J. Paco Gonzalez

Who is J. Paco Gonzalez?

Juan Paco Gonzalez is an American Thoroughbred horse racing trainer.

The fourth of six children, Paco Gonzalez grew up on a ranch near Guadalajara where his family owned Quarter horses. As a boy he was inspired to go into the Thoroughbred racing business by two older brothers who were jockeys at Agua Caliente Racetrack in Tijuana. In 1964, Paco Gonzalez followed his brothers north to California where he found work as a stable hand for trainer Joe Manzi under whom he would learn the business for the next twenty-five years.

Joe Manzi died in April 1989 and Gonzalez took over as trainer of the stable whose clients included John Toffan and Trudy McCaffery, Canadian friends who raced as a partnership. For Toffan and McCaffrey and/or with other partners, the soft-spoken and reserved Paco Gonzalez enjoyed considerable success as the trainer of millionaire multiple Grade I winners Bien Bien, Free House, and Came Home.

Bien Bien won the 1992 Hollywood Turf Cup Stakes, the 1993 Hollywood Invitational Turf Handicap, and the 1994 San Juan Capistrano Invitational Handicap before retiring with earnings of US$2,498,370. Bien Bien sired millionaire Bienamado whom Gonzalez trained and who in 2000/2001 won the same three major races as his sire had.