they don’t miss a beat. They do everything and sometimes they do it twice a day. We work on horses twice a day. I think the horses respond to that.”
In the “Fastest Horse of the Week” segment, sponsored by WinStar, Lovesick Blues was recognized for his exceptional performance, earning a Beyer speed figure of 105 for his victory in the Bing Crosby Stakes.
The podcast also discussed other notable racing events. The team reviewed Sovereignty’s strong performance in the GII Jim Dandy Stakes and expressed regret over his absence from the Preakness Stakes, suggesting he might have contended for the Triple Crown.
Focusing on the two-year-olds, the highly anticipated ‘TDN Rising Star’ Brant, a $3 million purchase, was a significant topic. Brant made an impressive debut at Del Mar, winning his maiden race with a Beyer figure of 101, the highest recorded for a two-year-old this year.
The GI Whitney S. was also reviewed, featuring what is considered the strongest field of older dirt horses assembled this year. Fierceness was widely regarded as the horse to beat.
For those interested in watching the Writers’ Room discussion, the video is available here. The podcast version can be accessed here.
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